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I hear Disneyland told Gabriel San Roman they had “technical problems” last Friday night preventing them from setting off their usual nightly fireworks, the ones that drive dogs crazy for ten miles around (all the way to HB I can attest), the ones that make central Anaheim sound like a war zone every night around 9pm and kick in people’s PTSD, the ones whose chemicals possibly contribute to the higher incidence of asthma and other illnesses in the local children.
That “technical problems” excuse is bullshit, or possibly a really lame PR euphemism. We know, because we were there. Disneyland’s “technical problem” that night was that two police helicopters were flying in circles for at least an hour in the no-fly zone where the fireworks usually end up, blaring indecipherable orders and threats through their speaker systems.
And why were those helicopters there in the way of the firework display? Because July 22 was the 4th anniversary of the Anaheim police killing of Joel Acevedo, and about a hundred of us decided to march from the police station to Disneyland, MOSTLY stopping southbound traffic on Harbor (after a while we let one lane pass freely.) And the closer we got to Disneyland, the more nervous the police helicopters got, and continuously barked things at us that we couldn’t hear over our music – although aside from that the APD left us alone.
July 22, 2012
Joel with brother Robert
This won’t be the place where I detail ALL the reasons many of us don’t believe the police/DA story of what happened to 21-year old Joel on that tragic summer night. Shorthand version only here. The night before, Officer Nick “Backshot” Bennallack had shot unarmed, fleeing Manuel Diaz in the back twice, in the Anna Drive barrio, causing the first of that month’s riots. Bennallack and his partners did not get around to planting a gun on Manuel; the next night police would not make that same mistake.
So the following night in the Guinida neighborhood, when the public was finally allowed to see Joel’s lifeless body, a large handgun was lying awkwardly between his feet. (A large, heavy, expensive handgun of the sort police frequently use as a “throwaway gun” because there are others they like better.) The officer who copped to the shooting, Kelly Phillips (who had already shot two other suspects, one fatally and one not) was given an unusual eight days to tell his story. According to Phillips, Joel and two others ran from a pursued SUV, Joel then hid behind another SUV, turned and began to fire on a terrified Phillips, who returned fire and killed Joel with two shots.
At 3 with his mom, looking just like his son does now – ironically, at Disneyland.
Some problems, aside from Joel having no history of violence, and none of his friends ever having known him to have a gun. The police story changed after the first few hours, when they were telling press and family that someone had fired at them from the SUV Joel ran from, and that they had found a gun in that car. Why would that story disappear and be replaced by an entirely new story? An officer later identified as then-Deputy Chief Craig Hunter offered to let Joel’s aunt Katrina see his body, on the condition that she would testify she saw a gun on him – she refused his deal with profanity. Also, it’s impossible to square the bullet trajectories through Joel’s body with Phillips’ accounts.
What several witnesses DID see was Joel being handcuffed and then executed by Phillips. Most of these witnesses were repeatedly “visited” and “questioned” by police, and quietly moved away. The one unafraid witness had been painstakingly discredited by authorities and forced to confess to gang terrorism charges at the risk of losing her children, in an effort to make her testimony not credible to a jury.
WHY did police kill Joel? We have no idea and wish we did. We know that they’d been chasing him through the neighborhood just three days before, firing tasers at him. He had no record beyond graffiti, and then the inevitable cycle of probation violations that comes from being seen with your friends. (That’s what we mean by “criminalization.”) I suspect they chose him because he was a smartass who was good at getting away from them, and they were teaching all such young men a lesson. His many friends remember him as extremely generous, hilariously funny, and very protective of the children and women of the neighborhood.
However his family’s case turns out, this brings up another reason to Film the Police whenever you see anything unusual going on. Not only does that tend to prevent bad things from happening, but as activist Damion Ramirez reminded us Friday night: Most of these killer cops do it more than once, and do other illegal things more than once; and once they are caught in a crime they can’t deny, everything they have been involved in will be looked at again. So, just conceivably, some day there could be justice for Joel Acevedo.
But yeah, back to Friday night, there were about a hundred of us – the extended family of Anaheim police victims just keeps growing and growing and will not keep silent. Newly swollen by family and friends of Vincent Valenzuela, who succumbed this month to being tasered in the heart eight days earlier, the peaceful but angry crowd included family and friends of Manuel Diaz, Caesar Cruz, Martin Hernandez, Marcel Ceja, Kelly Thomas, Joe Whitehouse, Michael Nida, Gustavo Najera, Boaz Balenti and others.
And to those of us who knew Joel Acevedo, and those of us who wish we had, that Friday night July 22 really did seem like a moment of silence from Disneyland.
Kelly Phillips and his partner Browning stalked that neighborhood on Guinida. “Killen” Phillips was anxious for the restriction to be lifted from being allowed to patrol that area by making a statement that he “can’t wait to clean things up.” Down to the toddlers, the police in Anaheim do not see the people on that street as human beings. They will put a mother with a newborn on the street without batting an eye. They will drive by off duty and terrorize the youth. They will use their privileged access to the schools to harass teenagers by pushing them into empty classrooms, threatening them and even tasing them without notifying parents. Always film them. They cannot be trusted!
“about a hundred of us decided to march from the police station to Disneyland, MOSTLY stopping southbound traffic on Harbor (after a while we let one lane pass freely.) ”
Gee, how big of you, letting one lane pass “freely.” And to the thousands of people whose lives you disrupted, that may have had family plans, work plans or perhaps even health issues, you say…?
Hey Chris…Fuck You !!
I was surprised actually when the traffic started going by us on the left … Two or three people were angry at us, but ten or twenty honked and waved in support, knowing that we were speaking out about a big, real problem for everybody.
It was not Huntington Beach.
YEA CHRIS OUR LIVES WERE BRUTALLY INTERRUPTED BY THE LOSS OF OUR LOVED ONES. ..IF YOUR FAMILY MEMBER WAS MURDERED BY A COP YOUR ASS WOULD BE THERE TOO..THEN AGAIN MAYBE NOT SINCE YOUR SO INSENSITIVE TO HUMAN LIFE!!! MAY GOD SOFTEN YOUR HEART
I am puzzled as to why ruining the vacation of thousands of tourists and the night of hundreds of motorists is somehow virtuous.
If Donald Trump supporters blocked a Cinco De Mayo festival delaying and denying entry to prove their point, this blog would go crazy.
Stupid Inconsiderate Action.
1. We didn’t know the fireworks would be stopped.
2. If anyone showed up to see the fireworks and was disappointed, they should complain to Disney. I bet they can come back for free, I doubt this’ll ever happen again.
When a human being is handcuffed and tasered to death, it’s right that this be questioned.
Now Chris, we all know that your blog pieces are nothing but collections of people’s opinions. And since you brought up backgrounds, the fact that you didn’t pay your taxes for years hasn’t gone unnoticed. Had to sell the house and move into a rental to get that monkey off your back. And by golly, that’s about when you started shilling for Rainbow and the Chamber of Commerce. Sold your soul. Everyone knows you don’t represent HB any longer no matter how many photos of pretty birds you post. Gina will win and Rainbow will settle and hopefully then you’ll give your poor wife a break and get a real job.
Chris Epting pretended to be a Huntington Beach School Child on the internet. That is so disturbing. What is that old saying? “Creepy older men who impersonate children online should not throw stones…” Something like that.
… That’s the essence anyway.
RIP sad that we have had more killings by cops then by terrorist. And yet no accountability. What we need is CPR (Citizens Police Reform ) Because the police can’t police themselves
No, we need a Legislature that will repeal the obnoxious, unconstitutional POBR.
Damn. It’s got to the point that even when Chris Epting tries to make a semi-legit (thought still contextually dickish) comment, he is still treated like the little no-talent punk he is. World -1; Epting – 0, final score.
Everyone casts a shadow, but the darkness that Chris Epting constantly attempts to pull over sunny Huntington Beach is truly epic.
Who, or what is the evil Epting dude, and why does everybody hate him? Even the Devil gets his due.
There is an undeserved grandeur in comparing him to the devil. Chris Epting is just a garden variety very boring, suburban, hateful, aging, self important, menace.
He’s just some repugnant malignant neighbor in a tatty old dirty robe wearing curlers in what’s left of his tufts of hair hanging over the collective fence of our community talking crap constantly, being nasty rude, and annoying people who would rather stay far way from his abhorrent behavior.
But he does get secret messages only he can hear from listening to the John and Ken show. Even those are dreadfully unoriginal though. Basic Fox news paranoia etc. He can’t even muster up the creativity to forge his own unique brand of crazy. Even his conspiracy theories are tedious, predictable and small minded.
In other words; The devil gets his due because he’s THE DEVIL. Chris is just a total jerk.
wow. my work is done here.
I am so very sorry for the Acevedo family’s pain…i know your pain. I have searched for activities and protests by this group who have sponsored the Acevedo family and many others in the courage and strength that brings this group together to fight for vindication and accountability for the murders of the persons we love, but discover the events only after they pass.
I admire the commitment and dedication of all the families and friends whose determination has refused to be quieted, demanding actions and ensuring the persons and stories are not silent or let others forget.
This article forced me to cry for what I dont let myself feel and the beauty of the love and support that can do anything…now I will hear Disney’s salute every night at 9:30 when I hear the bang and will pray for the Acevedos and when Im lucky enough to see the sky light up, I will smile for Joel and how lucky he is to have a family and friends who love him so much.
I apologize for not being there and promise to make a new start and be part of the demand for change.
Jason “Hoss” Hallstrom 09/09/1971 – 03/23/2013 Murdered by SAPD
Donna says thank you, Tiffany. She was actually thinking of Jason just yesterday as she was driving up Grand.
If you want to keep up with what these groups are doing (and you’re on Facebook) you might wanna join
Theresa Smith’s People for APD Accountability https://www.facebook.com/groups/243594752358000/
and Film the Police https://www.facebook.com/groups/491952734163149/
I am so sorry for your loss I too have experienced loss from the Anaheim Police Department they recently killed my husband last month for no reason an have been trying to justify what they’ve done if anybody can give me contact to help me join the group to support to go against these pigs please contact me #fuckAnaheimPolice Department
They claim that la EME, “Mexican Mafia” , actually backs the pigs in the current killings.