Police Killing of Latino Man in El Monte Sparks Protest

In a summer that has witnessed police shootings of unarmed Latinos and beatings of subdued Black men caught on videotape, a militant march of several hundred demonstrators made its way through the working-class neighborhood of El Monte, Calif., on Aug. 28. The protesters demanded an immediate end to police brutality in their community and throughout the world. The demonstration was prompted by the July 20 death of David Viera at the hands of El Monte police. Viera, a young Chicano father of three, was shot to death after police stopped the car he was riding in. Police said Viera and the driver, Raul Moreno, were suspects in a "gang shooting." Police claim that Viera failed to obey orders to vacate the vehicle and attempted to retrieve something from beneath the passenger seat--possibly a weapon. The police riddled the car with bullets, mortally wounding Viera.No weapon was recovered. Viera and Moreno were exonerated as suspects in the earlier shooting. [more ]