Not a single person’s eyes were dry when Melchor Torres of Madera, California recounted the story of his son’s murder while in police custody on the night of October 27, 2002. Melchor was an invited guest to the Merced based October 7, 2011 meeting of the California Central Valley Journey for Justice. Especially heart-breaking was hearing the song he composed in honor of his son Everardo and his mother and brother, who have passed away in the decade since Everardo was gunned down while handcuffed in the back of a Madera police car. The police officer, a veteran of the force, supposedly mistook a service revolver for a taser gun and shot him.
Everardo was 24 when he was struck down. He was a rising star as a boxer. He was already slated to represent the U.S. in the World Olympics.
It has been a long journey for justice for the Torres family. The Madera district attorney determined that no criminal charges could be brought against the officer who fired the fatal shot.
The case is now in its fourth attorney, including one who wanted the family to settle for lesser damages, they had their hopes dashed when nationally renowned attorney Johnnie Cochran, who was going to take the case died suddenly.
The family has taken a personal toll with the murder of their son. Mrs. Torres suffers several health problems, a 12 year old brother of Everardo who witnessed the shooting has suffered emotional problems and did not complete high school. Another brother has epilepsy. Melchor has personally traveled broadly seeking justice and support for his case, including trips to San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Washington, DC, and Mexico. As he promised at his son’s grave, the case will continue until justice is served.
Finally, the Torres family has been notified that there will be a court trial against the offending police officer for civil rights violations. This is scheduled for some time in April of 2012.
LATINOS AND POLICE BRUTALITY
Everardo’s death is reminiscent of Oscar Grant’s killing in 2009 by an Oakland BART transit officer. In both cases, young minority men’s lives were cut short.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination “expressed concern regarding incidents of police brutality and deaths at the hands of law enforcement powers in the name of waging the “war on terror(resulting in) the use of excessive force against people of color…(It’s not only continued post-9/11), but has worsened in both practice and severity” prompting a NAACP representative to call it the “worst I’ve seen in 50 years.”
Amnesty International points out that although most US police departments stipulate that officers should only use deadly force when their lives, or others, are endangered, dozens of cases show they do it indiscriminately, at most being “mildly disciplined” even if guilty of serious misconduct.
