Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Press conference for Andres Guardado, killed by LA Sheriff deputy

By Carlos Montes

Movement for civilian oversight of LASD grows

Enter a descriptive sentence about the photo here.

Los Angeles, CA – On the two-year anniversary of the murder of Andres Guardado, June 17, UNITE HERE Local 11 and the Check the Sheriff Coalition held a press conference to call for a Los Angeles County Charter Amendment. This amendment will establish a new law with stronger civilian oversight of the LA Sheriffs.

Andres Guardado was a 19-year-old shot in the back and killed by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The first to speak at the rally was Cristobal Guardado, father of Andres, who spoke of the gift his son gave him two years ago for Father’s Day – a pair of shoes that he keeps for his memory but has never worn.

The president of UNITE HERE Local 11, Kurt Petersen, representing thousands of Los Angeles hotel and restaurant workers, called for justice for Andres and support for control and accountability over the LA Sheriffs. Then Melina Abdullah, a leader with Black Lives Matter-LA, spoke of the unity between the Black and Chicano community in the fight against police killings and introduced Dijon Kizzee’s cousin to speak. Dijon Kizzee, another victim of police violence, was shot 20 times and killed by L.A. Sheriffs. The cops claim he was breaking the law while riding his bike in South LA.

Emily Ordaz, daughter of David Ordaz Jr., who was killed by East LA Sheriffs, called for stronger civilian oversight of the LA Sheriff. Andres Kwon with ACLU-LA called the proposed charter amendment common sense and not a radical proposal.

The Anthony Vargas family and representatives of Centro CSO were present as the group marched to the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration to deliver a letter to the CEO calling for stronger civilian oversight of the LA Sheriffs. Centro CSO is a leading partner of the Check the Sheriff Coalition.

Centro CSO works for and calls for community control over the police, where the community or the people have power over the police, similar to the successful fight in Chicago where the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression won the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance to move forward the movement for community control of the police.

Centro CSO and the Check the Sheriff Coalition are calling on everyone to call or email the LA County Board of Supervisor to demand they vote to approve a motion for an LA County charter amendment for stronger civilian oversight of the LA Sheriffs. Please call and email starting on June 24 from 10 a.m. until noon.

Please call and email:

Hilda Solis 213-974-4111, [email protected]

Sheila Kuehl 213-974-3333, [email protected]

Janice Hahn 213-974-4444, [email protected]

Kathryn Barger 213-974-5555, [email protected]

Holly Mitchell 213-974-2222, [email protected]

Centro CSO can be reached through its email ( [email protected]), by texting its hotline 323-943-2030, or messaging various social media platforms: @CentroCSO on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

#LosAngelesCA #PoliceBrutality #LASD #StopPoliceCrimes