Police officer Pat Gonzales has a reputation as mean as the character Alonzo Harris in the movie "Training Day", Gonzales is also known as a "dirty vato" on the streets of Oakland. A 10-year veteran, Gonzales has been involved in the deaths of two African-American males and the serious wounding of another.
Gonzales was also involved in the SWAT Team assault on an apartment where Lovelle Mixon opened fire with an AK-47 assault rifle killing Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35. Sgt. Gonzales was wounded in the gun battle. Some newspaper reports indicate there was a very good chance Gonzales killed Mixon, making it his third kill as an Oakland police Officer.
In March 2002 Gonzales shot his first victim 19 year-old Joshua Russell, 19, of Hayward after he and an accomplice tried to rob a man at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Burger King restaurant.
Then in 2006 Gonzales shot and paralyzed 17-year-old Ameir Rollins. Mr. Rollins was shot after he cooperated with Gonzales and threw down his weapon, and "look at the result," said Rollins' attorney, David Kelvin.
The city of Oakland settled with Mr.Rollins for 100,000. But before Mr Rollins received his compensation officer Gonzales had shot and killed 19 year-old Gary King in 2007.
King was shot twice in the back after he broke away from Gonzales during a struggle that Gonzales said King reach for the weapon.
One witness, Ailene Romero, said she never saw a gun, and Gonzales shot King as he was running away.
"There were a lot of young people there, and people just started screaming," Romero said.
Joyner said King refused repeated commands by Gonzales to surrender. Gonzales told investigators he fired twice at King when he continued to try and pull the gun out while turning to get away from him.
King was taken to Highland Hospital where he later died.
"He laid there and died right in front of us," said Shamar Bell, who said he witnessed the shooting and said he had known King since grade school. He said he did not see the officer pat King down before detaining him."(Gonzales) put handcuffs on him while he was on his stomach (in the street) in front of us," Bell said.
"If he so feared for his life, why didn't he call for backup?"
At one point during the struggle, witnesses said, Gonzales held King by his braids as he tried to break free and escape.Anela Hobbs said she saw Gonzales use his taser several times on King and saw King reach deep into his low-slung pants. Gonzales then let go of his braids, she said. King had turned to run away when the officer shot twice at him.
"I don't know protocol. I don't know policy. I just know life," Hobbs said. "It was a lose-lose situation all around.
"Romero said seeing King handcuffed after being shot was distressing. She questioned why the police would not aim for King's leg instead of shooting him fatally.Both practices are Oakland police policy in such cases.
"He was a good kid and was straightening out his life," said one of King's friends, who was with King when the incident began and saw the shooting.
Semir Jehar, who was working at a shoe and clothing store that day on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, ran outside when he heard the commotion.When outside, Jehar said he saw King cooperating, but when Gonzales tried to subdue King, he resisted and tried to get out of Gonzales's hold.
"I thought the police officer maybe shot him with rubber bullets," Jehar said.
"The police officer shouldn't have resorted to his gun."
Larry Rollins best summed up the communities feelings about Gonzales when he said, "He beat my son, and he murdered my son. This man is a cancer in our community. He is a disease in the body, and he must be removed."
Gonzales, promoted to Sargent for his kills,today remains the deadliest cop on the streets of Oakland.
[quotes and excerpts taken from San Francisco Chronicle]
www.truthatlarge.blogspot.com
King was taken to Highland Hospital where he later died.
"He laid there and died right in front of us," said Shamar Bell, who said he witnessed the shooting and said he had known King since grade school. He said he did not see the officer pat King down before detaining him."(Gonzales) put handcuffs on him while he was on his stomach (in the street) in front of us," Bell said.
"If he so feared for his life, why didn't he call for backup?"
At one point during the struggle, witnesses said, Gonzales held King by his braids as he tried to break free and escape.Anela Hobbs said she saw Gonzales use his taser several times on King and saw King reach deep into his low-slung pants. Gonzales then let go of his braids, she said. King had turned to run away when the officer shot twice at him.
"I don't know protocol. I don't know policy. I just know life," Hobbs said. "It was a lose-lose situation all around.
"Romero said seeing King handcuffed after being shot was distressing. She questioned why the police would not aim for King's leg instead of shooting him fatally.Both practices are Oakland police policy in such cases.
"He was a good kid and was straightening out his life," said one of King's friends, who was with King when the incident began and saw the shooting.
Semir Jehar, who was working at a shoe and clothing store that day on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, ran outside when he heard the commotion.When outside, Jehar said he saw King cooperating, but when Gonzales tried to subdue King, he resisted and tried to get out of Gonzales's hold.
"I thought the police officer maybe shot him with rubber bullets," Jehar said.
"The police officer shouldn't have resorted to his gun."
Larry Rollins best summed up the communities feelings about Gonzales when he said, "He beat my son, and he murdered my son. This man is a cancer in our community. He is a disease in the body, and he must be removed."
Gonzales, promoted to Sargent for his kills,today remains the deadliest cop on the streets of Oakland.
[quotes and excerpts taken from San Francisco Chronicle]
www.truthatlarge.blogspot.com
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