Press Release: Cammerin Boyd Rally 11/5

OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 4, 2004

FAMILY, SUPPORTERS AND THE COMMUNITY SHOW SOLIDARITY AND OUTCRY FOR JUSTICE AT SIX MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF POLICE SHOOTING DEATH OF CAMMERIN BOYD


(SAN FRANCISCO) - After six months and several more officer involved shootings in San Francisco, there has been no accountability by anyone in the shooting death of Cammerin Boyd, as required by the voters when they approved Proposition H last year. Nor has there been any exculpatory evidence to support the lack of prosecution of the officers involved in killing Cammerin Boyd on May 5, 2004. Family, Friends and the Community are outraged at the lack of purported independent investigations and the long delay in prosecuting the offending officers. They are coming out into the streets and speaking out at a rally and march on November 5, calling for a prosecution of undercover officers O’Malley, Elief, Stearns, Kane and Paine for gunning down Cammerin Boyd, a disabled African American young man, while his hands were raised in the air surrendering.

The City’s medical examiner unequivocally states “one cannot exclude that the hands were raised when the abdominal gunshot wound occurred.” “Such a declaration constitutes clear evidence of criminal conduct by the officer who shot Cammerin Boyd”, says the Family.

Despite the coroner’s report and eyewitness accounts, no action has been taken to remove the officers from duty or to clear the officers of the allegations.

In the meantime, “we get dozens of reports of witness intimidation and harassment by police of the residents who witnessed the shooting, particularly young African American men in the Western Addition, where Cammerin was killed,” reported Marylon Boyd. “Just last night officers brutally beat a young man because he said he was a witness to Cammerin’s shooting. This young man is now in jail and says the officers have filed false reports against him and bragged to Western Addition residents about choking him”, said Boyd.