From the November-December 2018 issue of News & Letters

Los Angeles—Jackie Lacey is the District Attorney (DA) for all of Los Angeles County, including the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood, Compton, Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica as well as numerous other cities and communities. As an elected official, she is responsible for the prosecution of crimes committed in Los Angeles County. She has been in office since December 2012, nearly six years, during which time she has never prosecuted any police officer or sheriff. Some of them committed murder of citizens of Los Angeles County in what is called an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS). The number of OISs exceeds 500, including those who died in custody, jail or detainment.

Although Lacey is the first woman and the first African-American DA, she does not stand up for people of color, houseless people, poor people, or people with mental health issues who are overwhelmingly the individuals murdered by law enforcement. Most of these murders occurred when the individuals were unarmed or running away and not threatening the life of an officer.

Kisha Michael and Marquintan Sandlin. Photo: from families

In September 2017, Black Lives Matter-LA (BLM-LA) delivered a petition with over 10,000 signatures to Lacey demanding that she prosecute the police who murder, beginning with the five officers dismissed by the Inglewood Police Department, after murdering Kisha Michael and Marquintan Sandlin while they were sleeping in their car. Lacey ignored the petition and refused to have a community meeting to explain her lack of prosecution. She has ignored all efforts to communicate with her to explain her failure to hold law enforcement accountable.

Since October 2017, BLM-LA, White People for Black Lives, Central CSO, LACAN, American Indian Movement, March and Rally LA, SDA, Ground Game LA, SCLC, California for Progress, Youth Justice Coalition, and many others including families of those murdered by law enforcement have rallied outside her office at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A., every Wednesday from 4-6 PM.

The call is for her to “Prosecute Killer Cops” or step down. We invited everyone to the “one year anniversary” of this action on Oct. 24. There were activists, artists, poets, singers, musicians as well as families of those murdered standing up to get rid of Jackie Lacey. Jackie Lacey must GO!

—Paula M.