Anaheim unrest continues on anniversaries of police shootings
A vigil Tuesday night will mark a second day of memorials a year after two Anaheim police shootings fueled angry protest and calls for political change in Orange County’s largest city.
The vigil for Joel Acevedo, who was killed July 22, 2012, comes the day after hundreds marched through Anaheim to mark the anniversary of the police shooting of Manuel Diaz.
The shootings were followed by days of protests that exposed a deep ethnic divide in a city most often recognized as home to Disneyland.
Diaz, who was unarmed, was shot and killed on July 21, 2012, by an officer who said he believed Diaz had a weapon. Acevedo was killed the following night.
An investigation by the Orange County district attorney’s office said Acevedo shot at officers and that a semi-automatic pistol was found near his body. District attorney’s investigations into both shootings determined they were legally justified.
Since last year, Diaz and Acevedo’s mothers and others have organized rallies calling for the city to create a citizen’s commission to review allegations of police misconduct.
On Sunday, protesters underscored that demand during a march from Anaheim City Hall to police headquarters, where the mothers and family members of men shot by police in Anaheim and other cities took turns speaking. The march was combined with a call to honor slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin. Police said the gathering was peaceful.
The vigil in memory of Acevedo will start at 6:30 p.m. at 314 Guinida Lane, near the spot where he was killed. Another protest is set for Tuesday in front of Anaheim City Hall.
During the Tuesday event, protesters will call on city leaders to adopt voting districts, which they say will lead to better representation of Anaheim’s diverse population.
City leaders recently voted to adopt a new election model that would require city council members to live in their districts but continue allowing at-large voting.
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