On Wednesday, the mother of a man who was shot to death by police officers pleaded for peace after the shooting sparked days of unrest in Anaheim, California.
“To the public, to the citizens of Ana drive, we want to thank you all for your support,” Genevieve Huizar said.
“We understand your anger. We stand by demonstrations that are peaceful. We will stand by and march with you all in a lawful manner. Not one family member of mine was there at city hall yesterday. I do not like the violence that is occurring. Please remember to honor Manuel peacefully.”
Following a peaceful protest at Anaheim city hall on Tuesday, looters smashed the windows of nearby shops and set trash cans on fire. Others threw rocks and bottles at police officers, who attempted to disperse the crowd by firing bean bags and pepper balls. At least six people were injured, including a police officer and two journalists.
“I watched as my son took his last breath. I watched as his heart stopped beating for the last time,” Huizar said, sobbing. “Please, please, please stop the violence. It’s not going to bring my son back, and this is the worst thing any mother could go through.”
Manuel Diaz was shot in the back and the head Saturday afternoon while attempting to escape police.
Watch video, uploaded to YouTube by the Associated Press, below:
Post Footer automatically generated by wp-posturl plugin for wordpress.
