Phoenix Police Kill Unarmed Man

About a week ago a Phoenix, Arizona police officer got away with murder after shooting an unarmed man and his dog in his own home.

Daniel Rodriguez, 29, now deceased, was pepper sprayed and tasered twice by Phoenix police officers when they entered his trailer.

His mother, Elvira Fernandez, called the police on him because he was yelling at her and breaking items inside of their home. The mother left the trailer, also her home, out of fear. She was unharmed.

According to reports, the mother had asked the police not to hurt her son.

"I said [to the police] just ask him to leave," Fernandez said. "They killed him for no reason. They just shot him. It's wrong what happened. It's not right the way it went down."

Policemen Richard Chrisman, 39, and his partner Sergio Virgillo, arrived on the scene and confronted Rodriguez. Rodriguez demanded that the police leave because they did not have a warrant. A heated exchange began, which provoked Chrisman to remove his pistol, place it to the 29 year-old's temple, and say, "I don't need no warrant, mother fucker."

Officer Virgillo has gained media attention recently for stating that Rodriguez wasn't a threat to the officers and that he saw no reason for his partner to use his gun. The officer has also said he thinks more than one shot was fired and he never saw a weapon in Rodriguez's hands.

After Chrisman put his pistol away, he tried to arrest and detain Rodriguez. He was met with fierce resistance, prompting the use of tasers and pepper spray. Neither of them were able to subdue Rodriguez, which has caused many people in Phoenix to suspect Rodriguez was abusing drugs.

Chrisman gunned down a pit bull that was also in the trailer. According to Virgillo, the dog was barking but never tried to attack.

The cop and the 29 year-old began arguing over why the dog was shot. Rodriguez tried to leave his trailer, but received a fatal gunshot for his efforts.

Chrisman was jailed for this, but was recently released on a $15,000 dollar bail. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Thanks to the help of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA), Chrisman was able to leave jail and obtain the bond money.

Over one hundred Phoenix protesters gathered outside of their city Police Headquarters to show their outrage over the killing of Daniel ("Danny") Rodriguez. Many activists and members of the Hispanic community feel that the shooting was racially motivated and that Chrisman should be charged with murder. The protests are growing, and activists are attempting to escalate them. Local officials are now fearing anti-police riots may soon erupt.

State Senator Richard Miranda provided the local CBS news with a copy of the Maricopa County's Brady List. The lists contains the names of police officers who have tampered with evidence in the past and lied in court or in reports. Chrisman is on that list.

The fact that this policeman is getting off with a mere slap on the wrist for purposely killing an unarmed, nonthreatening man for simply resisting arrest, as well as the fact that the PLEA has refused to condemn Chrisman's actions, shows that a major injustice is (yet again) being committed against the civilian and minority communities.

Phoenix pigs made the news earlier this year for attacking one of their city councilman for no reason. Click here to read that article.



Throughout history and the present, you can find organizations that have done many things to counter police brutality, including documenting police crimes and bringing them to the attention of human rights groups, teaching the people how to use weapons in self-defense against the police, patrol to keep police out of their neighborhoods, and set up neighborhood organizations that are meant to replace the cops and keep them away. It is up to the people in every city and town across the world to decide what they think is best to prevent police brutality, but the worst thing they can do is nothing.

No justice, no peace! Fuck the police!