Another side of the Monrovia story

I got this letter from someone who identified himself as a relative of the man who was shot Sunday near Royal Oaks and Shamrock in Monrovia. The relative makes some interesting points about policing in Monrovia and the overall investigation. I’ve removed any identifying information. Letter on the jump:

 

THE TRUTH

…I am a life long Monrovia resident. I would just like to shed some light on my community and set some things straight. I’ve been reading the articles online the last couple of days. The one about the corruption in the MPD and also about the shooting that happened on Saturday. First of all, My 23 year old cousin was the man who was shot on royal oaks on Saturday, 1st cousin, our moms are sisters. I was the 1st family member on the scene because i live about a block away from where it happened. I even heard the shots. My cousin has NEVER been in a gang, and is DEFINITELY not a DUROC CRIP! Does he know people from that gang? of course. we all do, they’ve been around forever it seems. My little cousin is a hard working kid who’s had 3 promotions this year at his full time job. I am pissed off that he is being portrayed as a gang member when he is NOT. what that does is create the feeling that he got what he deserved because hes a gang member. My cousin was in fact the victim of a HATE CRIME. He was shot because he is black. The Mexican gangs do not care if you bang or not. My cousin did not deserve to have SIX bullets pumped into him. He did not deserve to almost die because of the internal injuries he sustained.
That brings me to my next point. The MONROVIA POLICE DEPARTMENT. My cousin almost died because of THEM. From the time I heard the gunshots to the time i got to the scene was about 15 minutes. When I approached my cousin he wasn’t even in the ambulance yet. I was approached by an EMT 1st, who told me my cousin was going to be fine, that he was shot once in the leg, once in the butt, and a graze to his side. Well he wasn’t fine. not only was he NOT shot 3 times, He was shot 6 TIMES. 1 bullet split his kidney in half, 1 tore through his rectum, 1 through his leg, 1 through his scrotum, 1 through his intestines, and 1 next to his liver which is still in him. Now when i talked to the woman who’s house he was shot in front of, she told me that they were treating my cousin like a dog that got shot in the street. They didn’t check his vitals, they did not call the EMT right away, They just looked him over and said ” oh, he’ll be OK, his only shot in the leg”. As i recall the redskins Sean Taylor died from a single gunshot to the leg. My cousin lost alot of blood. he had to be given 6-7 units of blood during surgery. Why is it that it took over 15 minutes to get my cousin inside of the bus? Partially because it took the MPD so long to call for help. According to them my cousins injuries were not life threatening. they told me that to my face. In fact he was VERY critical.
The MPD has always been racist. ALWAYS. I have countless stories about abuse from them. too many to say. Its about time that their dirt is starting to come to light. They are almost worse then the sheriffs…Almost…. The truth needs to be written, not speculation or police propaganda. The fact is my cousin was the victim of a hate crime, plain and simple. The MPD did not care if he lived or died. Monrovia has long ignored this gang issue and swept it under the rug. They didn’t care until i started interfering with its movie money. When the studios stopped coming, it was time to crack down! I’m almost 30 years old and this violence between these 3 gangs has been happening for as long as i can remember. …

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21 thoughts on “Another side of the Monrovia story

  1. I don’t know if this victim is involved with gang members, but I can’t also state for a fact that MVN gang members have shot many innocent victims because they were black. I wonder why these latino gangs can operate as modern day KKK killers almost with impunity. And yes the Monrovia police is inept at dealing with the MVN gang, the MVN gang could care less about the Monrovia Police, the gang members know of the inept and almost useless Monrovia Police Department.

  2. It would not be surprising to find out that this victim wasn’t a gang member. It’s not like the Hispanic gangs won’t shoot someone based on the fact they’re Black, just look at what’s going on in other areas of Southern California.

    Taking 15 minutes to get someone transported is a non-issue though, understandably long to a victim or relative but the paramedics need to stabalize someone before transport. The MPD didn’t have to call for help, paramedics would have been dispatched as soon as the call came in, possibly they were busy elsewhere. Where I’m sorry about your cousin some of your anger seems misplaced.

    Most police officers won’t take vitals unless signs of life are not present. If your cousin was talking, groaning, breathing or showing some sign of life the duty of the officer is to secure the scene, try to locate evidence and mark it if possible while seperating witnesses and awaiting parmedics.

    You can throw your racist accusations at the MPD all you want, but you’re wrong. Cops do not like gangsters or care much when gangsters shoot each other, that’s a fact. Do cops not trust too many people, yep that’s true and with good reason.

    Yet because I know a whole lot more than you do about MPD, over all the years you’ve been around, I can say without question the officers are not racist. If they are deep down they do not, or have not in the past been racist in the way they deal with the public. In fact they usually bend over backwards to show they’re not or risk termination. I know they have had a few in the past who probably were but don’t believe the hype that the department is filled with racists, it’s b.s.

    If you want to be really truthful than think about what an officer is subject to based on just being an officer when handling a crime such as your cousin being shot. All the people on the scene act as if they are the experts, not the cops or paramedics. There are relatives and friends usually screaming, someone usually says the cops would be handling it different if the victim were white and on and on. Spare me the racist accusations, been on many crime scenes like this and been subject to the verbal abuse more times than I can recall.

    Lastly, missing all gunshot wounds in an initial look at a victim happens. There was a guy once shot near Magnolia and Cypress, he got in his truck, got in an accident at Evergreen and California and it was thought to have died from injuries in the accidents as there was a lot of blood.

    The autopsy showed two small bullet wounds in his face. The blood had covered them and no shots fired call came in prior to the accident. The “victim” was an elderly male Hispanic who had been shot because he was the first person a local Du-Rock Crip had seen leaving his birthday celebration. HE SHOT HIM BECAUSE HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON HE SAW!! That Du-Rock gangster got 66 years to life, hope he likes prison.

    Bottom line is not everything is laid out nice and neat on every shooting or any other crime. Gangsters are scum no matter their race and cops have to deal with that reality every day, just like good people who live in gang areas do. More co-operation from those “good people” and less throwing out of blame will help the cause.

    I hope your cousin recovers and can help put these low-lifes away.

  3. I remember an incident in another local city about a decade ago in which an officer rolled up on a distressed man in a car. He put out a call for assistance with a traffic accident and paramedics.

    I forget how or how soon he figured it out, but eventually the officer realized the guy had been shot with an AK-47 by a guy who was on a rampage in the neighborhood, and the gentleman in the car was actually the 4th victim. Some traffic accident.

    I must disagree with Local Boy on one point, though. If an officer is the first and only one on scene, and a victim is in serious shape (e.g., not talking, barely responding), I think policies whould put preservation of life ahead of all else. I understand a witness can slip away in a moment and shell casings can be kicked in a storm drain, but backing units should only be a few seconds away. Acting to preserve that life (even a gangster’s life – which this guy might or might not be), should be the priority.

  4. I didn’t say they shouldn’t put preservation of life behind anything else. I said this.

    “Most police officers won’t take vitals unless signs of life are not present. If your cousin was talking, groaning, breathing or showing some sign of life the duty of the officer is to secure the scene, try to locate evidence and mark it if possible while seperating witnesses and awaiting parmedics.”

    If the victim is in such dire need of help that officers have to render aid to preserve life I would put that above anything else.

  5. Local Boy you have your views, i have mine. you cant tell me what ive been through with MPD, so you cant tell me they are not racist. Is the WHOLE department racist? I doubt that. Have any of them EVER shown me respect as a man? NO. I have no criminal record, Im not in a gang. Im a father and a husband. Its obvious that your a police lover so of course your going to stick up for your buddies. But i know why people shoot at police and try to kill them and understand completely. Police degrade blacks and mexicans. Like I said, not all, but the ones ive encountered in Monrovia. period. The best thing i ever heard about a cop? it was in a song. “Kurt Loder asked me what do you say to a dead cops wife? Cops kill my people everyday THATS LIFE!”

  6. I can tell you they’re not racist based on knowing them, you believe what you want. There is no way that during the course of a career a cop, especially a white cop working a minority area, isn’t called a white pig or white mother ….er, or other racist names countless times and they know it comes with the territory. I don’t think you’ve heard that type of racism from them, in fact I’d bet on it.

    Cops kill your people every day huh? Cops get assaulted, shot at and killed more now than anytime in the last 30 years so you better believe they are going to do anything they have to in order to get home at night. I know I did as well as my friends and family in the profession. Would you expect anything less?

    Anyone can tell a story partner but for you to say No cop has ever showed you respect is something I find hard to believe unless you were the problem. The officers I know at Monrovia, and trust me that I know them a whole lot better than you, for the very large part didn’t roll up to a call or a crime scene and start disrepecting people off the bat. People do mistake “establishing order” for “disrespect”. The MPD didn’t work that way. Sometimes that happened in the long run but you get what you give right? Somebody wants to start jumping in a cops face and disrespecting him that cop should be looking at every possible way he can to “legally” take that person to jail.

    I can think of two MPD officers over the years that had zero people skills, in the field, and treated people like shit. All people by the way, not just Blacks or Hispanics. They are long gone.

    As for your last paragraph, it shows what you’re all about, not me. I said “I hope your cousin recovers and can help put these low-lifes away”. You think the best thing you ever heard about a cop was in a song..”Kurt Loder asked me what do you say to a dead cops wife? Cops kill my people everyday THATS LIFE!”

    Yet you think cops are supposed to show someone who thinks like you respect? Whatever, I think I might understand though why they don’t. I do love cops by the way, many of them, and very proud of it.

    Still hope your cousin gets well.

  7. A correction …

    I don’t know if this victim is involved with gang members, but I CAN state for a fact that MVN gang members have shot many innocent victims because they were black.

  8. I lost respect for ALL cops BECAUSE of my treatment by them. I HATE the Police, straight up. That is a very broad statement. But the only cop ive met that was cool is my cousin who is a sheriff. Ive nevr disrespected a cop to his face unless he disrespected me first. period. thanks for the get well wishes though, they are appreciated

  9. In my twenty years of goverment service employed as a Parole Agent,now retired, I had the opportunity of working with Federal, State, County, and local police agencies. My primary caseload consisted of felons residing in the cities of Monrovia and Duarte. MPD and LASO were the primary agencies I had direct contact with.

    My position brought me in contact with family, freinds, and other residents in these citys who had knowledge of my charges. I alo became aquainted with many MNV and DUROC members,their families and friends. Many high ranking members of MNV and DUROC told me repeatedly they feared Monrovia PD Gang Detail and High Risk Offenders Unit. Detailed investigations by thses two units brought them to being arrested and before the criminal courts.

    As a Hispanic Professor of Criminal Justice courses and Instructor at training academys one aspect of training was the proper method of securing and controlling a crime scene. ALL agencies provide sensitivity training to their personnel. Some lose the Core of the class lesson and become poor representatives for their departments.

    MPD has some of the best public relations representatives in their police department. Minorities in Monrovia and Duarte need not worry about discriminatory treatment by PD. Care for your neighborhood as if it were your personal residence and help the police clean your house.

    Hope any victim of a violent crime gets better. The act of violence does not leave a person soon and in some cases stays for a lifetime.

  10. How many gang shootings has the Monrovia PD Gang Detail solved? NONE of the recent gang murders have been solved. Has the MPD actually stopped a gang shooting before or as it was happening. Even I knew that the MVN was going to be back to doing drive-bys and even stated it here last week. And I am not a trained member of any gang deatil.

    The results or should I say lack of results by MPD, speak for themselves. And the MVN gang members do not “fear” the MPD. The MVN proudly and openly show their gang affiliation, and hang-out together openly. The MVN gang members are probably laughing at that comment by FC, which sounds more like a commercial for the MPD.

  11. FC,
    It comes as little surprise that you think, “minorities in Monrovia and Duarte need not worry about discriminatory treatment by PD,” when you are on the side of the equation that holds the gun. When there is a long history of prejudicial and discriminatory actions taken against law abiding minority communities, we have every right to ‘worry’ about history repeating itself.

    One overlooked facet of this conversation is the “Psychology of the Police Officer.” Sadly, the police officer is able to abuse the notion of collateral damage in his interaction with the community. In his mind, if a few innocent people get caught up in the process of catching one or two ‘bad guys’ then the damage is justified. Similarly, if they have to break the law in order to guarantee a desired result, they will. All things are justifiably in the mind of a cop.

    And lets not forget that cops are not exactly the most educated sector of the work force. Add low academic achievement to the impulse of testosterone addled, armed block heads and what we get is a boat load of asshole cops. And we all know them. And that’s why they need PR Depts and the like….

    We have to remember that cops are the hall monitors that we pay and we must keep them in check. I feel sorry for Monrovia…for one, its terrible legacy of racist housing practices and two, that whole gay cop thing. Ha!

  12. Just a little disclaimer: I don’t think Local Boy speaks for the Monrovia Police Dept. If he were an actual spokesman the entire department would have to don the hair shirt and walk the length of Huntington Drive beating themselves with palm fronds.

    He’s the George W. Bush of comment section speech makers- just FYI.

  13. Not any comment by Miss Havisham ever has anything to do with actual commentary on the issue at hand on this side of the blog. Probably all upset still about baby killer Susan Atkins having stay locked up. She can throw her menatlly limited remarks around all she wants but if anyone here thinks most cops don’t think like I do they are sadly mistaken. Whatever you do Miss H. don’t make any attempt at taking on the idiots like “us” who time after time throws out his unsubstantiated bull shit, just try to be cute something you simply can’t pull off.

    I have to give you a little respect “well said” for putting out the obvious regarding your feelings for the police. Tell me this though, what makes your sheriff cousin cool? Is it because he’s your cousin?
    Think he wouldn’t cap someone who looked like you if need be? Who are you trying to kid, he’s a dep of course he would. In your world would any shooting he’s in be justified because he’s your cousin, but if one of my friends faced with the same situation did the same thing you’d be on auto-pilot and hate him? Your basis for your hate when coupled with your feelings for your cousin is pretty shallow man. Think about it.

    FX, where I agree with some of what you say it isn’t up to the gang detail to solve murders and gang crimes are some of the hardest to solve. These low-lifes, their friends and their families will rarely if ever give one of them up as I’m sure you know. I know an old MNV’r good for at least three murders, no doubt about it. I personally got calls from witnesses on two who gave great info on them but wouldn’t testify and the DA wouldn’t file, how could they? The Gang Teams can squeeze people, just like parole and probation can but the fact is people are more scared of the gangs than the cops. That isn’t going to change anytime soon, that’s why I say make gang membership a felony, which I went into great detail with and posted to the gang lover “us” who didn’t debate back with one word, just pops his head up now to post his b.s. Maybe he and Miss H. should do lunch.

    “us” ddoesn’t know anything about cops, how they think or what they’re like. Anyone who listens to anything he spouts should be water-boarded. The problem that people like “us” and Miss H. have with my posts are it throws stuff back in their face they can’t answer up to with anything but a small sound bite.

    I agree with FC 100%, of course he has actual experience in the field. FX, I feel your frustration but you can’t blame it all on the cops.

  14. She is ever so clever and tres droll if you don’t believe me just ask her.

  15. MAN LETS QUIT WITH THE BULLSHIT SOMEONE IS NOT GOING TO GET SHOT AT FOR NO REASON..

  16. Local Boy If the MPDs are so perfect like you claim, why all the lawsuits? That was just fron page news! what about gay ass verna? what about cobbs lawsuit? and the gay cop? they sued for discrimination right? so if MPD treats their own like that, why wouldnt they treat a stranger off the street like that??

    And as far as my cousin that is a sheriff, Hes cool just because he treats people with respect on and off the job. I actually know someone that got pulled over by him and that person said he was the coolest cop he ever encountered.

  17. I like to debate but with people that know how to fight clean. Your personal insults sometimes distract me and weaken my concentration even cause me to derail, as well. Stop it.

    I am not the enemy. We are not it. Snap out of it.

  18. First for Miss H. If you are going to respond to a comment I make like a smart ass you get no respect in return, why gripe about that, you know you do it? You can argue your points all you want but at least throw some facts at me from time to time instead of your lame attempts at showing how edgy you think you are with your oh so clever insults. They’re not that clever and I can take the heat, guess you can’t. You want a fair debate than act like it, if you want to be a jerk it’s on you.

    Well Said- I never said the MPD was perfect and gave you an example of a few that no longer work there that weren’t. If you’re going to use my response to you at least get what I wrote right. I recognize not all cops are good representatives of the job, but they are few and far between. We differ there and that’s ok. I haven’t experienced your life and you haven’t experienced mine we react to what we’ve been through.

    The internal problems at MPD, and I recognize they have them, were not generic to how they worked in the field with a very limited exception regarding one claim. In that claim it’s allegedd one officer was too chummy with one gangster, time willl tell if that’s true.

    Different people feel different ways about the same cop. Think your cousin has never kicked some clown’s ass, I doubt that hasn’t happened. Think that clown might not feel your cousin isn’t the “coolest cop he ever encountered”? Nobody in prison deserves to be there if you talk to all the locked down assholes. Cops must be the problem.

    How people respond to cops when they show up, when they pull them over, when they take them to jail or how they act in any of a large and always differing type of situation dictates to that cop, many times, his response and attitude. All of a sudden any break someone might get is gone and it’s letter of the law time. Cops only have to put up with bad behavior to a certain point.

    All cops have people who think they’re cool and others who think they’re an ashole. By and large they don’t care, the job is not a popularity contest. Act cool with cops and by and large they’ll be cool with you. You might not like what they decide to do but they won’t treat you like an asshole.

    Hey well-said, if we can tell you hate us it’s going to be letter of the law time and that’s probably the best you can hope for.

    Chill out and stay safe.

  19. Local Boy,

    I don’t blame the cops for everything, low life gang bangers are the ones shooting and killing people, I blame the low life for his crimnal actions. I grew up in an area far worse than Monrovia, in different times and I never tried to shoot and kill anyone, because of racist or mean cops. The clown named “US again” only comes here to show his hate for all cops, but never condems the low lifes who are killing and shooting people.

    I am also aware about gang intimidation tactics and how hard it is to get anyone to testify in gang cases.

    Here is a story about death threats made against Jamiel Shaw Sr, whose son was killed by a low life gang member.

    http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2008/07/death-threats-on-jamiel-shaw-sr.html

  20. Ushole is a poser and a flat out racist. Anyone who can read knows it. Our government is failing us and all these assholes need to be tossed in lockdown forever before one more innocent gets shot.

  21. Local Gampa Boy is an historic preservationist.

    For the historic preservation of white people (the one’s who fear their own violent oppressive karma and want to bury it, not to be confused with the crazy white people that acknowledge their own violent oppressive karma and want to address it, change it, change the world)

    I love antiques with the original patina left on them. Some of these articles remain in full service today. The problem is not every old item is as useful, some are best admired from a glass enclosure. Some are even dangerous, for instance, an old gun may flash back on you.

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