In Denver, authorities shot and killed 17-year-old lesbian Jessica Hernandez during a Jan. 26 confrontationrelaunching a conversation about the issues of police force and interactions with communities of color, according to Advocate.com .
Initial police reports stated that Hernandez was behind the wheel of a stolen car when officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in an alley. Police claim the teenager struck an officer with the car, fracturing his leg and prompting the officers to open fire, ultimately killing Hernandez.
Friends and family who gathered at vigils to remember the teen, who went "Jessie," said she was openly gay, and frequently referred to a girlfriend of the deceased. A Facebook post from Hernandez this past December also mentions a girlfriend.
Demonstrators gathered in District Attorney Mitch Morrissey's office in downtown Denver Jan. 27, demanding a full, impartial investigation; they also carried signs with messages like "Cowards Shoot Girls" and "Your Badge Is Not a License to Kill."
The Denver Channel noted that Hernandez's family members have said they believe the officers opened fire before the officer was struck and demanded video of the shooting. However, no such video exists because officers in that district ( District 2 ) are not equipped with cameras.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic, unnecessary death of Jessie Hernandez," said Osman Ahmed, The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs' research and education coordinator at the New York City Anti-Violence Project, in a statement. "Too often, LGBTQ people of color are marginalized in the national conversation about police violence against people of color.
"Jessie Hernandez's death is a tragic reminder that LGBTQ people of color constantly experience police violence and criminalization by law enforcement. We must engage the current movement against police violence and brutality to include the leadership, voices, and stories of LGBTQ people of color, especially LGBTQ youth of color. "
The original story is at www.advocate.com/crime/2015/01/28/denver-police-kill-unarmed-17-year-old-gay-teen .