The LA Ten Four

Protesters disrupt District Attorney forum at East Los Tacos

EAST LOS ANGELES — A September 4 community town hall hosted at East Los Tacos featured Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman; community activists shouted briefly disrupting the event. Billed as a Latino Community Forum, activists there voiced anger at Hochman’s handling of recent police shootings. Hochman spoke to attendees about concerns about crime in the area.

Tensions rose shortly after the forum began. Several activists with community activist group Centro CSO began yelling “justice for Jeremy Flores,” and other names of men who had been killed by law enforcement over the past several years in the area. Once outside, deputies remained near the entrance. Occasionally throughout Hochman’s speech, the doorway would open and shouting could be heard from the group.

As they were led out by Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies, Gabriel Quiroz unfurled a banner reading “FIGHT THE FORT APACHE,” referring to a nearly 55-year old nickname for the nearby East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station. It’s controversial nickname and logo have faced public calls to ban its use for years. The logo features a riot helmet sitting atop a boot, and began its use shortly after the 1970 Chicano Moratorium in which Los Angeles Times journalist Ruben Salazar and two others were killed by deputies responding to the large-scale protest.

The name refers the movie Fort Apache, directed by John Ford. LASD’s oversight commission has referred to the name as concerning and called for its ban in 2019. Several deputies at the event were wore a pin with the logo at the event.

The event was hosted at the popular restaurant and drew an audience of several dozen. The restaurant was given an award from the District Attorney’s office.

The event and resulting protest showed stark differences in opinion on the state of criminal justice from nearby residents. As protesters continued, Hochman continued to address the crowd saying “If you are victimized in this county, we will go after the victimizer. The person who created the harm.”

The crime rate in Los Angeles County in Los Angeles County according to LASD’s statistics shows a mixed picture compared to pre-pandemic levels. Homicides, robberies, and burglaries have all declined, but aggravated assaults have risen by 22%. That increase has pushed the county’s overall violent crime rate up by only about 5%.

Hochman continued, telling attendees they need to put trust in law enforcement. “I need people to be comfortable enough to trust the system.”

In the City of Los Angeles, the crime rate has decreased nearly across the board this year. But shootings by the police as well as use of force has risen dramatically according to LAPD’s internal numbers.

Hochman’s team distributed pieces of paper, and told attendees that they would answer as many questions handed to them during the night.

Several of the attendees had seen their loved ones killed by Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputies who were working for the East Los Angeles station. Stephanie Luna attended; her nephew Anthony Vargas was shot 13 times in the back by deputies in August 2018. Luna was seen alongside longtime Chicano activist Carlos Montes throughout the event. Her written question about violence by the police was not answered.

David Ordaz, Jr. was shot and killed by LASD in March of 2021. Ordaz Jr.’s partner Jasmine Moreno and daughter Emily Ordaz said they were there to protest against Hochman’s “stance on prosecuting killer cops.”

None of the deputies who shot Ordaz Jr. will see jail time, and only one was charged. The only deputy who saw charges eventually entered a plea deal and will see two years of probation after pleading no contest. He also must perform 250 hours of community service, and gave up his right to be a police officer in California.

Ordaz was shot by Deputy Remin Pineda and several other deputies responding to a mental health crisis. Pineda motioned towards the deputies, and was first met by “less lethal” rounds. After that, a swarm of bullets hit Ordaz.

According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors said there wasn’t enough evidence to charge two of the deputies, and another one acted in self-defense. Pineda continued shooting even after Ordaz hit the ground. Footage of the shooting shows Pineda continuing to shoot even after another deputy told him to stop.

Moreno said Ordaz was gregarious, and often struck up conversations with people in the street. She smiled briefly, recounting how he’d often offer assistance to strangers. Moreno said “if he thought he could help you, he would.” She said that it’s difficult to think about Ordaz’s last moments, because “I know that he wasn’t met with the same compassion.”