| A report by ColorLines Magazine shows the Phoenix metropolitan area has the highest rate of fatal police shootings among the 10 biggest U.S. cities, and is also the most dangerous in the nation for Latinos. |
| Shooting Death by Mesa Police Draws National Attention |
The case of 15-year old Mario Madrigal Jr. —the teen
who was shot and killed by City of Mesa Police
Department in 2003— is drawing national attention
thanks to a joint nation-wide investigation of fatal
police shootings in America’s 10 largest cities,
conducted this summer by ColorLines Magazine and
The Chicago Reporter.
Among what the magazine calls “striking findings”,
the investigation concluded that “of the many civilians
who have been shot to death by police from various
departments throughout the multi-city Phoenix
who was shot and killed by City of Mesa Police
Department in 2003— is drawing national attention
thanks to a joint nation-wide investigation of fatal
police shootings in America’s 10 largest cities,
conducted this summer by ColorLines Magazine and
The Chicago Reporter.
Among what the magazine calls “striking findings”,
the investigation concluded that “of the many civilians
who have been shot to death by police from various
departments throughout the multi-city Phoenix
Mario Madrigal Jr. Case
| By Eduardo Barraza |
| POLICE SHOOTING SCENE: An investigator with the Mesa Police Department examines the evidence left behind in the shooting death of 15-year old Mario A. Madrigal Jr., on August 23, 2003. (Photo courtesy of the Madrigal family) |
"We were very surprised to find Phoenix's rate higher
than that of other major cities," declared Hoffmann to
BARRIZONA. "It's clearly an item of concern in terms of
the relationshipbetween Phoenix law enforcement and
the area's growing Latino population."
Salvador Reza —a community organizer and day labor
center coordinator— who was also interviewed for
Hoffmann’s story, said to BARRIOZONA that the
information provided in the ColorLines story is factual.
“Elected officials are guilty of this because they never
conduct external investigations (on police shootings);
you never see independent investigations,” stated
Reza. “At the end, the effect of this is that the relations
(between law enforcement and the community) become
deteriorated, especially with the Sheriff's department.
People prefer to solve their problems by themselves.”
Mario Madrigal, Sr., father of the teen killed by Mesa
Police, declared that “the (ColorLines) story
demonstrates that what happened to my son wasn’t an
isolated case. What I see here is an alarming pattern
that validates my case, and that should send a strong
message to our elected officials and community leaders
to reverse it.”
Madrigal Sr. launched a family independent
investigation, hiring a team of experts who have
worked for four years collecting valuable evidence. A
family’s lawsuit case is currently awaiting trial in a
federal court.
than that of other major cities," declared Hoffmann to
BARRIZONA. "It's clearly an item of concern in terms of
the relationshipbetween Phoenix law enforcement and
the area's growing Latino population."
Salvador Reza —a community organizer and day labor
center coordinator— who was also interviewed for
Hoffmann’s story, said to BARRIOZONA that the
information provided in the ColorLines story is factual.
“Elected officials are guilty of this because they never
conduct external investigations (on police shootings);
you never see independent investigations,” stated
Reza. “At the end, the effect of this is that the relations
(between law enforcement and the community) become
deteriorated, especially with the Sheriff's department.
People prefer to solve their problems by themselves.”
Mario Madrigal, Sr., father of the teen killed by Mesa
Police, declared that “the (ColorLines) story
demonstrates that what happened to my son wasn’t an
isolated case. What I see here is an alarming pattern
that validates my case, and that should send a strong
message to our elected officials and community leaders
to reverse it.”
Madrigal Sr. launched a family independent
investigation, hiring a team of experts who have
worked for four years collecting valuable evidence. A
family’s lawsuit case is currently awaiting trial in a
federal court.
| SPEAKING TO A BRICK WALL: For the fourth consecutive year since the death of their son, the Madrigal family has held demonstrations outside the Mesa police’s headquarters. “The crowd was literally speaking to a brick wall as they chanted 'justice for Mario'," wrote Hoffman in her story. (Photo: Eduardo Barraza/BARRIOZONA) |
| Photo by Yolie Hernandez |
| COLORLINES STORY: Killed by the cops Due to its significance to Metro Phoenix residents, BARRIOZONA encourages you to read the ColorLines Magazine story titled “Killed by the Cops”, and pay particularly attention to the related story titled “Why so high”. The story, written by freelancer writer Jessica Hoffmann —pictured at right with BARRIOZONA Editor during the Madrigal demonstration last August— presents “striking findings” concerning the dangerous and fatal aspect of Latinos interacting with law enforcement agencies in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. |
| Hispanic Institute of Social Issues © 2006-2007 All rights reserved. webmaster@hisi.org |
mario madrigal jr. mesa police department shootings phoenix latinos deaths law enforcement colorlines magazine killed by the cops teen highest rate fatal taser metro area salvador reza sheriff department maricopa county barriozona jessica hoffmann
Will fatal shootings by police continue averaging more than one a month with no clear cause or consequence?
| Bilingual Community Expression Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues |
| BARRIOZONA |
| A report by ColorLines Magazine shows the Phoenix metropolitan area has the highest rate of fatal police shootings among the 10 biggest U.S. cities, and is also the most dangerous in the nation for Latinos. |
metropolitan area—in the city of Phoenix alone, an average of more than one per month since 2000, making it
among the worst cities in the nation for police shootings.”
Mario Madrigal Jr., a Westwood High School student received a total of 10 bullet impacts in a lapse of 2.2 seconds.
Police justified the shooting by saying that Madrigal, Jr. advanced branding a knife toward the officers who
responded to his mother’s plea for help. Martha Madrigal, the mother, had called 911 since her son was intoxicated,
and attempting to hurt himself with a kitchen knife. Police officers involved were cleared on October 2003, as the
investigation conducted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office concluded there was no wrongdoing.
ColorLines, an award-winning magazine focusing on race relations in the United States, assigned California-based
freelance writer Jessica Hoffmann last summer to work on the incidence of police shootings in Metro Phoenix. In fact,
Hoffman attended the August 25th demonstration in front of the Mesa Police headquarters, on the fourth
anniversary of Madrigal’s shooting death. Hoffman’s piece, titled “Why so high?”, cites Maricopa County —Arizona’s
largest urban area— as “one of the most dangerous places in the nation to be a Latino person interacting with law
enforcement.”
Hoffmann revealed to BARRIOZONA that she "was surprised by the fact that no one from the Mesa PD came out to
talk to protestors (or media) the day of the demonstrations. To me, it created a feeling that the community and the
police department are two separate entities, where I would expect the police to be more responsive to community
voices and concerns."
The report states that “among the 27 cities with more than 250,000 people that tracked victims’ ethnicities during
this time, 23 out of 137, or one in six, Hispanic victims of police shootings were killed in Phoenix, although Phoenix
had just 6 percent of the total population."
among the worst cities in the nation for police shootings.”
Mario Madrigal Jr., a Westwood High School student received a total of 10 bullet impacts in a lapse of 2.2 seconds.
Police justified the shooting by saying that Madrigal, Jr. advanced branding a knife toward the officers who
responded to his mother’s plea for help. Martha Madrigal, the mother, had called 911 since her son was intoxicated,
and attempting to hurt himself with a kitchen knife. Police officers involved were cleared on October 2003, as the
investigation conducted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office concluded there was no wrongdoing.
ColorLines, an award-winning magazine focusing on race relations in the United States, assigned California-based
freelance writer Jessica Hoffmann last summer to work on the incidence of police shootings in Metro Phoenix. In fact,
Hoffman attended the August 25th demonstration in front of the Mesa Police headquarters, on the fourth
anniversary of Madrigal’s shooting death. Hoffman’s piece, titled “Why so high?”, cites Maricopa County —Arizona’s
largest urban area— as “one of the most dangerous places in the nation to be a Latino person interacting with law
enforcement.”
Hoffmann revealed to BARRIOZONA that she "was surprised by the fact that no one from the Mesa PD came out to
talk to protestors (or media) the day of the demonstrations. To me, it created a feeling that the community and the
police department are two separate entities, where I would expect the police to be more responsive to community
voices and concerns."
The report states that “among the 27 cities with more than 250,000 people that tracked victims’ ethnicities during
this time, 23 out of 137, or one in six, Hispanic victims of police shootings were killed in Phoenix, although Phoenix
had just 6 percent of the total population."