Santa Monica Police Shoot Oakwood youth
Statement by the
Police:
On February 9th, 2006 at
4:39am, Santa Monica Police Department responded to 10th and Michigan regarding
an armed robbery and carjacking that had just occurred. The vehicle taken was a
Black/Red Dodge Shadow.
At 4:55am, officers from the Santa Monica
Police Department located the suspect vehicle in Venice. The suspect stopped the
vehicle and exited armed with a shotgun. Shots were fired at the officers, the
suspect then entered the vehicle and a pursuit ensued which terminated in the
400 block of Santa Clara Avenue in Venice. At the termination of the pursuit,
the suspect exited the vehicle and pointed a shotgun towards officers, who fired
upon him. Officers gave verbal commands encouraging the suspect to surrender.
The suspect refused to comply and again pointed the shot gun at officers, who
fired upon him. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by
paramedics.
No officers were injured
and the victim from the car jacking was not
injured.
This is preliminary
information and the investigation is ongoing. Additional information will be
made available.
(Lieutenant Frank
Fabrega was unable to supply any more information to the Beachhead three weeks
after the event.)
A Community
View:
By Lydia
Ponce
Everybody within a mile radius
awoke minutes before 5 AM to the sound of rapid gunfire... two rounds within
minutes of each other.
T.V. news
reported, “It was a young white male...” All day long, it was a
‘white young male’.
Whose
family did this young white male belong to? Everyone’s thoughts and
prayers went out to this person’s family and friends left behind to
grieve.
Late that afternoon, it was
confirmed the young man was Black. Jeffrey L. Smith, a resident of Venice. A
young Black man who had strong family, friends and community
ties.
Here are a few unanswered
questions and we will not stop
asking-
1. Why was the young
man’s body left in the car in the heat of the sun all day long? The kids
in our neighborhood were overexposed to the graphic video showing his leg
outside the car, what purpose did that
serve?
2. Why wasn’t the family
notified sooner, instead of at the end of the
day?
3. There are reports of a second
car, a SUV, being chased by a police car down Rivera right after the second
round of gunfire. The SUV turned right at Windward and headed toward the
beach.
4. Others reported that at Santa
Clara Ave., the SMPD shot first then ordered the young man to ‘step out of
the car with his hands up.’
The
Venice community will never know the answers to these and many more questions.
We all failed this young man.
The
Beachhead offers those family members and friends condolences and offer an
opportunity for closure.
Clearly the
writing is NOT on the wall...
R.I.P.
Jeffrey, Venice will miss you.
From Jeffrey Smith’s
Mother:
Our children are truly a
gift from God - Jeffrey was my first gift and what a blessing and wonderful
addition he was to my life!
He adored
his Granny, Queenie and he loved his family very
much.
My son was special and unique in
his own way. For a young man, he was very loving, kind, caring, and respectful,
especially to his elders.
Jeff was
always willing and available to give a helping hand to family or friends if
needed. (If I can help somebody as I pass along the way then my living will not
be in vain.)
My son had many dreams
unfulfilled, many goals not met. So many challenges yet to meet. My one regret
is that my son died alone in the streets, as if he was unloved. That is not the
case as you can see by all those in attendance today. My son loved; my son is
loved, raised in a home that offered unconditional
love.
If you will take one thing away
with you today, I pray it be that you use this life’s lesson to your
advantage. Set high goals for yourself, strive to reach each of those goals.
Don’t become that statistic that society has deemed so for our young black
men. Prove them all wrong, change your life while there is still
time.
God bless each of you.
Mrs. Belinda
Thompson.
Posted: Wed - March 1, 2006 at 09:31 AM