Cousin of laborer fatally shot by LAPD officer calls on protesters to rally peacefully

The cousin of a Guatemalan day laborer shot and killed by an LAPD officer in Westlake said Tuesday's police commission ruling justifying the shooting was "lamentable" and called on protesters to rally peacefully.

"It's not just to kill a drunk person as if they were a gang member battling against the police," said Juan Jamines, cousin of day laborer Manuel Jamines, 37, who was killed in September in a confrontation near 6th Street and Union Avenue.

The shooting set off several days of protests and confrontations with police.

The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled Tuesday that veteran Officer Frank Hernandez lawfully shot Manuel Jamines, who police said was drunk and threatening them with a knife.

Juan Jamines, who lives in the neighborhood, and others sympathetic to the laborer continued Tuesday to express the belief that police planted a knife on Manuel Jamines after the shooting.

Juan Jamines said his cousin's widow, Isabel, would be devastated by the latest news and that she was "really struggling" in Guatemala to support their three children since he died. Even though Manuel Jamines had a drinking problem, Juan Jamines said, he always sent money back home.

Juan Jamines said he did not plan to join a protest planned for 5 p.m. at the scene of the shooting because he would be working at his job at a factory. But he asked people to remain calm and march peacefully in his cousin's name.

As news of the ruling filtered out, activist groups stood near 6th and Union handing out fliers about the rally. Someone had already hung a red-and-yellow banner over the site of the shooting, reading: Stop Killer Cops.

RELATED:

LAPD officer acted lawfully in shooting of day laborer, oversight panel rules

-- Esmeralda Bermudez near MacArthur Park

Comments

[Mcgibby]

Violent protests should be met with equal force. This should not be tolerated. This particular group of neighborhoods refuse to work with the police, instead harbor strong anti-police sentiment...an us v. them mentality.

[willie]

Check the cousins immigration status !!! Then deport him and the whole group !

[Astonished]

If these people want to stop killer cops, I have three suggestions.

1. Obey the law.
2. Obey lawfully given orders when given by the police.
3. Stay home in your own country so you don't have to be afraid of killer cops!

[Damage Inc]

Maybe there should be a protest against drunken illegal immigrants wielding knives.

[num1lkrfan]

well if he did have a knife..and was threatening people on the street (as witnesses have stated)...then maybe he shouldnt have drank so much during the day (story said he was drunk at noon).

So these same people protesting will be locking their doors and keeping their mouths shut when the police question them in the future about catching criminals...but right now we should support their protest?

NOT ME!!

[youareuniquelikeeveryoneelse]

I don't know about Guatemala, but in this country if you are a drunkard and approach a law enforcement officer wielding a knife, chances are you will get shot. ¿Comprende?

[youareuniquelikeeveryoneelse]

I would like to see some banners that say "Stop Drunken Knife-Wielding Guatemalans"

[TruBlu]

Come here illegaly. Attempt to stab a pregnant woman. get shot.. what's the problem?? maybe if ICE did their job, he wouldn't have been here to begin with.

[AndreaU8]

Manuel Jamines had a drinking problem and his wife continued to have kids with this loser, so now it is LA's fault that the louse got killed? Oh please. Don't give this lady any money LAPD.

[Maximus]

I agree with McGibby.

If you don't want to be shot by LAPD, don't be a drunked knife wielding idiot holding a pregnant woman hostage.

[Ry ry]

So if the cop would've let the guy stab him, Stab the woman he was holding hostage, maybe stab a few more people and we wouldn't have a problem? Makes total sense! I guess that's how they do it south of the border? I forgot, dude unfortunately didn't speak english so he couldn't understand the cop's demands. So it's a race issue and it's the cop's fault, that's right...