Court hearing opens on Jamiel Shaw murder by alleged illegal immigrant gang member

Two witnesses gave dramatic accounts yesterday of how a standout high school football player was gunned down earlier this year near his Los Angeles home, opening a tense courtroom hearing packed with relatives of the victim and the alleged gunman, reports The Times' Jack Leonard.

Jamiel Shaw II, 17, was talking to his girlfriend on a cellphone when she overheard a voice ask him, "Where are you from?" the teenage girl testified. There was no response and then the line went dead, she said.

The case of the slain teenager has sparked a heated debate about the LAPD's Special Order 40, which states that police officers cannot stop people for the sole purpose of asking about immigration status. The football star's alleged murderer is an alleged Latino gang member who authorities say was in the United States illegally.

We gave readers the chance to vote on Special Order 40 here, and in this La Plaza post you can read a series of reports and columns from The Times on reactions to the proposed changes to the rule.

Photo: Pedro Espinosa, 19, accused of gunning down Jamiel Shaw II, a 17-year-old high school student and star football player, appears in court in jail overalls Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. A projector image of Jamiel appears above him in the courtroom.

Credit: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Comments

[Marggie]

I feel that a lot more can be done in order to prevent any further violence especially from gang members. They begin to take control of the areas which are mostly populated by minority groups therefore create intimidation. As the broken windows theory , explains if the community doesn't take control over their own home, then the law-enforcement can not do everything on their own. If everyone was to get involve, we would be able to eliminate gangs completely. Any evidence that we are able to see, of criminal activity should be reported. Anything minimal as a broken window in a abandom home.

[MELOSH]

Well, we banned trans fats today, plastic bags yesterday, but our legislators don't think enough of our children to ban illegals, illegals with a criminal record or to eliminate the sanctuary city status to protect all citizens.

Listen to Danielle Bologna and hear her crying, suffering and near death herself after her husband, her 20 year old son and her 16 year son were murdered by an illegal immigrant. The mayor of San Francisco protected this murderer because he wants everyone to feel at home in SF. Well guess what, the woman that pays her taxes is now without her family. When will Newsom step up and get some balls and say he is sorry? And Villa repulsive needs to do the same for Jaiel Shaw.

How can all of these liberals in California tolerate this??????????

I know....for votes.
This state is a mess.

The LA Times just sucks up to the illegal cause, Obama andanything that breaks from behaving as a decent, law abiding American.

I am not glad this newspaper is laying off employess, but not surprised because the paper is irrelevant..print in another language other than English..then maybe LAT will survive...Unlike the children of decent Americans that are murdered byillegals. TAKE A STAND LAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[juan]

they want to kill Pedro Espinosa
when tookie willam kill like 8 person
and they wanted to save him.
{just think about it} and ask your self
is that right

[Krishna's Army]

If you want the flowers to grow, you gotta pull out the weeds.

If you want your children to respect you, you gotta punish them.

Anything other than this is pure insanity, a message to all illegal aliens and their gangbangers that Los Angeles is theirs for the taking.

We will take back our city, if not by the rule of man's law, then by the rule of God's law. Bring it on!

[J. Smith]

Gangs have terrorized this city for too long and one logical solution would be to deport gang members who are here illegally.

After Jamiel Shaw's murder, the Los Angeles Police Protection league (the union which represents 9,000 policemen and women) came out in support of Dennis Zine's proposal to amend Special Order 40. In a statement, union President Tim Sands said: “Councilman Zine’s motion offers a common-sense approach that will give our officers a needed tool to remove dangerous gang members from the communities they are threatening. This motion will improve and enhance our officers’ ability to provide security in the neighborhoods where hard-working men and women, immigrants or native born, are trying to protect themselves and their families from gang violence.”

Despite what Mayor Villaraigosa, Chief Bratton, or open border advocates may say, our police here in Los Angeles, the ones on the streets actively involved in fighting crime, feel that Special Order 40 hinders them in combating gangs. They want and need Special Order 40 to be amended.

Email our city councilmembers at www.lacity.org and put a little pressure on them. They need to hear from us.