| For Immediate Release April 5, 2011 Contact: Derechos Humanos: 520.770.1373 |
Press Conference
Justice for Carlos Lamadrid
Southern Arizona Communities Outraged by Another Shooting Death by Border Patrol
Friday, April 8, 2011
4:00 pm
Federal Building
Tucson, AZ
Tucson-Southern Arizona communities gather to denounce the killing of Carlos Lamadrid, a 19 year-old resident of Douglas, Arizona. The continued violence of Border Patrol agents in the use of lethal force has continued to destroy families and tightknit border communities. The unrelenting violence against communities of color must stop.
“This killing demonstrates that citizenship or lawful status is irrelevant-we can all be killed.” stated Maria Eugenia Carrasco of Derechos Humanos. “Something is very wrong when our children are being murdered by law enforcement, those we pay to allegedly protect us.”
For more than fifteen years, Arizona communities have suffered the continued violence against immigrants, women and our children. Latino communities are increasingly denied the rule of law, being shot and killed instead of arrested, left to die before being granted the opportunity for due process, as guaranteed under the Constitution.
Many questions remain about the killing of Carlos Lamadrid. Witness and video reports do not support the information being provided to the media by the Border Patrol. Cochise County officials continue to deny the family information, including the autopsy report.
We denounce the violence against us, and we demand the creation of an independent entity with investigatory powers to look into allegations of violence and use of lethal force. Communities have been denied accountability for far too long, and law enforcement must no longer be permitted to act with impunity.
“We must not permit the death of Carlos to go unanswered for” says Carrasco. “We must demand the justice he deserves, the justice he was denied in life.”
Family members of Carlos Lamadrid will be present and available for interviews.