California Highway Patrol officers have shot and killed a man in his car and wounded his pregnant girlfriend in the passenger seat.
According to KTVU, the family of Erik Salgado, 22, confirmed that Salgado was the man killed Saturday around 10:45 pm by officers. His girlfriend, who was injured in the incident, was taken to the hospital and is now in stable condition.
In total, officers fired more than 40 shots from assault rifles.
KTVU reports that Salgado was driving a stolen red 2018 Dodge Challenger. The car was reportedly one of 74 cars stolen from San Leandro Dodge.
The Oakland Police Department has not released many details but said the California Highway Patrol officers were conducting a criminal investigation when the shooting happened. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, protestors are now demanding answers for the killing of Salgado, as they marched for justice on Monday.
Amanda Majail-Blanco, Salgado’s stepsister, came to a memorial that was set up in his honor and said she feels a lot of “anger and sadness.”
“I heard he was still in his car, so they didn’t even give him a chance to get out of his car and get to know what was happening, what was going on,” Majail-Blanco said. “There were still so many unknown factors.”
Organizer Hoku Jeffrey told Mercury News, “It’s just unacceptable to open fire with assault rifles in a residential community in East Oakland. This just showed a clear disregard for human life. Erik was an expecting father with his pregnant girlfriend in the passenger seat. The police just didn’t care, and they belong in jail.”
The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action Integration and Immigrant Rights Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary groups called the shooting “no less than a public execution” and demanded the names of the officers involved in the shooting.
Independent investigations by the Oakland Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol Critical Incident Investigations Team are underway.
