California Legislature must act to decertify police officers who abuse power or kill

Every time I hear of another police killing, I start bracing for the wave of emotions. I know the sense of loss these families feel because I feel it, too.

I have felt it everyday since my brother, Michael Barrera, was killed by police officers in February 2017 in our hometown of Woodland.

The day they stole my brother, we joined a family that I never knew existed: the community of all those who have lost a loved one to police violence. Losing my brother opened my eyes to the culture of impunity for abusive cops that has put all of our communities at risk.

That is why I am fighting back. Right now California legislators have the chance to pass Senate Bill 731 — a vital bill that would create a process to decertify violent, abusive and dishonest cops and enable families of the victims of police killings to get justice in the court system.

Before Michael was killed, like most Californians and most Americans, I wasn’t aware of how widespread police killings are. And like many Californians, I didn’t know that the state doesn’t have a mechanism to decertify police — even killer cops who have used deadly force on unarmed people more than once.

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, many more Americans who are not personally impacted have had their eyes opened, with millions taking to the streets in protest of police brutality. But here in California, we’ve had two more high-profile cases since George Floyd’s death that show why California must act to decertify abusive cops.

In June, Sean Monterrosa was shot and killed by a Vallejo police officer who was involved in three other shootings. Two of those incidents happened just six weeks apart. Instead of investigating why Vallejo police officers use deadly force six times more often than neighboring Richmond police, the Vallejo Police Department decided to attack Sean’s character instead. They claimed that Sean — who was shot while he had his hands in the air — was threatening police.

In the weeks since his killing, new reporting from Open Vallejo has uncovered a culture where Vallejo police have celebrated killing civilians and has spent millions of taxpayer dollars paying out claims in recent years.

Just a few days after Sean Monterossa’s murder, California Highway Patrol officers shot and killed Erik Salgado after pursuing him in an unmarked patrol vehicle. Erik’s pregnant girlfriend, Brianna Colombo, was in the passenger seat and was also shot. She survived but the baby did not.

That same officer responsible for Erik Salgado’s death also killed Pedro Villanueva four years earlier after pursuing him in an unmarked vehicle for five miles, ending in a cul-de-sac in Anaheim where officers shot indiscriminately at the car.

I met Erik and Sean’s families in Sacramento in July at a community rally at the Capitol. Erik and Sean’s stories were national news, but we were joined by families whose loved ones’ deaths did not receive press attention. I speak out because I want people to hear our stories and understand these killings are not isolated events. This happens all the time in our communities because we have a system that protects abusive cops and does not protect us.

While California has failed to act on police decertification, 45 other states have put a process in place. On behalf of the families impacted by the state’s inaction, I’m calling on the California Legislature to finally act on this basic first step.

Passing SB 731 won’t bring Michael, Eric, Sean or any of the others we’ve lost back to us. But it will set some basic standards for police behavior and permanently take the badges of cops who are fired for serious misconduct like excessive force, sexual misconduct and dishonesty. These officers should not be allowed to patrol our communities.

There are only a few days left for the Legislature to pass this bill. Inaction will keep our communities at risk and send a clear message to the thousands of Californians who took to the streets to demand change — our leaders cannot find the courage to put communities before abusive cops.

I have found strength and solace in the extended family of those who have lost someone to police violence but we are all united by one goal — to save other families from joining us. Dismantling the cycle of police violence is the legacy I want my brother to have. This is what I fight for every day and I hope that the Legislature will fight for it too.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 5:00 AM.