{"id":2701,"date":"2016-12-19T16:51:54","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T16:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/?p=2701"},"modified":"2016-12-19T16:51:54","modified_gmt":"2016-12-19T16:51:54","slug":"justice-for-sean-arlt-luke-smith-john-dine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/justice-for-sean-arlt-luke-smith-john-dine\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice For Sean Arlt, Luke Smith, & John Dine!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Justice For Sean Arlt, Luke Smith, & John Dine!<\/strong><\/div>\n
by Revolutionary Tendency<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hold the Santa Cruz Police and Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department accountable for their crimes.<\/div>\n
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Justice for Sean Arlt, Luke Smith. and John Dine!\u00a0
Fire, Prosecute, and Jail Deputy Chris Vigil, the Murderer of Luke Smith!\u00a0
\u00a0Release the Audio and Video of the SCPD Killing of Sean Arlt!\u00a0
Prosecute and Jail SCPD Officer Connor Carey for the Murder of John Dine!\u00a0

Saturday, December 17th and Sat. Dec. 31st<\/span><\/span> and every Saturday (except Dec. 24th<\/span><\/span>) until we get justice.\u00a0
1:30 PM<\/span><\/span>\u00a0
Santa Cruz Clock Tower (at Pacific Ave. and River St., Downtown Santa Cruz, California)\u00a0

Justice for Luke Smith!\u00a0

The Santa Cruz Sheriff\u2019s department shot and killed 15-year-old Luke Smith with an AR-15 assault rifle. The police also unleashed an attack dog on him and he attempted to defend himself from the brutal dog attack using a very small knife. This shooting was an unacceptable use of force against Luke Smith as he laid on the ground at a distance where he posed no immediate threat to any people present. We demand Luke Smith\u2019s murderer, Deputy Chris Vigil, be fired from the Santa Cruz Sriff’s Departmenr, jailed, and prosecuted for the crime of murder.\u00a0

Justice for Sean Arlt!\u00a0

Another man recently killed by cops is Sean Arlt. The Santa Cruz Police claim they killed Sean Arlt to prevent him from attacking them with a garden rake. They also say audio and video back their story. We say prove it. Release the audio and the video NOW! We are outraged at the stonewalling by City Manager Martin Bernal, Police Chief Kevin Vogel, Mayor Cynthia Mathews, and the entire Santa Cruz City Council–allowing the police to withhold the video and audio of the incident and the name of Arlt’s killer. Even if the police version of events is true, which we in no way assume to be the case, we ask why four cops could not subdue Sean Arlt without shooting him in the head and chest. Why weren\u2019t tactics of de-escalation used? Why didn\u2019t police use less lethal force like a Taser or aim for his legs? Yet, until the audio and video is released, we don\u2019t assume that the police are telling the truth about anything. As far as we know, there may not have even been a rake involved.\u00a0

We are also outraged at the corporate media\u2019s coverage, taking the unproven allegations of the police as fact. For instance, stories that identify Sean Arlt as \u201cthe man who attacked police with a metal rake\u201d should insert the word \u201callegedly\u201d. Until the police release their evidence, all we have is an unproven allegation by the police. The corporate media show their blatant bias by treating unproven police claims as fact.\u00a0

We are reminded of the Santa Cruz police murder of homeless activist John Dine in 1997. The police falsely claimed that John Dine was pointing a toy gun at them, but all independent eyewitnesses contradicted this lie. Some eyewitnesses were so outraged that they became activists on the issue. John Dine was, however, murdered by the Santa Cruz police with complete impunity.\u201d\u00a0

We must be very careful not to get sucked into circulating police lies and propaganda as fact. In the case of John Dine, the eyewitness evidence is clear. John Dine never pointed a toy gun. Instead, the police murdered him in cold blood and lied about the entire incident. Everyone who circulated the \u201ctoy gun story as fact\u201d scenario, even if it was with arguments about better \u201cmental health training for police\u201d, or whatever, were actually circulating police lies and propaganda as fact. In the police killing of Sean Arlt, ever since he was killed on October 16th, 2016, all authorities have suspiciously refused to release any real evidence while at the same time making unsubstantiated claims about a rake. Anyone who treats police claims of a rake in Sean Arlt\u2019s hands as fact, no matter what their arguments may be regarding lethal force or mental health, are still circulating unsubstantiated police propaganda.\u00a0

These protests are sponsored by the Revolutionary Tendency and Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom with participation and support from Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs, Luke Smith\u2019s mother, and food and\/or coffee are sometimes provided by Joe Schultz of India Joze.\u00a0

For some mainstream media coverage of one of our past protests on these issues check out the following KION Coverage:\u00a0
http:\/\/www.kion546.com\/news\/memorial-held-to-honor-locals-fatally-shot-by-police\/196370776<\/a>\u00a0

Let’s keep up the heat! Come back out Sat. Dec. 17th at 1:30 at the Santa Cruz Clock tower (River St. and Pacific Ave.) and every Saturday until we get justice.\u00a0

***UPDATE and CONTACT INFORMATION***\u00a0

To contact the organizers of these events, including to officially endorse and\/or get more involved:\u00a0
E-mail the Revolutionary Tendency at\u00a0steveargue2 [at] yahoo.com<\/a>\u00a0
\u00a0Or call Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom (HUFF) at (831) 427-HUFF\u00a0

Join our Facebook event page and send invitations to invite your Facebook friends to join the event:\u00a0
Justice For Sean Arlt and Luke Smith!\u00a0
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/231141847322298\/<\/a>\u00a0

For alternative media sources, meetings, and discussions from the organizers of this demonstration, check us out the following:\u00a0

Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom meets every Wednesday<\/span><\/span> starting at 11:00 AM<\/span><\/span> at the Subrosa Caf\u00e9 at 703 Pacific Avenue, downtown Santa Cruz.\u00a0

The Revolutionary Tendency sponsors online discussions on the fight-back against murders by police, join us at:\u00a0
Labor & Revolutionary Action to Jail Killer Cops\u00a0
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1737865853149386\/<\/a>\u00a0

For e-mailed written updates from the Revolutionary Tendency, subscribe free to Liberation News\u00a0
https:\/\/lists.riseup.net\/www\/viewmod\/liberation_news\/16020efce2d0b070cfab2d5e320282c7<\/a>\u00a0

For stationary written updates from the Revolutionary Tendency, check-out our Facebook page at:\u00a0
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RevolutionaryTendency\/<\/a>\u00a0

For live radio updates from the Revolutionary Tendency, listen-in to Steven Argue’s program, Liberation News, every Saturday starting at 4:00 PM<\/span><\/span> Pacific Standard Time and going to 6:00<\/span><\/span> or 7:00 PM<\/span><\/span>, depending on the Saturday of the month. Just click the Free Radio Santa Cruz URL for the live-stream at that time below.\u00a0

Free Radio Santa Cruz livestream\u00a0
http:\/\/freeradiosc.radio.net\/<\/a>\u00a0

For written updates from Homeless United For Friendship and Freedom (HUFF) check-out:\u00a0
http:\/\/www.huffsantacruz.org\/<\/a>\u00a0

For live radio updates from Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom (HUFF) check-out Robert Norse\u2019s show Bathrobes Pierre’s Broadsides every Thursday<\/span><\/span> 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM<\/span><\/span> and every Sunday 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM<\/span><\/span> Pacific Standard Time. Just click the Free Radio Santa Cruz URL for the live-stream below at those times.\u00a0

Free Radio Santa Cruz live-stream\u00a0
http:\/\/freeradiosc.radio.net\/<\/a>\u00a0

For related articles, see:\u00a0

Here is an in-depth 4-part series of articles from the Revolutionary Tendency that provides detailed analysis of the fight against police murders and police repression in general:\u00a0

Murderous Cops, Liberal Snake Oil, & Revolutionary Solutions\u00a0
\u00a0by Steven Argue\u00a0
http:\/\/boston.indymedia.org\/newswire\/display\/222482\/index.php<\/a>\u00a0

Justice For Sean Arlt and Luke Smith Community Events Deleted\u00a0
Indybay Censorship, Sabotage, and Defamation\u00a0
by Steven Argue\u00a0
http:\/\/boston.indymedia.org\/newswire\/display\/224482\/index.php<\/a>\u00a0

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