CHIRLA CALLS FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO ANDRES GUARDADO’S MURDER BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey must bring to justice sheriff deputies responsible for young man’s murder in Gardena, CA

Los Angeles, CA — The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the largest immigrant rights organization in California, mourns the murder of Andres Guardado by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies and condemns the sheriff’s actions in the aftermath.

CHIRLA calls for the sheriff to share as much information as possible about the ongoing investigation to honor transparency at this time. District Attorney Jackie Lacey must follow the facts and bring those responsible to justice.

Andres Guardado, 18, was shot multiple times and killed by deputies on June 18t at 6 p.m., while working in an unincorporated area of Gardena. Reports are emerging that the deputies involved did not have body cameras, in violation of procedure. Body cameras are there to keep police accountable, and officers cannot be allowed to choose when to wear them.

Guardado’s case is a systemic problem. A national analysis of police shootings by the Washington Post found that in 2015–2020, police killed 904 Latinos. Latinos are the second-largest demographic killed by police, behind African Americans. In L.A. County since 2000, 900 people died at the hands of sheriffs’ deputies. Eighty percent were black or Latino.

The following are statements for Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director.

“CHIRLA expresses its sincere sympathy to Andres Guardado’s family and condemns his murder by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies. The department has acted shamefully in the aftermath.

This is yet another of the many murders of black and brown people by law enforcement in Los Angeles County. CHIRLA stands in solidarity with Justice L.A. and calls on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to fully and immediately fund the Care First Budget.

We join the call for a full independent investigation by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra into Andres’s murder to ensure the truth comes to light and justice comes to his family.

CHIRLA demands justice. We expect Lacey to investigate this case thoroughly and holds these deputies accountable for Andres Guardado’s death.”