Honoring his murdered brother

José Góngora Pat led a pilgrimage and march on Friday from the site where San Francisco police shot his brother Luis one year ago, to the Mission police station, to the building where these Yucatecan migrant workers once lived, to City Hall.

The Góngoras had supportive family in the Bay Area, and for awhile were able to support their families in Mexico with restaurant jobs. But Luis never learned much English and, when he was evicted during the housing boom, ended up on the street. José and his cousins lost touch with Luis. On April 7, 2016, officers of the SFPD drove up to the homeless encampment where Luis was staying and shot him within 30 seconds of their arrival. The police claim he charged them with a knife; six eyewitnesses dispute the police story.

The District Attorney has neither charged nor cleared the shooters. There have been as yet no legal proceedings in the case.

The Guardian published a major investigation of this particular homicide by officer, including interviews with family in the Yucatan and in San Francisco, that is very much worth your time.