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Family and Friends of Unarmed Man Shot by Police Booted Out of City Council Meeting
Screenshot (CBS Los Angeles)
The family and friends of an unarmed man shot by Downey police this October were escorted out of a City Council meeting by police last night after they shut down the meeting.
Friends, family and other activists have been showing up to city council meetings ever since Michael Nida was shot to death by police in Downey. Family members and friends shut down last night's meeting by reading excerpts from Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr. and chanting "No more killing, no more lies, shooting Mikey was a crime," according to Downey Beat.
Nida was mistaken for an ATM robber while dashing across the street to pick up some cigarettes. Police say he fled from them twice and made an aggressive move, before they could figure out that he wasn't linked to the crime at all. They shot him five times in the back.
Nida's family filed a lawsuit against the city, but their lawsuit was rejected. The Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting. Two weeks ago, the Downey City Council read from a statement sent to Downey Beat explaining why they couldn't respond to the protesters that have been showing up to every meeting for months:
In order to remain independent, which was all agree is important, the Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators and the District Attorney’s Office need to be free from our influence, whether that influence would occur directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally. We understand that our lack of response to your comments causes a level of frustration on the your part and may appear as though we are uncaring. This is not the case. We want you to know that we realize your frustrations are in addition to the grief you are already experiencing.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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