PLEASE READ AND BOOST!
on sept 23 in san clemente, california, an unhoused unarmed black man who suffered from mental health issues was murdered by the orange county sherriff’s dpmt in the street with dozens of witnesses. he was approached unprovoked by two deputies assigned to the sherriff’s “homeless outreach team” who said they saw him jaywalking.
i personally was there when it happened, right across the street from where i work and i saw it all go down through the windows while i was working. our security cam footage didn’t capture the shooting but it shows him just walking down the sidewalk at 1:12pm and just minutes later at 1:15pm he was shot and at 1:19 i watched them giving up on cpr after it was clear he had died. i did not want to post the footage captured by a witness because it is very distressing but it has been posted on instagram by @southocblacklivesmatter. the sherriff’s department claims he had tried to “reach for their gun” but he was shot WHILE he was already pinned down to the ground by two deputies and we cannot know without body cam footage. and even if he did, he shouldn’t have been killed.
i want this case to get publicity because the orange county sherriff and DA is a piece of shit and it is going to be quickly swept under the rung + it shows exactly why we need to defund police and divert the money to social services. this murder was committed by the “homeless outreach team.” the sherriff’s department should not be tasked with “homeless outreach” they can provide nothing but violence and arrests. it is just a “homeless policing” team. had the money been diverted to housing and mental health treatment resources that kurt reinhold could have accessed he may have still been alive today. i’m not sure what to do, so if anyone can add on to this post or pass it along to someone who can it would a lot.
i remember him coming into the store sometimes to buy food and i didn’t know him well, i only learned his name after the fact, but i remembered him because was always so gracious and kind and said “god bless you” when i was checking him out.
i cannot find any info as of right now of community organized efforts, but i will update this post
please share the posts and contact information for san clemente and orange county officials posted on instagram by @southocblacklivesmatter
