Full Statement from Family of Jessica Hernández About Shooting Death

Jan 31, 2015
12:44 PM

As the local Denver press focuses on the shooting death of 17-year-old Jessica Hernández, Latino Rebels reached out this morning to the attorneys of the Hernández family for the full statement released yesterday to the media, since the outlets we read and watched are just reporting partial excerpts. We received the following statement as well as a photo of Jessica Hernández supplied by her family:

Jessica 2

STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY OF JESSICA HERNÁNDEZ
January 30, 2015

As we mourn the devastating loss of our beloved daughter Jessica Hernández, we seek justice for her tragic and senseless death. We call on the United States Department of Justice to conduct an independent civil rights investigation of Jessie’s death, and for United States Attorney John Walsh to oversee the criminal investigation of the officers. We believe that a federal investigation is the only way to uncover the truth because we have little confidence in the Denver Police Department’s ability to conduct a fair and timely investigation.

We are aware of the DPD’s history of conducting lengthy and fruitless investigations that serve only to exonerate its officers. We are dismayed that the DPD has already defended the actions of the officers and blamed our daughter for her own death, even while admitting they have very little information. In recent months, police killings have torn apart communities across this nation, and the unjustified shooting of our daughter is only the latest sign of an issue that requires federal oversight.

We applaud the Denver Independent Monitor’s decision to investigate DPD policies and training, as Jessie is not the only recent victim of a deadly vehicle-related shooting. We urge the DPD to cooperate fully with the Independent Monitor’s investigation as well as any federal investigation that may occur.

We have been overwhelmed by the support of the community as we grieve the loss of our Jessie. Jessie was a beautiful girl who brought love and joy to her family and friends. We want to make sure that Jessie’s death is not in vain and that we can do our part to stop these senseless police killings. We continue to ask for the support of our local and national communities as we pursue justice for our devastating loss.

If you have any information regarding Jessie’s death, please contact our attorneys, of the law firm RATHOD | MOHAMEDBHAI LLC, at (303) 578-4400.

José Hernández
Laura Sonia Rosales

News of Hernández’s death has begun to gain more traction on social media under #JessieHernandez. Besides local stories, Hernández’s case was covered by the Daily Mail UK, CBS News, The New York Daily News and The Chicago Tribune.