Family, Friends Protest Fatal Shooting Of Mentally Ill Man By Sheriff's Deputies
LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — About 50 friends and family members marched through Lynwood Saturday protesting the fatal shooting of a mentally ill man last weekend.
Deputies said Martinez, 28, was holding a knife, refused to drop it and lunged at them when they shot him.
The man's father said Saturday the deputies shot his son 15 -20 times.
Martinez was shot in the south LA home he shared with his parents.
"When my son cried, the police shoot. The four people (deputies). Same time," said his father, Roberto Martinez.
"Unfortunately, my brother had to lose his life due to mental illness and not having appropriate care," said sister Louisiana Medina.
She said her brother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when he was jailed about ten years ago. Medina believes it is that condition which led to his death.
"Yes, he might have had anger issues," she said, "yes, he might have had (heard) voices, he might have had many different symptoms but yet, that doesn't give someone the right to come in and shoot him."
Martinez reportedly stabbed a man who lived on the property where he and his parents lived. The people who lived in the house called 911.
His sister conceded he attacked someone.
"He was going through a psychosis," she said, "a mental illness."
Sheriff's insist they only shot the man after he refused to drop a knife and appeared ready to attack them.
"They said drop the knife," said Roberto, "my son, he continued to stand up. The police say again, drop the knife."
Deputies recovered the knife at the scene. No deputies were injured in the incident.
The march Saturday ended at the Sheriff's Lynwood station.
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