Community Corner
Family To Hold Rally for Derrick Gaines at Arco
The family of the teen who was slain in June in South San Francisco will gather with other supporters Thursday.
The family of Derrick Gaines, the youth who was fatally shot by a South San Francisco police officer in June, will hold a rally Thursday Sept. 20, on what would have been Derrick's 16th birthday.
The event will be at 4 p.m. at the Arco gas station where Gaines was shot, at 2300 Westborough Blvd. After listening to speakers, the group will conduct a march.
“I want to see this department come out and admit they were wrong and own up to what they did," said Gaines's mother, Rachel Guido-Red, according to a recent press release from the group.
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Background
On Aug. 29, the San Mateo County District Attorney released a statement explaining an in-depth investigation into the case that found that Officer Joshua Cabillo was justified in his use of lethal force.
Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Officer Cabillo was part of the Neighborhood Response Team of South San Francisco, which was created in Jan 2011 after a rash of gang-related violence resulted in the deaths of five young men.
NRT officers "strive to create positive relationships with members of the community by conducting foot patrols in the residential areas, contacting business owners and employees, facilitating community meetings, and initiating positive interactions with the children in our neighborhoods," according to the SSFPD.
As previously reported on Patch, the DA's report gave details of the Gaines shooting found during investigation:
Officer Cabillo observed a weapon in Gaines’s waistband and the officer pulled his own weapon while running after the teen. The officer struck Gaines on the head with his service weapon in order to stop him, and both individuals fell to the ground. During the tumble, a gun fell from Gaines’s waistband onto the ground. Gaines moved his arm in the direction of his dropped firearm, at which point, the police officer feared for his life and fired a shot.
Oakland-based attorney John Burris has filed a complaint with the city and is preparing to file suit on behalf of the Gaines family.
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