Off-duty, unarmed security guard shot to death by California Highway Patrol officers
Los Angeles, CA October 5 2021– On September 28, after a traffic collision, 24-year-old Leo Chavez was shot and killed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). His mother Maritza Padilla is devastated and wants justice for her son. Chavez’ surviving family lives in Boyle Heights near the Ramona Gardens neighborhood. Ramona Gardens is no stranger to police killings by the LAPD and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The family, Justice X attorneys Humberto Guizar and Christian Contreras, and Centro CSO held a press conference on September 29, at the scene of the killing to denounce another murder of a young Chicano by police.
Leonel Chavez worked as a security guard, attended school and liked to work out at a nearby fitness center. His mother Maritza Padilla said Leo was a loving young man and is calling for justice and the prosecution of the CHP officers. His brother Jesus Chavez said, “He did not deserve to die like this. We want justice!”
The 24-year-old man was fatally shot by California Highway Patrol officers in El Sereno on Tuesday was unarmed, attorneys for his family said.
Chavez, seemed intoxicated when he got out of his Honda after colliding with a Chevrolet Camaro at Indiana and Medford streets.
A CHP officer shocked Chavez with a stun gun before others opened fire, shooting him multiple times, according to witnesses.
“He was unarmed. He posed no threat to officers. This shooting is totally unjustified,” said Christian Contreras, an attorney for Chavez’s family.
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that he had launched an investigation into Chavez’s death.
A law passed in July requires Bonta’s office to investigate fatal police shootings of unarmed civilians to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.
