Protesters call for prosecutions in LA cases following Atlanta officer's murder charges
LOS ANGELES - The news of the Atlanta officer facing charges in the death of an African American man is sparking calls for more prosecutions of police officers in Los Angeles.
Garrett Rolfe is facing 11 charges including felony murder, and the charges could potentially lead to the death penalty, according to a Georgia district attorney.
In downtown Los Angeles, hundreds of people gathered outside of District Attorney Jackie Lacey's office to protest local cases of alleged police brutality.
One of the protesters is Valerie Rivera. Rivera said her son, Eric, was killed by LAPD officers.
"My son, Eric, was gunned down and run over by two negligent LAPD officers on June 6, 2017. For the last three years, I've been coming out here tirelessly, relentlessly to hold Jackie Lacey accountable," said Rivera.
RELATED: Fulton County DA charges officers involved in deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks
John Webber was one of the first protesters to arrive outside of Lacey's office demanding justice for his son, AJ Webber.
"My 16-year-old baby was shot in the back 16 times [by an officer]," said Webber.
Webber kept asking "what about my son," and hoped for charges.
"There are serious problems where they treat us in our neighborhoods. They [police officers] treat us like enemy combatants," said Webber.
Evelia Granados and her family also joined the protest in honor of her brother, Cesar Rodriguez.
"My brother was murdered in Long Beach by Long Beach PD on August 29, 2017," said Granados.
Protesters reacted to the news regarding the Atlanta officer, Garrett Rolfe, accused in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks.
"I'm happy to hear that. We definitely need changes and we need accountability and we need these officers to know they can't kill us and think they're gonna get away with it because they've been getting away with it," said Rivera.
Evelia Granados also reacted to the news regarding the Atlanta officer.
"That's great and hopefully here we can do those changes too and pass laws and see more transparency," said Granados.
A second officer, Devin Brosnan, is facing three charges, including aggravated assault, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. said at a news conference.