Oakland police Officers Eriberto Perez-Angeles and Omar Daza-Quiroz left federal court without speaking on camera. The two were cleared of any wrong-doing in a federal lawsuit filed by the widow of 37-year-old Derrick Jones, an East Oakland barber whom they shot and killed in November of 2010.
Jones ran when the two tried to question him. Perez-Angeles and Daza-Quiroz have said they thought jones was reaching for a gun. He was unarmed.
"During a foot chase the suspect was seen grabbing towards his waistband, this occurred several times," Oakland Police Deputy Chief Jeff Israel said. "This is a move, obviously consistent with someone reaching for a weapon, possibly arming himself."
A police investigation would later reveal that jones did not have a weapon, but instead, a small scale.
The attorney for Jones' widow says the jury didn't get to see all the evidence.
"It's very difficult to put on a trial when more than 75 percent of your evidence has been excluded prior to trial, not to mention that the witnesses were also excluded," Ayanna Jenkins-Toney said.
The evidence she is speaking of is mostly claims made against the officers that the judge decided were baseless. Off camera, both officers told me that they feel vindicated. Two years ago the district attorney's office refused to file criminal charges against the two. The attorney for Jones's widow has said she will appeal the ruling in the civil case.
