Private services were held in Inglewood for Keith Porter Jr. on Friday, Jan. 23.
Following the community vigils for Porter in Northridge and in the city of Carson, Porter’s family needed space to grieve for him without the glare of media cameras.
It has been a heavy load to bear for those close to the 43-year-old man who was described as “loving” and the center of his family.
Jsane Tyler said Brian Palacios, the off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot her cousin on New Year’s Eve, “stole” Porter from them.
The father of two, she described, doted on his daughters and his mother, whom he called every day, and his girlfriend, who motivated him to move to Northridge “for love.”
The service for this family was important, but would not bring them closure. There will be ongoing struggles as they “seek justice.” They want a transparent investigation and take issue with the account from Palacios that claims that Porter, who was shooting his rifle in the air in celebration on New Year’s Eve, when confronted, had exchanged fire with Palacios.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles delivered a petition with 18,000 signatures to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell at the police commission meeting, calling for Palacios to be arrested and presented to the district attorney for prosecution.
Meanwhile, court records from a separate, ongoing custody dispute involving his partner have surfaced, alleging that Palacios has a history of violent behavior, including claims of whipping his own children with a belt, and making racist and homophobic remarks.
“We are asking people to continue to sign the petition,” said Tyler.
The petition reads:
“Keith Porter should still be here … to raise his daughters, to love his mother, to fish with his uncle, to bring joy to rooms, and light to community. Black fathers … Black sons … Black people … matter. We matter. We must speak up, step up, demand, organize for, and build a world where our lives are protected.”
The shooting is reportedly being investigated by the LAPD, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, as it involves a federal agent.
Sorry, but he was a paid agitator that brought a gun to a protest.., When will people learn not to interfere with law-enforcement that’s the question.
If you’re in this country illegally, you are a felon and you need to be taken off the street and returned to your home country and without his interference he would be alive today!
SIMPLE..!! how do you?
There was no protest, moron. He was celebrating New Years Eve in his own living space.
And, for the record, illegal immigration is a misdemeanor.