PAVEMENT: Taking The Bait

I was in Guillermo’s driveway in the valley when he got popped by LAPD’s bait car. He was working on his Nova. He took some cigarettes out of the back seat of the car after the cops abandoned it on his block with the doors open and the engine running. He called the police to report it. They arrested him and he was convicted of a felony. It represents some decidedly unfortunate judgement by the LAPD. The sting, like so many generally accepted policing strategies is, is a tool of oppression that victimizes black and brown citizens.

excerpt: Guillermo came to L.A. from the village of Soyapango, El Salvador, when he was 4 years old. His belly swollen with parasites, he rode on his uncle’s shoulders as they navigated a well-worn trail in the night jungle to avoid the heat. Guided by a rope and a vision, they aimed for El Norte.

read the entire story in print in the LA Weekly, or online here; LA Weekly

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read the entire story in print in the LA Weekly, or online here; LA Weekly

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