A candlelight vigil and rally will be held on Thursday for the 14-year-old boy who was shot and killed by Los Angeles police earlier this week.
Jesse James Romero, was one of two people police attempted to approach while responding to a vandalism call near the intersection of North Chicago Street and East Cesar Chavez Avenue at about 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday, said LAPD Deputy Chief Robert Arcos.
Romero allegedly ran from police and turned onto North Breed Street. Officers turned the corner and followed him onto North Breed Street where an officer involved shooting occurred.
Romero was struck and pronounced dead at the scene. The other suspected vandal was detained, Acros said.
As the teen was running, a witness saw him fire a handgun in the direction of officers, according to police.
The officers involved have not yet given their statements regarding the shooting, so it was unclear if they saw or heard any gunshots, Arcos said.
Thursday’s rally is a call for justice, according to a release from the law offices of James P. Segall-Gutierrez.
“We the community of Boyle Heights want a full and independent investigation,” the release said. “We know for a fact that there is an inherent contradiction when any agency investigates itself and its rank and file, for any wrong doing.”
Thursday’s rally will take place around 6 p.m., at the corner of Breed Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue.
KTLA’s Melissa Pamer, Anthony Kurzweil and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this article.
