The Brutal Death of Delgado: A Case Study of Racism and Police Action

This essay delves into the controversial death of Jesus Adolfo Delgado Duarte, a 19-year-old who was fatally shot by San Francisco police officers. The incident, involving a barrage of 99 bullets, sparked outrage and accusations of racism due to Delgado being a young black immigrant. The essay highlights the community's reaction, the formation of 'Justice for Delgado,' and the broader implications of police violence and racial bias within the system. It analyzes the community's demand for accountability, the airing of controversial videos, and the overall sentiment of injustice and the need for systemic change, suggesting that the incident exposed deep-seated issues of racism and the urgent need for police reform.

Running head: THE BRUTAL DEATH OF DELGADO
The Brutal Death of Delgado
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1THE BRUTAL DEATH OF DELGADO
Jesus Adolfo Delgado Duarte, a 19 year old was massively gun fired by ten officers in
San Francisco’s Mission District (SFGate, 2018). The news waved in various newspapers
including the San Fransisco Chronicle that states that the incident took place on 6th March, 2018.
Information from police claimed that Delgado was suspected of robbery and had hid inside a
truck from which he had fired a gun. However, the rapid use of bullets to kill the 19 year old
took attention with the realization that the boy had bore 20 of the total 99 bullets that were shot
by the police (Truthout, 2018). Delgado being a black, the entire killing by the police force has
been accused to be an act of racism.
The young boy, Delgado is found out to be an immigrant who was brought to the United
States as a small child. It has been speculated that the boy feared of being deported that made
him hide inside the truck. San Francisco stands out to be a place full of immigrants; however, it
does not necessarily give the right to the police force to kill them mercilessly. The grievous
killing led to an outrage from the community that made the police chief to play a video of the
shooting to be viewed by about 200 people. The people reacted with pain, anger, and unrest
claiming the police to be murderers (Chaney & Robertson, 2013). Members from different
fields- teachers, health care professionals, union members and others together formulated a
Justice for Delgado to provide aid to his family and led to struggles against police violence. One
of the women expressed her pain identifying the officers to be practitioners of racism who feed
on each other’s anger. Various statements and videos got aired that featured the incident but they
eliminated the outrage shown by hundreds of people, who accumulated in the town hall. This re-
emphasized the high level of racism that dominates over humanity.
However, the reaction of the people who voiced their support for justice for the young
boy shows that racism has not murdered humanity entirely. People are rising in mutiny to bring

2THE BRUTAL DEATH OF DELGADO
justice to the young boy and stand by his family in this crisis. They are highlighting the police
violence and claiming direct actions to be taken against the practitioners of the massive killing.
In mayoral election, people also suggested police violence to be the chief issue. However, the
discussions from people regarding the same shows that whoever comes in power would ignore
the murderers, that would gradually subside the case of Delgado (Bonilla-Silva, 2017). The
indication of community speakers ironically oust the former chief Greg Suhr, claiming the police
murderers to kill all the blacks and browns residing in San Francisco. They are organizing to
accumulatively fight against the system in order to bring justice for Duarte.
The article primarily revolved round the death of an accused. However, with later
speculations it completely deviated from general understanding and reconciliation with the act
that the police committed. Like the people of the community, one would only find racism that led
to such brutal act. A speculation of robbery could not be a reason for one’s death that too in such
an inhuman way. The victim a boy of only 19 years, it is not only surprising but also equally
pathetic for anyone to just let go off the matter without rising in an outrage.

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References:
Bonilla-Silva, E. (2017). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of
racial inequality in America. Rowman & Littlefield.
Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in America. Journal of
African American Studies, 17(4), 480-505.
SFGate. (2018). Suspects identified in San Francisco police shooting, including man killed.
[online] Available at: https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Man-shot-and-killed-by-San-
Francisco-police-while-12738689.php [Accessed 31 Mar. 2018].
Truthout. (2018). Ninety-Nine Bullets and One Dead Teen. [online] Available at:
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/44019-99-bullets-and-one-dead-teen [Accessed 31
Mar. 2018].