(reverse chronological order)
County’s ‘Crime-Free Housing’ Programs Walk Fine Line Between Safety, Surveillance, Voice of San Diego by Jesse Marx · Mar 16, 2021
In large part, though, crime-free housing programs have become a way of monitoring the homeless. Several property managers said they routinely message deputies if someone wanders on site and often get a quick response — something that bothers people who advocate for greater tenant protections.
One of those advocates, Catherine Mendonça, said she lives across the street from a crime-free apartment complex in San Diego and has lost track of the number of times police have been called in response to a homeless person spotted nearby.
“There’s this fear of unhoused people, almost like a phobia,” she said. “If they see somebody unhoused, they automatically assume this person is dangerous, this person is using.”
San Diego Police Practice Their People Skills On Social Media With Help From Consultant | KPBS Public Media KPBS By Claire Trageser / Deputy Investigations Team and Digital Fellowship Editor · Dec 28, 2020
Catherine Méndonca, an advocate with the organization United Against Police Terror San Diego, which films police officers on the job, said that’s a waste of money and amounts to propaganda. “They get so much of our city budget already from our tax dollars, for them to have to hire a consultant to train them on how to behave, says a lot about their policy,” she said. While filming police in her City Heights neighborhood, Mendonca said she doesn’t often see police helping people. “We see a lot of instances where officers would slander detainees, their demeanor and what their purpose is on the call is a lot different than what they want to portray themselves on social media,” she said.
SDPD investigates claims that officer’s social media post made light of memorial for man he fatally shot, San Diego Union Tribune · Sep 28, 2020
The allegations are linked to the June 27 fatal shooting of Leonardo Ibarra “A second screenshot shows the private Instagram account that posted the photo. United Against Police Terror and others circulating the two screenshots allege the account belongs to Lucas. The account’s “biography” promoted a healthy lifestyle for cops.
A search for the username tied to the account, which did not reference Lucas’ name, turned up empty on Instagram on Monday.
Cat Mendonca of United Against Police Terror San Diego, an organization that exposes alleged police misconduct and use of excessive force, said an Instagram user who wanted to remain anonymous shared the photo with the organization. The user was following the account that posted the photo and said it belonged to Lucas, Mendonca said.”
WORKERS DEFENSE ALLIANCE; KNOW YOUR RIGHTS + HOW TO COPWATCH
Twin Cities Workers’ Defense Alliance · Aug 1, 2020
Copwatching is a form of direct action in which autonomous, loosely affiliated groups set out to observe and document police activity as a way of preventing police misconduct and brutality.
Using their presence, written documentation, and film, communities can exercise their rights and advocate for the rights of others. Copwatch in some form or other has been most frequently taken up by marginalized communities who are most vulnerable to legal and state repression.
Police Punish And Wall Street Profits
IWT – The Real News Network Police Accountability Report · Jul 17, 2020
“Taya Graham: Now, as we do on this show, we like to get perspectives on weekly topics from other cop watchers. It’s a tradition that has put us in touch with people like Otto the Watchdog, James Freeman, and Blind Justice.
But today we have a first, our first female police activist. Her name is Katherine, also known as IRATE Productions, and she built a successful YouTube channel, not just watching cops, but she’s been fighting for justice across a variety of issues, including housing and incarceration. Kat, thank you so much for joining me today.” https://therealnews.com/wall-street-is-profiting-from-police-brutality
Why I am a Cop Watcher… for the same reasons I resist war taxes, National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee · Mar 7, 2019
The CopWatchers worked quietly, with a business-like attitude, in de-escalation mode. After about 30 minutes, the men were finally released – no ticket, no problem, no citation – just another cop stop for people living in black and brown communities. The couple have been filming police in the area for about five years now, with police scanners and cameras their tools of mass education.
Both have their own stories of police aggression. There are about 8,000 videos of police stops posted on their YouTube Channel. The stop we watched was posted within hours, with a title “Loitering in Parking Lot and a musical score. The San Diego Police Department calls it “loitering” – basically an excuse to “officially” stop and detain any one, regardless of the 4th Amendment.
Cop Watch is also having an impact in City Heights – where officers seem to feel they are at war with the people they are “sworn to protect and serve” rather than public servants – from their video posts. The police now accept their presence instead of trying to intimidate them to stop. Cop Watch stood its ground and is growing the movement here.
Introducing Ma’at Quorum, The Alfred Olango Foundation · Mar 15, 2018
Ma’at Quorum will be on live, every Saturday from 10-11AM, Starting April 7, 2018. Here is an interview with the hosts.
SDPD Officer Questions Man About Immigration Status After He’s Seen Jaywalking, Voice of San Diego · Aug 2, 2017
The following incident shows a San Diego Police Department officer questioning a man about his immigration status. The officer approached the man after he crossed the street on a red light. The video was recorded by a citizen watchdog group on July 8th, 2017 in City Heights.
SDPD Officer Questions Man About Immigration Status After He’s Seen Jaywalking; Sheriff’s Department: Yes, We Called Border Patrol on Undocumented Couple; No, We Didn’t Violate Policy
Voice of San Diego · Aug 2, 2017
The following incident shows a San Diego Police Department officer questioning a man about his immigration status. The officer approached the man after he crossed the street on a red light. The video was recorded by a citizen watchdog group on July 8th, 2017 in City Heights.
“The case highlights how even in San Diego, which has sometimes been called a sanctuary city for its perceived separation between local police and federal agencies, local law enforcement does cooperate with agencies that enforce immigration law. In this case, that cooperation landed two people in detention. Scott Wahl, a San Diego Police Department spokesman, confirmed that SDPD officers were present at Ortiz and Luna’s stop, but said they were only called in to back up the Sheriff’s Department, because the stop happened outside their jurisdiction. Wahl said that even though SDPD did not initiate the stop and was not investigating the incident, SDPD treats all body-worn camera footage as evidence and does not release it to the media. SDPD, too, has faced questions recently about whether officers cross the line into immigration enforcement. The department has declined to provide body-worn camera footage from a separate incident that took place earlier this month in City Heights, when an SDPD officer was filmed asking a man about his immigration status. In that case, Wahl said an SDPD officer had witnessed a man jaywalking and tried to speak with him. Wahl said the officer only asked about immigration status in an effort to verify his identity.”
Controversy over police officer who asked about immigration status, TELEMUNDO 20, Rigo Villalobos and Fabiola Berriozábal · Jul 14, 2017
Catherine Mendoza was the one who recorded the incident. She is the spokesperson for United Against Police Terror. She said her husband and another woman were yelling at the man who had the right to remain silent, not to say anything. Mendoza said he learned what was happening because her organization often monitors police radios.”
City Heights Groups Take Different Approaches To Driving Social Change, KPBS · Oct 21, 2016
“This event is going to be centering around almost a dozen families who have lost somebody by the hands of San Diego law enforcement officers in the county of San Diego,” Mendonça said in a phone interview.
That includes Alfred Olango, who was fatally shot by El Cajon police last month.
The rally and march recognizes the 21st Annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and Criminalization of a Generation. It is one of two events aimed at addressing criminal justice issues that day, but their approaches are not the same.
Mendonça said the protest, which she encourages to be peaceful and safe, will include speeches from relatives of people killed by local law enforcement agencies. “Our only intention is to give a stage for all of the families to give their testimonies,“ she said.
Day of protest draws crowd to City Heights, The San Diego Union-Tribune · Oct 21, 2016
“Alfred Olango was just one victim. … Many more families have been affected,” said Catherine Mendonça, the event’s organizer with United Against Police Terror. Some of those families shared their experiences with the crowd Saturday. Jenny Badua’s nephew, Simon Hubble, was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputy after he left a treatment program, showed up suicidal at his parents’ Alpine home and armed himself with a screwdriver in May 2015. “A social worker called the sheriffs because he was suicidal,” Badua said. “They came out and killed him.” Maria Hoyt of San Diego said her nephew, Sergio Weick, was killed by sheriff’s deputies in Vista in August after a pursuit and foot chase. Hoyt said the official versions of the event were inconsistent.
Aaron Leaf pays tribute to police shooting victims, San Diego CityBeat · Oct 12, 2016
Activist and artist Aaron Leaf has been relentlessly organizing the community since 38-year-old Ugandan refugee Alfred Olango was shot and killed by El Cajon Police. It’s Sunday afternoon and protests haven’t started yet, but he and fellow United Against Police Terror (UAPT) activist Catherine Mendonça, who is also Leaf’s girlfriend, are working away in their City Heights apartment. Leaf is editing video footage from Saturday’s protests while Mendonça updates the organization’s social media. They expect more protests later on especially since 12 protestors—including a member of UAPT—were arrested earlier that morning. “This should be happening every time someone is killed by police,” Leaf says of the community uproar. For years, Leaf has been using art to document the lives of Olango and others killed by San Diego police with various graphic designs, including a series of portraits he calls “San Diego Stolen Lives.” The 37-year-old Leaf started UAPT with Mendonça about five years ago. Leaf and Mendonça decided on a mission for their grassroots watchdog organization: Document police and support families of individuals killed by law enforcement. Besides filming police interactions for their Copwatch YouTube series, UAPT’s documentation includes an ongoing list of San Diegans killed by law enforcement called San Diego Stolen Lives: Killed by San Diego Law Enforcement. Inspired by the Stolen Lives Project created by the anti-police brutality group October 22nd Coalition, Leaf and Mendonça gathered information for their own list by reading relevant news articles and speaking with families of victims. Leaf began creating graphic designs of some of the victims on the San Diego Stolen Lives list. “To get the names and pictures out there and let them know that they’re human beings,”
Protesters and Bystanders Describe Tension and Terror at Thursday’s #AlfredOlango Demonstration, Colorlines · Sep 30, 2016
“Last night’s crowd was also much smaller than those at earlier protests, according to Jeff Provenzano, who was filming the scene on behalf of the anti-police violence organization United Against Police Terror San Diego. Up to 300 people showed up on previous nights, but only about 50 to 75 people showed up last night. Last night’s crowd was also much smaller than those at earlier protests, according to Jeff Provenzano, who was filming the scene on behalf of the anti-police violence organization United Against Police Terror San Diego. Up to 300 people showed up on previous nights, but only about 50 to 75 people showed up last night.”
#AlfredOlango: El Cajon, Calif., Police Aware Unarmed Black Man Was in Mental Distress Before They Fatally Shot Him, The Root · Sep 27, 2016
This information appears to be confirmed by police-scanner audio shared by United Against Police Terror-San Diego Copwatch and Campaign for Justice. Calls to the El Cajon Police Department to confirm the authenticity of the audio have not been returned.
Police Deploy Rubber Bullets in El Cajon
RT International News on September 2016
Activists Hope To Spotlight Local Police And Community Relations | KPBS Public Media, KPBS By Tarryn Mento / Health Reporter · Jul 9, 2016
Catherine Mendonca of the group United Against Police Terror hopes the series of horrific events will bring attention to local incidents.
“This has already happened in San Diego, and I want people to focus on local lives that have been killed here,” Mendonca said.
Wrongful Death Claim Filed in San Diego Police Shooting of Man with Fake Gun, Los Angeles Times · Apr 19, 2016
Protesters with United Against Police Terror San Diego rallied for Lamontez Jones, 39, who was shot several times by Officers Scott Thompson and Gregory Lindstrom in a confrontation Oct. 20.
Police said Jones aimed a replica handgun at the officers and, after being shot, fell to the pavement and aimed the gun again — prompting them to fire.
Wrongful death claimed in shooting by SDPD Rally held for Lamontez Jones, shot in October in the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego Union-Tribune · Apr 16, 2016
SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO — About a dozen people gathered in front of San Diego police headquarters Tuesday morning to denounce a fatal Gaslamp Quarter shooting by police and announce the filing of a wrongful death claim against the city and the officers involved.
Protestors with United Against Police Terror San Diego and representatives of a law firm rallied for Lamontez Jones, 39, who was shot several times by San Diego police motorcycle Officers Scott Thompson and Gregory Lindstrom in a confrontation in the middle of Sixth Avenue at F Street on Oct. 20.
Black Lives Rally Chides Black Friday, The SUN Southwestern College · Feb 1, 2016
“Black lives matter, not Black Friday,” was the message approximately 100 protesters brought to the streets and shops of downtown San Diego the Friday after Thanksgiving. Activists from United Against Police Terror, Justice or Else, and the University of San Diego’s Black Student Union rallied at the Hall of Justice for a news conference before marching. Several speakers spoke about what they called an epidemic of police violence against people of color, and said this warranted more attention than Black Friday sales.”
Also present was Alyahe Ali-McCall, cousin of Anthony Ashford, a black man killed by San Diego Harbor police on Oct. 27. “I never thought my cousin, coming to the San Diego area to visit a family member, would not return,” Ali-McCall said, standing behind a bank of microphones. “I thought the police were here to protect and serve, so why is my cousin dead at 29?”
Police said Ashford attacked a police officer after being seen looking into cars in a parking lot on North Harbor Drive. Marchers made their way to the corner of F and 5th Street where, on Oct. 20, Lamontez Jones was shot and killed by San Diego police after allegedly pointing a replica handgun at them. The officers did not turn on their body cameras, a matter of contention among many in the community. It was the second police shooting in six months where SDPD officers failed to activate their body cameras.
After a short “die-in” at the intersection, protesters made their way to Westfield Horton Plaza mall, marching through several levels before stopping on the main floor to bring their message to shoppers.
Rayne Ibarra-Brown, a member of the Black Student Union at USD, read a list of demands through a bullhorn. “We’re in the mall to remind them black lives should be getting more press and attention that Black Friday deals,” Ibarra-Brown said. “But also, where did this consumer culture come from, (and) what foundation was it built on? Slavery.” www.theswcsun.com
Justice demanded for Stolen Lives, San Diego Reader · Jan 4, 2016
A police watchdog group gathered in front of the San Diego Police Department’s downtown headquarters on Monday (January 4) to demand a thorough accounting of what they say are hundreds of deaths at the hands of police in cases dating back three decades or more.
“In San Diego County, we have no comprehensive record of people killed by law enforcement, but we believe such an accounting is a prerequisite for an informed public discussion about the use of force,” says Catherine Mendonca, an organizer for United Against Police Terror San Diego. “The mission of our campaign is to demand justice for stolen lives. We’re publishing this list to let the public know that we are keeping track.
Long-Awaited Footage Released of San Diego Officer Killing Unarmed Man With Mental Illness, Mic.Com; Natasha Noman · Dec 23, 2015
The incident has incited controversy within the city, as it becomes yet another in a long list of police officers fatally shooting unarmed people of color across the country.
Community organization United Against Police Terror — San Diego arranged a rally for Nehad in May, demanding the release of the surveillance footage being withheld at the time.
“Fridoon Rawshan Nehad was a homeless Afghan citizen who was seeking asylum in the U.S. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar and was known to suffer from hallucinations,” the group wrote on the event Facebook page.
“United Against Police Terror — San Diego demands that this officer be held accountable for his costly action,” they added.
(Editor’s note: The following surveillance footage contains disturbing images. View with discretion.) Correction: Dec. 23, 2015
Turning on body-worn cameras – The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press · Oct 22, 2015
In light of the recent SDPD officer-involved shootings, more than 100 community members gathered at the Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park, on Oct. 22, to protest against police violence. Catherine Mendonça, a spokesperson for rally organizer United Against Police Terror, said without transparency and accountability the body-worn camera program is of no use. She said she is especially alarmed the officers didn’t record the incident even after the revision in the department policies. “The magic words of ‘officer safety’ give them too much room to wiggle,” Mendonca said. “All we’re asking is to just touch their chest.”
Someone in the San Diego sheriff’s office thinks police protesters are drug-addicted ‘animals’, Raw Story; Travis Gettys · Sep 24, 2015
The activist group United Against Police Terror discovered the blog comment was posted from a computer, with a unique Internet Protocol address, within the sheriff’s department, and authorities launched an internal affairs probe of the case, reported the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Sheriff’s Probe Origin of Hate Email to Activist Group, San Diego Union Tribune · Sep 22, 2015
The Sheriff’s Department is investigating whether someone in its own office sent an obscenity-riddled hate email to an activist group critical of law enforcement. The email rant that referred to Ferguson, Mo. protesters as animals and said “real citizens” of the county love the police was sent Sept. 16 to the website of United Against Police Terror San Diego, its spokeswoman, Cat Mendonca said. Mendonca held a news conference outside the sheriff’s Kearny Mesa headquarters on Tuesday to say her organization had filed a complaint with the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board, which handles complaints against sheriff’s deputies.
Sheriff’s Dept. Launches Internal Investigation After Activist Group Receives Hate Email, NBC 7 San Diego · Sep 22, 2015
Mendonça said perhaps the most troubling part of the email was where the writer described Ferguson protesters as “animals.” “It just perpetuates that ‘lesser of a being’ (stereotype), and it highlights how much racism is still present to this day,” Mendonça said.
Angry, cuss-filled rant sent to activists apparently came from local police station, By Fusion Staff (https://www.jezebel.com/author/fusion-staff) · Sep 18, 2015
The group that received the message, United Against Police Terror, used an IP tracker to track the message to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. It was delivered through the Contact page of the group’s website.
In a statement issued to Fusion, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office said:
It appears the email came from a Sheriff’s Department IP address. We are taking this very seriously and an internal investigation is underway to determine where, how and who it came from. As such, we are unable to provide any additional information at this time, but we are taking this matter very seriously.
United Against Police Terror has helped organize marches and demonstrations, sometimes blocking traffic and standing off with police, according to local press. Its Tumblr page says it’s “dedicated to Intersectionally educating and organizing the community to fight back in San Diego.”
Sheriff Launches Internal Investigation Into Hate Mail Sent to Activist Group, Voice Of San Diego · Sep 17, 2015
You can imagine how the email went from there.
It’s not surprising a group critical of the police got the note. The apparent source of the email is. The note came from an IP address that, according to an address locater, is attached to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. The group tweeted a picture of the note and the IP address to me.
Sheriff Looks into Hate Message Sent from His Department
I asked the Sheriff’s Department and spokeswoman Melissa Aquino told me they have launched an investigation:
“It appears the email came from a Sheriff’s Department IP address. We are taking this very seriously and an internal investigation is underway to determine where, how and who it came from. As such, we are unable to provide any additional information at this time, but we are taking this matter very seriously.”
You can imagine how the email went from there. It’s not surprising a group critical of the police got the note. The apparent source of the email is. The note came from an IP address that, according to an address locater, is attached to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. The group tweeted a picture of the note and the IP address to me. Sheriff Looks into Hate Message Sent from His Department I asked the Sheriff’s Department and spokeswoman Melissa Aquino told me they have launched an investigation: “It appears the email came from a Sheriff’s Department IP address. We are taking this very seriously and an internal investigation is underway to determine where, how and who it came from. As such, we are unable to provide any additional information at this time, but we are taking this matter very seriously.”
Protesters Gather in Mid-City After Ferguson Decision, Speak City Heights Kpbs.org By Brian Myers · Nov 28, 2014
Before Wednesday’s march, United Against Police Terror – San Diego organizer Cathy Mendonca reminded demonstrators to remain peaceful. Organizers brought first aid supplies and coordinated volunteers who could provide care if anyone was hurt. Police in riot gear kept their distance, shutting down streets and blocking freeway on and off ramps as the crowd marched through mid-city neighborhoods with signs.
Ferguson Rally Alleges State Violence Against People of Color, Speak City Heights · Nov 27, 2014
Following a Missouri grand jury announcement not to file criminal charges against white Missouri police officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, San Diego residents rallied in City Heights Tuesday and Wednesday to express their outrage at what they are calling an epidemic of state violence against people of color.
Young community volunteers Alea and Farah attended the Tuesday rally in support of changing what they believe to be a prejudiced justice system that led to the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9. “I’m a black person and the message that I’m getting everyday is that my life does not matter. The life of my brothers and family members, none of our lives matter. And I just think it’s really important that we come out and that we stand up for justice,” Farah said. With chants of, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” and, “No justice, no peace, no killer police,” protesters circled the mid-city police substation across from the park before heading north on Fairmount Avenue and west on University Avenue. The marchers then returned to the Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park, dubbed the Michael Brown Memorial Park for the evening by those at the rally.
Tina Willis’s sign read, “Black lives matter.” She’s a mother of two teenagers.
“Almost every day, every week, we’re seeing a child, black or brown color, being slain or killed,” Willis said. “I would just like more transparency within the police departments, within law enforcement.”
Though the demonstrations were meant to show solidarity with marchers in Ferguson, Mendonca said San Diego demonstrators also wanted to continue the dialogue about local police practices.
“We want to have community meetings regarding police accountability in City Heights. This is only the beginning. We mobilize to make a change,” Mendonca said.
San Diegans Protest Ferguson Decision, Briefly Block Interstate 5 North | KPBS Public Media, KPBS | By 10News · Nov 25, 2014
United Against Police Terror – San Diego organizer Cathy Mendonca stands in front of the Mid-City Police Substation on Fairmount Avenue on Nov. 25, 2014.
Cathy Mendonca with the group United Against Police Terror – San Diego helped organize the protest at the City Heights/Weingart Library and Performance Annex at 3795 Fairmount Ave. More than 400 people had sent RSVPs on Facebook to attend the demonstration.
Interviewed before the demonstration, Mendonca said that unfortunately she was not surprised by the decision not to charge the Ferguson police officer in Brown’s death. “But that’s why we want to mobilize the community,” she said.
United Against Police Terror – San Diego organizer Cathy Mendonca stands in front of the Mid-City Police Substation on Fairmount Avenue on Nov. 25, 2014. Cathy Mendonca with the group United Against Police Terror – San Diego helped organize the protest at the City Heights/Weingart Library and Performance Annex at 3795 Fairmount Ave. More than 400 people had sent RSVPs on Facebook to attend the demonstration. Interviewed before the demonstration, Mendonca said that unfortunately she was not surprised by the decision not to charge the Ferguson police officer in Brown’s death. “But that’s why we want to mobilize the community,” she said.
City Heights Residents Protest SDPD After Deadly Shooting Victor Ortega was killed June 4, 2012 in a confrontation with a San Diego police officer, NBC 7 San Diego · Oct 23, 2014
A group of protesters in City Heights joined people in cities all across the country Wednesday as they marched against police brutality.
More than 100 people chanted ‘Justice for Victor Ortega’ along with ‘Hands up. Don’t shoot’, a reference to the call for action after the death of Michael Brown. The Ferguson, Missouri teen was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.
In City Heights, protesters marched for Victor Ortega, a 31-year-old father and husband who was shot and killed by a San Diego Police Officer in June 2012.“It’s been hard,” said Ortega’s widow Shakina. “I can’t see my best friend , my husband anymore.
My kids don’t have a father anymore.” Shakina was among the group of people rallying through the streets of City Heights calling for an end to what she calls police injustice that she says her husband and others have suffered.
United Against Police Terror - San Diego 