Heavy police presence awaits public outside council meeting

When members of the public and protestors were told by police to exit National City City Hall Tuesday evening they encountered law enforcement officers from various agencies, some in helmets and holding batons, standing in formation along 12th Street.

Protestors seeking answers about the death of Earl McNeil, who they say died in National City police’s custody on June 11, have said they will continue disrupting council meetings until their demands are met.

And at Tuesday’s council meeting, city and police officials did not provide any answers, so protestors, as promised, disrupted the fourth consecutive city council meeting.

“We won’t stop until we get heard,” said Yusef Miller, who respresents the Council on American-Islam relations and an advocate for Justice for McNeil. “We will be here every time they have a city council meeting and we will disrupt and disrupt until our demands are met. If it makes it uncomfortable for them, ‘Oh well’ they just need to do what’s right.”

National City police Tuesday evening took into custody protestors at the City Council meeting who were demanding the death of Earl McNeil be placed on a future meeting agenda. Family and supporters of McNeil, who was mentally ill, contend McNeil died while in police custody and want an independent investigation.

Miller said they are demanding the city council place an item regarding McNeil’s death on the agenda. In addition, they seek the full medical examiner’s report and the release of all police audio and body camera footage. They also want an independent investigation into the matter and have called for the firing or resignation of National City Police Chief Manuel Rodriguez.

A previous effort to agendize an item in regard to McNeil failed last week with a 2-2 vote with Councilwomen Alejandra Sotelo Solis and Mona Rios voting in favor and Councilmen Albert Mendivil and Jerry Cano against. Mayor Ron Morrison was absent.

As public comment concluded Tuesday night, the city council immediately moved on to regularly scheduled business. Within minutes, a small group of demonstrators made their way to the dais in front of the city council waving red dry painted hands, symbolizing what a protestor said was blood, and yelling in unison “You have blood on your hands!”

With city leaders moving away from the commotion and into a side room, National City Mayor Ron Morrison, popped out of a side door with a megaphone in- hand and called for police to intervene.

“Officers, I’m asking you to remove the people at the front of the building,” he said through a megaphone.

Officers then proceeded to form a barricade between the six demonstrators and the remaining members of the public as officers arrested, dragged and carried the demonstrators through a side room.

People calling for an investigation into the death of Earl McNeil were not intimidated by a heavy police presence outside City Hall Tuesday.

Police then moved everyone out of council chamber and closed the chambers as the council meeting went on a long recess, bringing about confusion if the meeting was in fact going to resume once the situation eased or if the meeting would continue at a later date.

Many protestors moved outside as a police helicopter could be seen and heard circling the perimeter for about an hour.

Others stayed in the lobby until officers told everyone to leave because they needed to “secure the building” as firefighters and medical assistance made their way inside to attend to someone needing medical assistance.

Outside, police lined the streets near City Hall as their police cars formed a line blocking people from leaving.

Peaceful protestors were confronted with police officers from National City Police, Chula Vista Police Department, San Diego Sherriff’s department and other agencies equipped with full-on riot gear.

Protestors told officers they were not intimidated by police as they continued to wave signs of McNeil.

Others chanted at officers: “Who Killed Earl McNeil?” and “Release the tapes!”
Police in riot gear didn’t deter Charles Marks, 26, from the College Area, from protesting.

He said he was protesting because if it was he who died in police custody, there would be immediate results.

“As a white man, if I died in police custody, there would be answers right away,” he said.

“This wouldn’t have taken 59 days to become a national story, it would have been a national story in one week.”

Later the National City Council meeting resumed to listen to the results of an investigation into Councilman Jerry Cano’s conduct regarding building code violations and a harassment claim.