Richmond protesters join national march against police brutality

About 20 people gathered in Richmond’s Nicholl Park on Wednesday to remember those who died in police custody or in a police shooting, as part of the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality.

Twenty other cities held similar protests, part of a growing movement organized by national organizations Dare to Struggle and Families Demanding Justice. This time last year, only six other cities had engaged in the nationwide protest, according to Dare to Struggle. 

“There have been thousands of deaths at the hands of the police, and less than 1% of the time they are held accountable. The system refuses to do it,” said Nathalia Campbell, one of the founders of the Bay Area chapter of Dare to Struggle. “They will give us reform, they will give us crumbs, but they won’t hold their own people accountable.”

Organizers say the aim of the nationwide protests is to call greater attention to the officers involved in shootings and for them to be held accountable and charged accordingly. 

In the past year, two people have died in officer-involved shootings in Richmond. Both cases are under investigation, and the involved officers are on administrative leave. 

Family members of Rocco Robinson, Angel Montaño, Paul Lee and Mark “Marco” LaVenture — people who died in police incidents across the Bay Area — attended the protest.

As part of the event, protesters marched to the Contra Costa County district attorney’s office to ask that District Attorney Diana Becton press charges against the officers involved in the shooting of 27-year-old Montaño, who died on Aug. 4. In that case, Montaño’s brother called the police when Montaño armed himself with a knife and threatened his family. Montaño’s brother noted to police that Montaño had a history of mental illness. When officers arrived at the scene and confronted Montaño at the door of his home, Montaño jumped out, armed with two knives. Two officers then shot him repeatedly.

In their speeches, protesters claimed that officers shot Montaño more than seven times in the face. The body camera footage released by the Richmond Police Department cuts off when shots begin firing. Montaño’s cousin Annabell Montaño said Richmond police are “hiding the truth.”

“After so many bullets, nobody would survive such brutality. He didn’t have a chance at survival, nor given a chance to surrender,” she said. “He did not charge at them. He jumped out from behind the door and was executed without being told to drop his weapons.”

“We’re demanding that the DA press charges against Nicholas Remick and Colton Stocking,” said Jaimee Reyes, who helped found the Bay Area chapter of Dare to Struggle last year. Nicholas Remick has killed two people, and he did it in less than six months, and before that, he brutalized somebody.”

Richmond Police have confirmed that Remick and Stocking both fired their guns and shot Montaño.

Remick was also involved in the fatal 2023 shooting of Jose Mendez Rios, which is still under investigation by the California Department of Justice.

The protesters marched for nearly three hours, stopping at Richmond Superior Court and the Richmond Police building. Lines of cars drove behind them as they expanded across Richmond streets. 

At the courthouse, some protesters tried to confront Becton at her office and ask about the investigations into Remick and Colton, but they couldn’t get into her office, and she didn’t come out to meet them.

This story was updated to correct the spelling of Annabell Montaño’s first name.

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