Silver Spring Justice Coalition

Mostly we hope that one day we will live in a County in which police, who carry guns and are taught to respond to crisis via physical restraint, are not the ones sent to care for community members in distress. 6/6

We hope that GPD and the MoCo Administrative Charging Committee will carefully review the case and discipline the officers. More importantly, we hope that the GPD will review their policies and procedures so that a decision to "help" someone by restraining them does not result in another death. 5/6

Had police tried to render first aid instead of moving away; had GPD had a Spanish-speaking mobile crisis response unit on the scene to de-escalate; had they let Marvin keep walking and monitored him instead of using a restraint known to create risk of death, he might still be alive today. 4/6

Key to this conclusion appears to be a finding that police "immediately turned him to his back when he stopped resisting;" yet on the body-worn camera footage it appears that it took the officers a full minute to realize that Marvin had stopped moving before they turned him over. 3/6

The ME listed the "prone restraint" that Gaithersburg City officers used against him as a cause of his death and ruled his death a homicide, but the AG concluded that the police committed no crime because their use of force was "necessary and proportional" and not "grossly negligent." 2/6

The MD Att'y General has once again decided not to pursue criminal charges against police who killed a member of our community: Marvin Salamanca Garcia. 1/6

Hoping folks can make it to BACC's Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday!

Newsletter here! mailchi.mp/98d29dbf05a9...

www.eventbrite.com/e/the-6th-an...

Demand Police Transparency! Silver Spring Justice Coalition, CASA, and Gaithersburg community members will be testifying at the Gaithersburg City Council on February 18 to demand a meeting with City leadership about police crisi...

RSVP HERE: bit.ly/SSJCGCCRSVP

The hearing begins at 7:30 pm, but we will gather at 7 to prepare. We'd like to have as many community members there as possible to support those who will be testifying. Please bring signs that say: "Transparency and Accountability," "How Many More Have to Die?," "Why Won't You Meet With Us?" 2/3

Join us as reps from SSJC, CASA, and individual community members testif at the upcoming Gaithersburg City Council hearing on Feb 18th. City PD and City leaders have failed to provide a full accounting of the death of Marvin Salamanca Garcia in police custody, and have refused to meet with us. 1/3

Join us to support our partners in Annapolis on Monday!

We will keep everyone updated as the investigation into Mr. Garcia's death progresses. 3/3

‘Lord Jesus, help me’: Body-worn camera footage released of police interaction preceding Gaithersburg man's death The man, who was restrained face down by Gaithersburg police officers, had ‘deep lacerations’ to his hands, according to the video.

You can read an article summarizing the footage and the incident leading to Mr. Garcia's death here. The footage is upsetting, so please be aware of that if you choose to watch it. 2/3 bethesdamagazine.com/2025/01/28/b...

Silver Spring Justice Coalition Statement on the Death of Marvin Salamanca Garcia The Silver Spring Justice Coalition extends its condolences to the family of Marvin Salamanca Garcia, who died in police custody in Gaithersburg this past December.  Having watched the recentl…

In collaboration with partners from the Gaithersburg community, Tiffany Kelly and Jo Saint-George, we released this statement yesterday on the death of Marvin Salamanca Garcia. 1/3
silverspringjustice.wordpress.com/2025/02/05/s...

If you can join us to show your support, please RSVP at bit.ly/YPP4HS and show up at 5:20 pm this Tuesday, January 27, 15 W. Gude Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD. Dinner will be provided! 3/3

Students and community members will be testifying in support of full funding for restorative justice programming in MCPS, a critical component of reducing the role of law enforcement in schools and ending the school to prison pipeline. 2/3

Our partners at Young People for Progress, as part of the Decriminalize Montgomery County Campaign, are asking for our support at tonight's meeting of the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education. 1/3

In addition, we wonder why a SWAT team surrounded the man's vehicle. Our county must prioritize a mental health-led response that is appropriate for a person in severe distress.

When officers want to preserve life during a mental health crisis, they obviously can and do. The lives of all people in crisis must be preserved. 2/3

County police officer in distress resulted in 15-hour closure of Potomac roads Potomac Tennis Lane at Falls Road was closed for 15 hours after a Montgomery County police officer was determined to be in distress.

Too often in MoCo, people experiencing mental health crises are killed by police. Here, responders gave the person in crisis-a police officer-the time they needed and all ended well. 1/3
moco360.media/2024/12/31/c...

To make lasting change and create a just environment where Black students don’t attend schools polluted with racism and all students can thrive, MCPS must implement restorative justice and anti-racist programming that addresses and prevents future acts of anti-Black racism. 2/2

Racial slur found on desk of Black student at Montgomery County high school A top Montgomery County school official says there is a need for a “cultural and behavioral” change at Wootton High School. The principal was placed on leave amid an investigation.

SSJC urges MCPS and County leadership to take seriously anti-Black racism at our schools including and especially Wootton HS. We join our partners at Young People for Progess in advocating for restorative justice instead of police to keep our schools safe.1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

If you'd like to visit the bench, it is on Sligo Creek Parkway between Colesville and Wayne at Three Oaks Drive. 3/3

Thank you to musical guests Layla Bunch and the Black Workers Chorus. We especially acknowledge and thank the families and friends of Robert White, Finan Berhe, Kwamena Ocram, Ryan LeRoux, Bishop Jones, and Melvin Chavez Paz for joining us and speaking about their loved ones. 2/3

Thank you to our community for coming out to dedicate this memorial bench to the memory of those lost to police violence in Montgomery County. We are grateful to our partners at
Young People for Progress and the Coalition of Concerned Mothers for joining us. 1/3

RSVP: November 24, 2024 Memorial Bench Installation Ceremony Silver Spring Justice Coalition would like to invite you to a ceremony to mark the installation of a bench that memorializes lives lost to police violence in Montgomery County. The ceremony will take...

Please RSVP if you are able - bit.ly/benchinstallation. Please send any questions to silverspringjustice@gmail.comPlease RSVP if you are able - bit.ly/benchinstallation. Please send any questions to silverspringjustice@gmail.com

There is a road closure on Sligo Creek Parkway between Wayne Avenue and Schulyer Road, so you will need to approach via Schulyer or Colesville. Parking is available in small lots on either side of the area where the bench is located, or along Three Oaks Drive.

Please join SSJC, Young People for Progress, family members, and friends, in honoring victims of police violence in Montgomery County at a ceremony marking the installation of a memorial bench. We will gather at 2 pm at the bench, along Sligo Creek Parkway at Three Oaks Drive, in Silver Spring.