With the hashtag “Erica’s Movement” on posters, South Bend community members marched from South Bend’s County-City building to the police station, demanding action after 22-year old Erica Flores was killed during a collision with South Bend police officer Justin Gorney in July.
Though Gorney has been placed on administrative leave, Flores’ relatives say their goal is to initiate a better relationship between the community and law enforcement. Flores’ mother Maria Teresa Arsineda says at its core, the movement is about justice.
“We want justice, not vengeance,” Arsineda said, “Mainly because it can happen to someone else. No one knows the pain in my heart except me.”
Proposals presented to the South Bend Police department include a call for greater transparency, more diversity and representation on the safety board and more safety cameras on city streets.
A grand jury last month decided not to indict Gorney, a move that some community activists say wasn’t a surprise.
The Board of Public Safety will meet tomorrow and decide whether to Gorney should be fired as recommended by Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski.
