Daughter of Man Tased to Death Leads March and Announces $20 Million Lawsuit Against the City of San Jose and Manufacturer of Weapon

By Chip Lyas // Photos by Charisse Domingo
Video By Angel Luna and Mojo Aviles

On May 26th 2008, a march and press conference was held in San Jose, CA to commemorate the passing of one year after the untimely death of father of four and ex-Marine Steve Salinas.   Salinas was killed by San Jose police officers for exhibiting behavior that they apparently deemed to necessitate malicious force.  

On the evening of May 25th 2007, police responded to a noise complaint at the Vagabond Inn at 1st and Gish streets in San Jose.   By the time they left, an unarmed naked man had been beaten and tased to death.   That man was Steve Salinas.

One year later, the San Jose police department has been unwilling to provide Mr. Salinas' family with the police report for that evening.   The police stance on the issue is that the officers had committed no wrong doing, and District Attorney Dolores Carr opted not to pursue criminal charges against the officers responsible for Mr. Salinas' death.  

A growing movement has rallied behind the Salinas family's cause, as what happened to Mr. Salinas was not an isolated incident.   There have been a total of 5 taser related deaths in San Jose since the police department was outfitted with them in 2004.   What was introduced as a means to reduce police related homicides has in-fact become an alternate method of achieving the same effect.   The community has had enough and are speaking out, demanding police accountability and a ban on Tasers.   “I will not let those who took my father, a former Marine and loving father, get away without justice being served,” says Noreen Salinas, daughter of Steve Salinas.

On Memorial Day 2008, a vigilant group of supporters gathered at the Silicon Valley De-Bug community center, located on the corner of Stockton Street and Lenzen Avenue in San Jose.   All present were actively engaged in tasks varying from picket sign creation to meal distribution.    A strong sense of unity could be felt in the tiny office space filled from wall to wall with people from all ends of the cultural spectrum.   For what would generally be such a somber day, there was not a tear to be found.   Instead of the angry war cries of a people jilted, there were laughs, hugs, and plenty of smiling faces.    Donuts to dollars, this reporter is willing to say that the happiness felt on that day was the type you can only feel when you know that somewhere out there...there is hope.

With all the signs having been created, and the bellies filled, there were introductory speeches given by members of the community who had suffered at the hands of the San Jose police department.   The group then proceeded to march from the De-Bug building down Stockton Street, making a left on to Santa Clara Street then proceeding to City Hall.   At 6:29 PM (the time that Mr. Salinas was declared deceased according the coroner's report) it was announced that the Salinas family has filed a $20 million lawsuit in Federal Court against the City of San Jose and Taser International, Inc. for the wrongful death of Steve Salinas.   Of the incident, Noreen's attorney Dale Galipo, has said, “The use of excessive force against individuals by police officers is totally out of control.  Since police officers are virtually never criminally prosecuted or disciplined for using excessive force, even when the force results in an individual's death, the only recourse the family has is to file a civil rights lawsuit against the involved police officers and the involved policy agency.”