Denver Residents Protest Police Killing of Queer Latina Teen

By Jamilah King Jan 28, 2015

Residents in Denver are protesting the police killing of 17-year-old Jessie Hernandez, who was killed Monday after a confrontation with police. BuzzFeed’s Adolfo Flores breaks down what happened:

Jessica "Jessie" Hernandez was killed Monday in a confrontation with police who were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle. Two officers approached the car on foot after they determined it was reported stolen, the Denver Police Department said in a statement.

Authorities said Hernandez drove the car, which had four other teens inside it, into one of the officers and struck him on the leg. Both officers then fired and shot Hernandez multiple times, she was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Both officers who were involved with the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure of offers involved in fatal altercations.

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Watch video of a recent vigil for Hernandez below: