Police Escort Mayor After Protesters Disrupt Council Meeting

Photograph courtesy of Jobin Panicker/WFAA-TV.

FARMERS BRANCH (WBAP/KLIF News) – The wheels of justice aren’t turning quickly enough for friends of the teen who was shot and killed by a former Farmers Branch police officer in March.

“He didn’t deserve to be killed,” said one protester. “Yeah. He was in the wrong, but I think he deserved a different type of punishment than death. He could have gotten jail time, but he didn’t deserve to be shot to death.”

Ex-officer Ken Johnson said he caught Jose Cruz, 16, and Edgar Rodriguez, 16, breaking into a truck at some apartments in Addison on March 13. He told them to stop and then chased them in his person vehicle, according to court papers. Investigators said Johnson fired 17 times into the teen’s car. Cruz died. Rodriguez was injured.

Johnson resigned from the department and was later charged with murder and aggravated assault. “The cop really isn’t getting what he deserves,” said Emily Martinez, a friend of Cruz. “He shot my friend for basically no reason.”

A group of about 200 protesters showed up at the Farmers Branch City Council meeting on Tuesday and demanded to meet with Mayor Bob Phelps and City Manager Charles Cox. “We will not leave until we have a response from you or the city manager,” said Carlos Quintanilla, a spokesman for the group. “And if not, we’ll go to your home, mayor.” At that point, police escorted the mayor and city council members out of chambers.

#BREAKING Mayor and Council getting Police escort OUT. Protestors have taken over chambers @wfaachannel8 pic.twitter.com/xCM28306RZ

— Jobin Panicker (@jobinpnews) May 18, 2016

Outside, protesters surrounded Phelps vehicle as he tried to get into it. Officers moved him to a police vehicle as protesters continued to chant “Jose Cruz.” Quintanilla later told WFAA-TV that the group wants the city to pay for Cruz’s funeral expenses and apologize to the community. “All he could have said was, ‘Yes, we will meet with you.'”

No arrests were made.