“I miss my son. The pain is hard,” said Esmeralda Perez, mother of 19-year-old Emmanuel Perez Becerra, shot twice and killed in an encounter with Sunnyvale police on March 23 in the Plaza Del Rey mobile home park where he lived.
“My son believed in God,” she added, taking consolation in the belief that her son’s faith assured his place at God’s side.
Alongside her, Francisco Perez—Emmanuel’s father—wept and was embraced and consoled at a People Acting in Community Together (PACT) community dialogue titled “A Safe City for All” at a Sunnyvale church the evening of May 2. Subsequent PACT-facilitated dialogues were held throughout May on Zoom.
PACT is a multi-faith-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1985 in San Jose. It seeks to end racial and economic inequalities in Silicon Valley through community engagement and empowerment. Part of the International Faith in Action network, it has about 22 supporting congregations.
On May 2, the dialogue was sparked by the death of Perez Becerra, the oldest of three children. His family struggles to understand why he was killed.
Perez Becerra was a teenager with a history of mental health issues. He was holding a knife and advancing towards a police officer when he was shot, as recorded on officers’ body cameras.
Sunnyvale police have worn body cameras since September 2016, Santa Clara police since October 2015, and San Jose police since November 2016.
Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson made remarks at the community dialogue, attended by almost 30. Johnson became an activist for social justice after his 22-year-old nephew Oscar Grant was killed by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland on New Year’s Day 2009.
“We all have a responsibility to prevent this happening to any family,” said Johnson. “We want to help Sunnyvale become a safer place.
“We must take this tragedy and turn it into some form of triumph,” continued Johnson. “People are dying, especially people of color, so we have to do the work. This journey is not over.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Johnson, known as the “People’s Uncle,” to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board in November 2023.
Sunnyvale police are trained to de-escalate situations, including encounters with individuals with mental health issues.
Santa Clara Police participated in training for a Special Needs Awareness Program (SNAP) introduced in April 2022.
The Perez family hosted a gathering at its Sunnyvale home on June 8, honoring Emmanuel’s life on what would have been his twentieth birthday. It announced that it is filing a claim against Sunnyvale, asserting that the police failed to de-escalate the encounter with their son.
Sunnyvale Public Information Officer Captain Dzanh Le said that the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office is still reviewing the case to determine whether the decision to shoot Emmanuel Perez Becerra was justified. After routinely being placed on temporary administrative leave, the officers involved are back to full duty.
PACT facilitates dialogues about community issues. If people want to act on issues, it trains them to organize and, in collaboration with public officials, bring about change. For example, getting a traffic light installed at a busy intersection or advocating to pass legislation such as CA Senate Bill 567, giving certain protections to renters.
“What do you want to do in Sunnyvale?” attendees were asked at the May 2 PACT community dialogue focused on Perez Becerra. “How is your faith calling you at this moment to respond?”