Family of Michael Nida plan march, rally

DOWNEY - Friends and family of Michael Nida, the unarmed man fatally shot last October after running from police, will march to City Hall on Saturday to protest police brutality. They are also asking that "justice be served" on Officer Steve Gilley, who shot Nida on Oct. 22.

The rally starts at 10 a.m. at Paramount Boulevard and Imperial Highway, not far from where Nida was shot.

They will march to City Hall, about two miles away. "We'll be the first to tell you we need the police," a flyer for the rally says. "But we want and need honest cops with integrity and a good heart! We need protection, not harassment, not brutality and not Gestapo-type policing."

Police were investigating an ATM robbery when they attempted to question Nida, a 31-year-old father of four from South Gate. Nida ran and was shot in the back with an MP5.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigated Nida's shooting. Their report was forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, which has yet to declare whether the shooting was justified.

********** Published: July 26, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 15