when the boy turned toward the deputies , deputy erick gelhaus and the county .
calling the oct. 22 shooting and community upheaval that has followed a “ painful , painful chapter in the history of sonoma county , ” ravitch said her office found that deputy erick gelhaus acted within the law when he shot lopez .
“ we are heartbroken and outraged that andy lopez was murdered by erick gelhaus of the sonoma county sheriff ’s department , ” said christina arechiga , an organizer with the california statewide coalition against police brutality .
“ we demand police killing of 13 - year - old andy lopez in sonoma county last month as well as what they say is an epidemic of police brutality .
andy was walking and holding a toy ak-47 rifle in rural sonoma county the afternoon of oct. 22 when county sheriff ’s deputies on patrol in the area spotted him and yelled for him to drop the weapon , according to the sheriff ’s office .
( kent porter press democrat ) jill ravitch , sonoma county district attorney , will not file criminal charges against
the protests in santa rosa , san francisco , oakland , sacramento los angeles and elsewhere were part of a “ national day of action for andy lopez ” organized by the answer coalition and the california statewide coalition against police brutality .
andy lopez shooting decision lisbet mendoza , 16 , left , helps jeremy mendoza , 6 , center and anthony mendoza , 4 , use the megaphone to protest outside of where sonoma county d.a.
jill ravitch held a press conference at the permit and resources management department in response to the andy lopez decision monday july 7 , 2014 .