Richard Pedro Perez III, known as Pedie, was 24 when he was shot and killed on September 14, 2014, outside Uncle Sam’s Liquor Store on Cutting Boulevard in Richmond, California. The shooting occurred after a self-initiated security check by Richmond Police Officer Wallace Jensen. Officer Jensen said Perez, who was reportedly intoxicated, tried to grab his gun and he fired in self‑defense. Multiple witnesses, however, said Perez was unarmed and nonviolent at the time he was shot.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office investigated and declined to file criminal charges against Officer Jensen, a decision that prompted public outcry and protests from Perez’s family and supporters. In 2016 the family filed a wrongful death civil suit against Officer Jensen and the City of Richmond; that suit was later settled for an undisclosed amount. The Richmond Citizen Police Review Commission found the force used was excessive and unreasonable, and the department instituted changes in training and policy afterward.

September 14 has since been declared a day of remembrance by the Richmond City Council. If anyone knew Richard Perez III or witnessed the encounter outside Uncle Sam’s on that date, please share what you know.