Online signature drive seeking justice for Fil-Am’s death launched

BY JALEEN RAMOS

A campaign has started to circulate online calling for justice for Angelo Quinto, the 30-year-old Filipino-American who died after an officer knelt on his neck for almost five minutes.

Quinto’s fate was similar to what happened to George Floyd, 46, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck while he was pinned to the floor.

The petition, dubbed “Arrest the officers who killed Angelo Quinto”, has been posted on global petition platform Change.org, gathering 868 signatures as of Wednesday morning.

It started two days ago when news of Quinto’s wrongful death spread online.

Quinto, a Navy veteran who was born in the Philippines, was suffering from a mental health crisis on the night of December 23, 2020, prompting his sister to call 911 for help.

One of the responding officers pinned and subdued him with a knee at the back of his neck for nearly five minutes, while another officer held him by the legs. Quinto pleaded for his life twice to the officers. “Please don’t kill me…Please don’t kill me…”

He did not regain consciousness and was taken by an ambulance. Three days later, Quinto died at Sutter Delta Medical Center.

The local police department did not release any information on his case for weeks including the names of the officers or the official cause of his death.

His family has already filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the local police department.

You may go to this link to sign for the petition. https://www.change.org/p/antioch-police-department-arrest-the-officers-who-killed-angelo-quinto