Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) is conducting an anti-police protest on Sunday, January 11, at the Libromobile Bookstore located at 1150 S. Bristol St., in Santa Ana. CSO is upset about the deaths of Noe Rodriguez and Imanol Gonzalez and they are also aiming to defend the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission. They are also asking residents to share their experience with policing in Santa Ana and Orange County.
What happened to Noe Rodriguez?
- Incident (December 1, 2024): Noe Rodriguez was shot and killed by two Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) officers, Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra, in downtown Santa Ana.
- Circumstances: Officers responded to reports of a man walking with what appeared to be a long gun or rifle. Within minutes of arriving, they fired approximately 30 rounds at Rodriguez.
- Controversial Details:
- The “weapon” was later determined to be a non-lethal toy replica or airsoft gun.
- Witnesses and family attorneys state Rodriguez was a monolingual Spanish speaker, but officers gave commands only in English before opening fire.
- His family and community activists argue he was experiencing a mental health crisis and posed no real threat.
- Legal Status: As of late 2025, the California Department of Justice was still investigating the incident, while Rodriguez’s family has filed multiple wrongful death lawsuits against the city.
Why did the Rodriguez family allow a fellow having an alleged mental health crisis to go outside with what looked like a weapon? As is usally the case with such incidents the family failed to do anything about Rodriguez when it mattered. It is unfair in our opinion to blame police officers for these mental health incidents. Anyone walking around with what looks like a long rifle, at night, is going to get police attention.
What happened to Imanol Gonzalez?
- Incident (February 1, 2025): 19-year-old Santa Ana resident Imanol “Manny” Gonzalez was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Tustin.
- Perpetrator: The driver was identified as Carlos Gonzalo Coronel, an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) sergeant.
- Circumstances: Prosecutors allege Coronel was driving his pickup truck while under the influence of alcohol after a night of drinking. He reportedly struck Gonzalez, who was walking in the street, and fled the scene without calling 911.
- Legal Status: Coronel was arrested hours later when he reported for duty at his LAPD station. He faces felony charges, including DUI causing great bodily injury and hit-and-run causing death. In June 2025, he pleaded not guilty.
Why CSO is involved with this case is a good question. The police officer in question was not employed by any O.C. police agencies. He worked for the LAPD. He was rightfully arrested and is on trial for what he did.
Police Oversight in Santa Ana
The Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission was established to investigate such incidents of misconduct. However, community organizations like the Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) have protested that the city is “gutting” the commission’s powers and failing to prioritize the hiring of a director, rendering it largely ineffective as of early 2026.
Community activists and some city officials (namely the anti-police City Council members) allege the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission is being “gutted” through a series of legislative changes and administrative delays that limit its ability to investigate law enforcement.
The following actions have been identified by critics as efforts to undermine the commission’s authority:
- Restricted Investigative Scope: Proposed and enacted changes limit the commission’s review power almost exclusively to in-custody deaths and First Amendment violations. Other complaints—such as those involving excessive force or sexual assault—are often routed first to the Police Chief rather than being independently reviewed by the commission.
- Removal of Independence: The city struck the word “independent” from the oversight director’s title and the commission’s governing ordinance. Additionally, the director now reports to the City Manager rather than directly to the City Council, which critics argue compromises their autonomy.
- Requirement for Prior Internal Affairs Review: The commission is allegedly barred from investigating cases until the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) has completed its own Internal Affairs probe. Activists argue this allows the department to control the initial narrative and evidence.
- Reduced Access to Data: New rules restrict the commission’s access to full police records, providing them only with information deemed “relevant” by the department.
- Administrative Delays: Although the commission was established in 2022, the city did not hire its first director, T. Jack Morse, until July 2025. During this nearly three-year gap, the commission was legally unable to investigate shootings or set formal agendas.
- Mandatory SAPD Training: New requirements mandate that commissioners receive training from Santa Ana Police personnel, which some community members view as an attempt to “indoctrinate” oversight members into a pro-police perspective.
We maintain that the problem in Santa Ana is the criminals, not the police.
The Anti-Police members of the Santa Ana City Council
In 2026, the Santa Ana City Council is deeply divided over law enforcement issues. Three specific members are frequently labeled as anti-police by the police union and critics due to their vocal opposition to certain police department practices and their advocacy for more oversight.
The following members are known for their frequent criticism of the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) and the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA):
- Johnathan Ryan Hernandez (Ward 5): Widely considered the council’s most vocal critic of law enforcement. In late 2025, he faced a formal city investigation and potential censure after police officers filed complaints alleging he harassed them and called them “killer cops”. He frequently highlights the millions of dollars the city pays in misconduct lawsuits and has shared personal stories regarding the police shooting of his cousin, Brandon Lopez, a criminal who goaded the police into shooting him. Hernandez boasts about growing up in gang culture. He was beat up a few years ago by a gay rapper who used to work for him as a city aide, and another gay rapper who tagged along for the beat-down.
- Benjamin Vazquez (Mayor Pro Tem, Ward 2): A key ally of the progressive wing who has consistently pushed for more robust police oversight. In September 2025, he requested a California Department of Justice investigation into the police union following an audit that alleged a $3 million overpayment in health benefits. He has advocated for doubling the police oversight budget to change what he describes as a “culture” within the department. He also is now decrying the removal and arrest of narco trafficker Nicolás Maduro, who stole the last Presidential election in Venezuela.
- Jessie Lopez (Ward 3): Lopez generally aligns with Hernandez and Vazquez on policing issues. She has voted against measures that would investigate or censure fellow council members for their criticisms of the police. She has also raised concerns about the transparency of police contract negotiations, suggesting some city officials may have “made their own deals” with the union. She even voted against punishing street racers!
Conversely, Mayor Valerie Amezcua, along with Councilmembers Phil Bacerra, Thai Viet Phan, and David Penaloza, are often viewed as more supportive of law enforcement. They have recently voted to investigate Hernandez’s conduct and have been proponents of the administrative changes that critics claim are allegedly “gutting” the independence of the Police Oversight Commission.