Today, the Ramos family takes the first step toward pursuing justice for the death of their son Antonio Ramos, a.k.a. “Tony”, a young man senselessly shot and killed with a stolen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) firearm while painting an anti-violence mural in downtown Oakland on September 29, 2015.
An administrative claim was filed against ICE alleging that it “failed to train their employees” and failed to “follow mandatory regulations, policies and/or procedures for securing and storing a firearm.” According to the claim, the firearm that was used to kill Tony Ramos was left by ICE agents in a bag within an unattended vehicle in the South of Market area of San Francisco, without any locking device, thereby fueling yet another opportunity for smash and grab vandals—in a city plagued by auto break-ins. Due to the failures of ICE and their agents, “a serial robber was provided with the means to shoot and kill Tony.”
“Unfortunately, this is a rampant, agency-wide problem for ICE that has been well-documented for nearly a decade. Despite ICE’s knowledge and awareness of the problem and despite recommendations by other government agencies for corrective action, ICE agents continue to have their unsecured firearms stolen at alarming rates,” said Frank Pitre of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the law firm representing the Ramos family.
The Ramos family asks that the media respect their privacy as they mourn for the loss of their beloved son and brother. Their hope is that ICE will finally be held accountable and change their policies to better safeguard the lethal weapons that are entrusted to their care, ultimately for our safety and protection.
