Alex Darocy Photography

A candle light vigil was held for Sean Smith-Arlt at the Town Clock in Santa Cruz on October 22, coinciding with the 21st annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality. Sean was experiencing ongoing mental health issues when he was shot and killed on October 16 by officers with the Santa Cruz Police Department, who say he was advancing towards them while holding a garden rake when they deemed him a threat. A close friend of Sean's family spoke to the large group present at the vigil. "People have spoken about Sean's artistic ability, but Sean had the right brain cone as well," he said. "We used to sit sometimes and talk about Plank's Theory. Sean had quite an incredible mathematical mind, as well, so he had both the right and left brain working." "He had quite an incredible intellect, and he had quite a sense of humor to him as well," he added. He mentioned how he and Sean's family had taken a walk together in Pogonip the mo...

Officers with the Santa Cruz Police Department shot and killed a man outside of a home on the corner of Chace and Getchell Streets, in a residential neighborhood, on the west side of Santa Cruz. Preliminary reports from the media have stated that a 32-year-old man experiencing mental health issues was advancing towards police with a gardening rake when officers deemed him a threat and shot and killed him at about 3:30 am on October 16. What appears to be a small rake lays in the street at the scene of the police killing that occurred on Chace Street on Sunday morning. At noon on October 16, police were still processing the scene. A small garden rake could be seen lying on Chace Street, with a numbered evidence marker next to it. In addition to SCPD, deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office were also processing evidence. Commercial media outlets have reported that police were initially called to a home on Chace Street after the victim had attempted to enter th...

After a chilly series of summer nights for people on the street in Santa Cruz, temperatures have increased, and so has attendance at the Freedom Sleepers community sleepouts held at city hall. About three dozen sleepers made it through the night at the sleepout held on August 30, and attendance was nearly as high at the sleepouts organized on September 6 and September 13. Since July of 2015, the Freedom Sleepers have gathered to sleep at city hall one night a week to protest local laws that criminalize homelessness. September 13 marked the group's 62nd sleepout. The Freedom Sleepers at Santa Cruz city hall at the 61st community sleepout organized on September 6-7. Presently, the only location in downtown Santa Cruz where people on the street are able to sleep regularly as a group is at the weekly community sleepouts organized by the Freedom Sleepers. Homeless sweeps conducted by the Santa Cruz Police Department beginning in January of this year have for the most part cleared ...