Family Of Woman Shot By Police Projectile Calls For Justice

LA MESA, CA — A La Mesa woman who was shot in the head with a police projectile during a protest over the weekend outside the La Mesa Police Department remains in a medically induced coma, her family said. Her family and their attorney on Tuesday called for the officer involved to be identified, removed from duty and charged with attempted murder.

"We are going to get justice," attorney Dante Pride of The Pride Law Firm said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference outside the police department. "Justice will not wait, and we will not be silent."

Pride said Leslie Furcron, a 59-year-old grandmother, was holding her phone and recording the Saturday protest when she was shot in the forehead by what they believe was a projectile from a police bean bag gun.

"She was not violent," said Pride, adding that he's talked to dozens of witnesses and watched dozens of videos.

"That's an attempted murder," Pride said. He noted that police did not call for an ambulance and that bystanders had to pick her up and take her to the hospital.

"For what?" Pride questioned. "She was protesting peacefully."

"We are tired. We are not going to stand for this," he added.

Pride and Furcron's family demanded that the La Mesa Police Department identify and immediately fire the police officer who shot the projectile.

"That officer needs to be fired now," Pride said. "We know who is he, and he needs to go.

"La Mesa Police Department, La Mesa City Council, everybody needs to know we are ready, we are coming and we are not going to stop."

Two of Furcron's sons spoke during the news conference and also called for the officer involved to be charged with attempted murder.

"My mother was attacked out here — that's how I feel," said Ahmed Furcron, one of Furcron's sons. "She was brutally attacked on a peaceful protest."

"If I commit a crime, I'm going to jail — no ifs, ands or buts about it," he added. "Whoever that was needs to stand and be held accountable. That's attempted murder."

The La Mesa Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

On Saturday, a crowd took over the parking lot of the La Mesa Police Department to protest last week's detainment of a black man adjacent to the Grossmont Trolley Station. The man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer. The encounter was videotaped and posted on social media.

The protest also followed the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. His death has sparked peaceful protests as well as violent demonstrations across the country.

"The violence committed against Ms. Furcron is yet another example of an overly militarized police force using unnecessarily aggressive tactics against peaceful demonstrators," Pride said.

He said police should no longer fire indiscriminately into a crowd.

Protesters at the La Mesa Police Department on Saturday were mostly peaceful, but police said some people threw water bottles and other objects at officers. Police used tactics to disperse the crowd, including tear gas and projectiles, possibly bean bag rounds.

A video that has since gone viral shows Furcron lying on the ground with blood streaming down her face. She was among shouting demonstrators attending the protest.

Furcron remains hospitalized in an intensive care unit in a medically induced coma and may lose one of her eyes, according to her family and their attorney.

As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $80,000 had been raised on GoFundMe to help cover Furcron's medical expenses.

Also see:

• Curfew Extended In La Mesa After Destructive Riots In City
• Over $75K Raised For La Mesa Businesses After Devastating Riots
• La Mesa Declares Local Emergency, Issues Citywide Curfew
• La Mesa Cleans Up After Night Of Protests, Arson And Looting