Sign this petition to join the Wilmington community in demanding justice for Edilberto Espinoza-Sierra. The 21-year-old was murdered by the Wilmington Police Department (WPD) and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office (NHCSO) on Sunday, March 8th, in a downtown parking garage, as a result of an altercation where WPD and NHCSO falsely identified him as a suspect in a shooting. Instead of de-escalating the situation, officers surrounded a panicked Edilberto’s car, opening fire after he crashed into a parked car when trying to leave. Now, rather than coming home safely, a grieving family is without a son, brother, nephew, or cousin.

To make matters worse, WPD’s and NHCSO’s lack of transparency has not given the family time to grieve. Neither WPD nor NHCSO informed the family of the incident. They were left to find out hours later by checking his phone location. After the incident, neither WPD nor NHCSO updated the family about what was happening with Edilberto’s body. As his sister Genesis Sierra described in PortCityDaily, “They didn’t tell us when they brought him to the morgue, they didn’t tell us when he died, they didn’t tell us the time of death, they didn’t tell us that the police shot him. We had to find that out from the news.” Additionally, WPD and NHCSO have declined interviews and have yet to release bodycam or dashcam recordings.

There has also been a lack of accountability. WPD and NHCSO have refused to name the seven officers and deputies involved in the shooting. Instead, they have been placed on paid administrative leave. Instead of being charged with murder, they are being given a vacation.

Justice for Edilberto Espinoza-Garcia means allowing the family to grieve. That is why his family has put forth three demands:

1. Release the names of the officers involved.

2. Release the body cam footage.

3. Charge the officers involved in Edilberto’s murder.

Supporting this petition means placing public pressure on the agencies and organizations that are either complicit in Edilberto’s murder or have the power to facilitate justice. It means allowing the family to grieve without the distraction of confusion and outrage. It means upholding the memory of Edilberto, who was known to everyone as a kind, beautiful soul, and will be dearly missed.

It is only with our collective voice and power that we can meaningfully demand justice for the victims of police brutality and the broader oppressive system it emerges from, and this petition is the first step. We must continue to show up for Edilberto and create a movement that fights police violence until we bring an end to police killings in this country.