Family and friends of a South San Francisco teenager who was fatally shot in a confrontation with police over the summer marked his 16th birthday Thursday with a rally and march near the scene of the shooting.
Family members contend that Derrick Gaines was wrongfully targeted and unjustifiably killed by a South San Francisco police officer who confronted Gaines and another juvenile at around 9 p.m. on June 5.
According to police, Gaines and his friend appeared to be acting suspiciously, and when the officer asked them to stop, Gaines' friend complied but Gaines continued to walk away and then pulled a gun from his waistband.
Police said the officer felt threatened and shot the 15-year-old in the neck. He died at a hospital later that night.
In August, an investigation headed by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office concluded that the shooting was justified, and the officer was cleared of any wrongdoing.
To read more about the rally, visit South San Francisco Patch.
