Beloved Cyclist “Chuey” Munkanita Beaten Unconscious and Arrested By Police
Kachusha “Chuey” Munkanita is one of the most beloved figures in the San Francisco cycling community. He’s known internationally for his hand-made cycling caps, made and sold right here in the Mission. And everyone, from MASH to PD Bird, know him to be a “peaceful” and “non-violent” person. He even delivers coffee, by bike, for De La Paz Coffee Roasters—a company undeniably of peace.
So it’s with great shock and disgust that we learn of his arrest and police beating while trying to monitor SFPD’s treatment of Latinos. A close friend of his forwarded along his story:
Thursday night/ Friday morning Chuey stopped on the side of the street in the Mission when he saw the cops having 4 Latinos lined up against a gate. He stopped to make sure the youth were being fairly treated.
The cops then asked him to cross the street, when Chuey said he couldn’t observe from across the street. They (2-3 cops) jumped him as he was hugging his bike. They wrestled him to the ground then continued to push him into the ground, twisting his arm, slamming his head into the ground. He was in jail for almost 24 hours and released after his family paid bail. They charged him with 3 felonies for assaulting 3 cops with enough force to cause grave bodily harm and 2 misdemeanors for resisting arrest.
Chuey was released on $150,000 bail and arraigned yesterday afternoon at the Superior Court of California, where he was issued a public defender. Chuey is also faced with steep medical costs after having to visit the ER for his injuries, where doctors advised him to have a cat scan.
Currently, there is no fundraiser planned to aid in his defense, but friends are encouraging people to purchase his caps, helping support him financially in any way possible. You can get his caps online at Mission Bicycleor MASH (who will donate all proceeds to his defense), or in person at Box Dog Bikes or Pushbike.
Update: Roaring Mouse Cycles and All Hail the Black Market are also donating their cut of Chuey caps to his legal aid.
It is very disturbing to hear that by simply saying you cannot see from across the street (allegedly) that you are not doing what you are told + resisting and battering police (allegedly) = 3 felony counts and 2 misdemeanors. We have given the police cart blanch to do as they please, even to the extent that local forces like the NYPD, a city police force, is now engaging in ‘anti-terrorist’ investigations in other countries, let alone other state jurisdictions. There is a fine line between protection and control by terror. We have long since crossed that line when you a fearful to stand up for your rights on a city street. There simply is no excuse to beat, taser or arrest people because they do not obey immediately, deny your accusations or witness your over reach in power. Amerika is very much a police state driven by terror.
Greetings my sexy and artful friends!