Voices from the Stockton community rang loudly through the council chambers at City Hall with a persistent rhythm.
“Jail Killer Cops!” public commenters chanted as Mayor Christina Fugazi called for a 10-minute recess — her voice nearly drowned out as the crowd continued to protest.
The chanting followed testimony from those advocating for answers in the death of 19-year-old Rocco Robinson, who was shot and killed by police earlier this year.
Nat Campbell spoke up for Robinson during public comment. Campbell is a member of Dare to Struggle, which in its mission statement states is a “multinational organization open to anyone who wants to resist and stop injustice no matter who holds political office.”
“None of y’all have said his name,” Campbell said into the microphone before starting the chant. “He had a bag of chips in his hand. His back was turned. He was shot 16 times.”
Police say Robinson had dropped and then picked up a loaded gun as he fled, struggled with officers and ignored their commands.
Gun violence was front and center at last week’s City Council meeting — 10 days after a mass shooting rocked Stockton over the Thanksgiving weekend. It was the first council meeting since the attack, which occurred at a 2-year-old’s birthday party in north Stockton and left four people dead, including three children, and injured 13 others.
Public comment ran for nearly two hours. Speakers described the Nov. 29 mass shooting as something they would never forget, detailing traumatizing scenes from the event. Witness testimony of the attack described scenes of “babies falling to the ground.”
Advocates urged the council to restore violence-prevention programs like Advance Peace, which lost funding earlier this year, and Operation Ceasefire, which they argued helped lower homicide rates when fully funded. Others demanded stronger oversight of the Police Department.
NAACP Stockton President Bobby Bivens called for more scrutiny of the police, saying transparency has disappeared.
Relatives of 21-year-old Adam Santiago — who was shot and killed near a Stockton elementary school in August — said case delays were made worse by the absence of the lead detective on the case, whom they say has been out of office or on vacation.
“How are we supposed to believe our son’s case matters?” his sister Alexis Guzman asked. “Every day without progress is another day without justice.”
Some speakers also advocated for solutions to citywide violence.
Artist Nerissa Davis asked councilmembers to support an anti-violence art initiative designed to bring healing to traumatized families and neighborhoods. She argued that art can help heal the community. Her proposal included murals, youth engagement and grief-centered public installations.
“Stockton deserves creative solutions,” Davis said. “Families deserve healing, and our youth deserves a future where peace is more powerful than violence.”
Applause, tears and shouts punctuated the end of the testimonies. Residents said they are tired of excuses, delays and a lack of focus on children who continue to die in their communities.
Rocco’s father, Robert Robinson, echoed similar heartbreak to other speakers over his son’s death. Officers never asked for his son’s name, never gave him a chance to speak and fired at him as his back was turned, Robinson said.
The grieving father spoke quietly as he closed out his remarks at the microphone.
“We want justice, because that’s too much,” he said, pleading for the city to finally hear its community.
The Stockton City Council will have its final meeting of the year this Tuesday at City Hall. The public portion of the meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. The meeting can also be watched live on the city’s website.
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