Going Home Services/Go Fund Me for Pito Rivera

Clarke Gocker

Clarke Gocker

PRESS RELEASE

Media contact: Lonnie Barlow, lonnie@pushbuffalo.org, 716-844-1667

Buffalo, NY – Just like our community, we are shocked and saddened following the event that happened in the early morning of Wednesday, September 12, 2018 outside of our new home at the former School 77, a community redevelopment project located at 429 Plymouth Avenue on Buffalo’s West Side, where Rafael “Pito” Rivera was fatally shot by Buffalo Police. This is an incident that we didn’t instigate or agitate, but due to the will of higher powers, landed right on our front doorstep.

PUSH Buffalo’s role and focus as the details of this terrible tragedy continue to unfold is to support the Rivera family as they grieve their loss in anyway that is within our capacity, and honor their wishes. We will do this with the utmost respect and dignity for their loved one, Rafael “Pito” Rivera. This includes making and holding space for the family, our staff, and the wider community to reflect and heal in the aftermath of this tragic event. We know that this work is long-term and we hope that we can provide some justice to an unjust situation, not by sensationalizing the loss of human life, or inciting anger that could bring further harm to our community, but rather through building authentic relationships with Pito’s family and by engaging in authentic dialogue with our members about ways we can improve our community so that we can prevent more tragedies like this one from happening. We will also continue working with allied organizations that are fighting for greater transparency and accountability from our justice system. We recognize that moments like these are part of much larger systemic problems that have plagued communities of color and working class communities for far too long. We aspire to address systemic injustices holistically by proposing tangible solutions that are bottom-up while moving with love for one another’s humanity. This is the third incident in quick succession of fatal shootings by police that have occured in this community. Finding long-term, community-led solutions that tackle the root causes of racial, economic, and cultural inequality is core to our mission.

We have worked with Pito’s family, and have cooperated with the Buffalo Police. We complied with a court order to give over a copy of our surveillance video that captured the police shooting early that morning to the Buffalo Police Department, and have given a copy of the same video to the Rivera Family. At this time, an investigation is underway and we want to respect Pito Rivera’s family as they are in the process of healing and exploring their legal options. We’ll continue to coordinate provision of different social, emotional, and mental health services for our staff and the wider community to mitigate the trauma that this incident has created and triggered. At the request of the family, we will not make a copy of the video public nor release it to media.

It has been our experience as an organization that when you try to do good work in an unjust society, built on systemic practices that extract wealth and resources from regular folks in communities like ours, in which cycles of poverty and despair are normalized, you will always face challenges as a community. We believe that good people exist everywhere, regardless of their background or level of income.

What we know about Rafael “Pito” Rivera is that he was a doting father to one boy and one girl, and that both of his children loved their father dearly. Pito’s death has destroyed his mother and father, who must live on without their beloved son. Pito was a brother, a cousin, a nephew, and friends to so many people in the community. He was particular about how he dressed and fanatic about his long, beautiful hair. He had an incredible sense of humor and was always joking around with those who knew him. There is an endless stream of people who are now grieving the loss and grasping for understanding in the parking lot where he was fatally shot.

As a community we are tired of picking up the shattered pieces of broken lives that results from tragic events like this. However, our commitment to justice remains unwavering. We are determined to build the world we want to see and determined to do this through a just transition for all.

If you are interested in supporting Pito’s family and legacy, donations can be made to Elizabeth Rivera ℅ PUSH Buffalo, 429 Plymouth Avenue, Suite 1, Buffalo, NY 14213, or at https://www.gofundme.com/justiceforpito

 

Funeral services are as follows:

Calling hours with the family will be held Tuesday, September 18 from 2pm to 9pm at Lombardo’s Funeral Home, located at 102 Linwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209. Funeral services will take place on Wednesday, September 19 from 9:30am to 10:30 am, also at Lombardo’s.