Progressive Activist's Killer Has Finally Been Caught. Her Friends' Reactions Are Concerning.

Julio Rosas | June 26, 2023 10:45 AM

The friends of a progressive activist in Oakland, California are continuing to call for "restorative justice" for her alleged killer after police tracked him down for dragging her to death with a car during a robbery.

Ishmael Burch, 19, was charged with the robbery and killing of Jen Angel, as well as a second robbery that occurred the same day he targeted Angel. Burch was already in jail at the time he was charged, due to a June 2 arrest on suspicion of battery, according to the Mercury News. Angel was caught in the vehicle’s door while attempting to retrieve her items Burch had taken, and was dragged more than 50 feet before falling. She was hospitalized for two days before dying from blunt force trauma to her head.

In interviews with local media, her friends have made it clear should Burch be convicted for Angel'd death, he should not go to prison because it is not what she would have wanted.

"I know Jen believed that we need to address harm and create accountability that is really rooted in looking at the root causes of why harm happens," a friend of Angel told ABC 7. "Like locking somebody in a cage, is that really going to bring Jen back?"

"Jen lived her full and vibrant life with the understanding that the potential for a healthy and just society depends on replacing racist and violent institutions like policing, jails, and prisons with models of public safety that actually keep everyone safe. This case is an opportunity for Alameda County to not only honor the wishes of Jen and her loved ones, but also to model a framework that seeks to address the root causes of harmful behavior and find meaningful ways to ensure true justice in our communities," a statement from her friends and family said.

"Steps absolutely need to be taken to ensure that those who caused this horrendous violence against Jen do not harm other people, and that these circumstances are not allowed to be replicated in our society. However, Jen believed that the current legal system is not effective in ensuring either of these things, and that the existing system of carceral punishment does not make society safer," the statement added.

Oakland residents recently vented their frustration during a town hall at how high crime has risen in the area, particularly thieves who are targeting women because it is easier to overpower them.

"Oakland is out of control with the crime. I'm fed up, I'm absolutely fed up. We're all fed up because of you and your policies and you coddle these criminals! You're coddling!" a public school teacher said to an applause.

"Two kids beat the sh*t of me in front of my house last Monday night," another woman said. "Down on the pavement. Punching me, kicking me, dragging me through the street."