3 days ago
Marvin Boomer's family to sue CHP, city over crash that killed Oakland teacher
The Brief
An attorney for Marvin Boomer's family says they plan to sue Oakland, CHP and the driver involved in a crash that killed the popular teacher last week.
The crash involved a car that had been pursued by CHP moments earlier.
The announcement followed a memorial service Friday afternoon celebrating Boomer's life.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Loved ones of cherished Castlemont High School teacher Marvin Boomer slammed police Friday, announcing they're planning legal action over an Oakland crash that took his life last week. It stemmed from a California Highway Patrol chase through a residential neighborhood.
The family's attorney, Michelle Barnard, told KTVU late Friday afternoon, "We are planning legal action and expect to file suit in the next week." She said "the driver, the City of Oakland, CHP and possibly OPD" would be named in the lawsuit.
What they're saying
"Marvin Boomer Jr. should be alive today," said Bernard.
In a press conference Friday, those close to Boomer called his death an injustice.
"He died a hero, and we will not allow that heroism to be silenced by bureaucratic excuses or policy failures cloaked in blue," said Bernard.
The backstory
On May 28, Boomer, 40, was walking with his partner, Nina Woodruff, on East 21st Street. A car came careening toward them. He pushed her to safety as a fire hydrant hit him.
"My physical pain is nothing compared to where my heart is, it's broken," said Woodruff.
The car that injured Woodruff and killed Boomer was being pursued by CHP, which says they called off the chase moments before the crash. The driver, Eric Hernandez-Garcia, was arrested.
"It's not fair to any of us that we have to live on streets that are inhabited by behaviors like this," said Woodruff.
Loved ones believe a chase like this--and the deadly crash that followed--would never have happened in a more affluent neighborhood.
"What happened to my brother was senseless, tragic, reckless. Our family is completely heartbroken," said Tynesha Boomer, Marvin Boomer's sister.
Inside Acts Full Gospel Church in Oakland, a memorial service paid tribute to Boomer's life and legacy.
Local perspective
"He's a gem, just a one-of-a-kind person," said Castlemont High School principal Joseph Blasher.
"He could have taken his PhD anywhere. Instead, he planted himself right in Oakland, because he believed that education changes everything, and it does," said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.
Colleagues say the cherished math teacher saw something in his students that few others did: potential.
"I regret that he's not going to be the one delivering so many amazing things to so many amazing people that we work with," said Blasher.
"That was my baby," said Marvin Boomer's mother, Dorothenia Martin Boomer. "That was my son, my only. My beloved."
The Boomer family now says they will honor his memory by fighting for justice and change.
"You may not be here, but your work will continue," said Marvin Boomer, Sr.
What's next
CHP and the City of Oakland both declined to comment on the planned lawsuit.
Hernandez-Garcia is expected to enter a plea on vehicular manslaughter and other charges later this month.
The Source
Original KTVU reporting
