Advocates for the unhoused are demanding change after finding out one man was killed by a city backhoe during a debris sweet on Christmas Eve 2024.
James Oakley, who was unhoused, was killed when he was accidentally struck with a backhoe. Oakley was previously sleeping in a concrete shelter where dumpers were kept in a parking lot on Broadway but was forced to move.
According to Shawn O'Malley, Oakley's friend, he was sleeping outside when the accident happened.
"He was a good worker. He was a friend of mine, a good guy. He was a jokester. He was a kind soul," O'Malley said. "It's just horrible. He was a person he wasn't just a nobody. He had a family, people that loved him. He's not just a non-person because he's poor and homeless."
The Homeless Union, a local advocacy group, said there's no excuse for equipment to strike a person during a week. The group is now calling for the city to stop sweeps and change procedures.
"It's a horrible way to go and it's unjust," said Eli Smith with the Homeless Union. "These are human beings. They have the same civil rights as everybody else. [The Homeless Union] would like the city to know this is a civil rights issue."
Vallejo City Manager Andrew Murray said the incident took place during debris removal, not an encampment sweep. He added that the city is reviewing the incident to determine if any changes need to be made.
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"The city's heartfelt condolences to the family of the person involved. Obviously, it was a tragedy that was totally accidental, and no one was at fault. Just a really unfortunate situation," Murray said. "Obviously, the loss of any life is concerning and upsetting. We want to make sure we [conduct] all city operations in the safest way possible."
Oakley's friends said they believe the city needed to be held liable and that he didn't deserve to die the way he did.
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