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In April 2017, a 28-year-old engineer named Zelalem Eshetu Ewnetu was shot and killed by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in the parking lot where he slept.

He wasn’t running from police. He wasn’t accused of a violent crime. He was a Black Ethiopian immigrant who’d come to America on a scholarship, earned his degree from the University of Idaho, and built a career as an engineer for the California Public Utilities Commission.

Eight years after arriving full of promise, he was dead.

The Official Story vs. The Questions

Deputies say they approached Ewnetu’s vehicle after smelling marijuana and spotting what looked like a vehicle burglary in progress. According to their account, Ewnetu refused to exit his car. When they tried to remove him, they claim he brandished a gun and aimed it at them.

They fired. He died.

The District Attorney’s office reviewed the case and cleared the deputies, ruling it lawful self-defense. Case closed, right?

Not exactly.

What the Family Found

Ewnetu’s family started asking questions. And the more they looked, the less the official story held together.

First, there were the bullet holes. Photos of the vehicle showed shots through the rear windshield, which didn’t match the account of a face-to-face confrontation.

Then there were the conflicting statements. One police report said Ewnetu refused to exit and pulled a gun while still inside. Another version suggested he got out, broke free, and ran back to his car to retrieve a weapon.

Which was it?

A detective mentioned the gun was found in the back seat — a detail that raises questions about whether Ewnetu could have been aiming at deputies if the weapon was behind him.

The Pattern We’re Still Seeing

This case isn’t just about one night in Los Angeles. It’s about a documented pattern with a paper trail.

Black and brown people — especially immigrants and those experiencing mental health challenges or homelessness — keep dying in encounters with law enforcement under circumstances that don’t quite add up.

Ewnetu wasn’t a threat to public safety. He was sleeping in his car. The “crime” deputies were investigating? A potential vehicle burglary that may have simply been a man resting in his own vehicle.

What Justice Looked Like

In 2018, Ewnetu’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Los Angeles County, alleging negligence, battery, and civil rights violations. They argued that deadly force was “unnecessary and unlawful” — that their son posed no real threat that night.

In July 2022, they reached a tentative settlement. Money can’t bring him back. But it was an acknowledgment, however quiet, that something went wrong.

Why We Need to Remember

Zelalem Eshetu Ewnetu wasn’t a statistic. He was a scholarship student who believed in America’s promise. An engineer who contributed to public infrastructure. A son, a brother, a member of the Ethiopian community.

When we say Black lives matter, we’re not just talking about the names that trend on social media. We’re talking about the Zelalems — the immigrants, the professionals, the quiet contributors who are supposed to be “safe” because they followed all the rules.

He followed the rules too. Look where it got him.

Teaching Our Children the Full Story

Cases like Ewnetu’s are why we teach our children to ask critical questions. To look beyond official narratives. To understand that history isn’t just what happened — it’s also what was recorded, what was buried, and what we choose to remember.

This is why we built the Black History Flashcards. Not just to celebrate triumphs, but to document the ongoing struggle. To give our children the tools to recognize patterns, question authority, and understand that their safety isn’t guaranteed by degrees or respectability.

Knowledge is protection. History is preparation. And every card in our deck is a reminder that our stories matter — all of them, especially the uncomfortable ones.

Explore Black History Flashcards and start building your family’s foundation today.

If this story moved you, these pieces are part of the same conversation:

• How to Talk to Your Black Child About Racism — because they will ask.
• 7 Things Every Black Parent Should Tell Their Child in 2026 — including how to survive a police encounter.
• Black Codes: The Laws That Kept Us Enslaved After Slavery Ended — the legal architecture behind systemic violence.

What questions do you think our children should be asking about encounters between Black people and police? Hit reply and tell me.

Love, peace, and power to the people.