Loved ones of Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr., the Camp Pendleton Marine shot and killed by a Orange County Sheriff's Deputy on February 7th, are trying to connect Loggins' case with the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Members of the Facebook group "We Miss You Sgt. Manny Loggins" are linking the two tragic deaths in order to get the media to pay more attention to Sgt. Manny Loggins' case.
Loggins supporters argue that in both cases, innocent, unarmed African-Americans were shot and killed by overzealous white men with guns.
Jamie Lazar wrote on Facebook:
I've been saying the same thing for weeks. The color of their skin was the only threat!!!
Gee Que Jr. agreed:
Same story! Different Victim. Its just crazy!!
Tom Bryant urged Loggins family supporters to contact Anderson Cooper en masse to get some national coverage for the story:
If everyone can go to Twitter and tweet Anderson Cooper at @andersoncooper and let him know how it amazes us all that he spends an entire broadcast on the Trayvon shooting, tragic as it is, and nada, zip, nothing on Manny.....c'mon, it'll take ya just a few seconds...
The Loggins family plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against the Orange County Sheriff's Department, alleging wrongful death and civil rights violations. Deputy Darren Sandberg shot and killed the 31-year-old Marine in front of Loggins' two young daughters in the parking lot of San Clemente High School in the early morning hours of February 7th. Sandbergβs union alleges Loggins' was acting "irrationally" and the deputy shot and killed him to protect Loggins' daughters.
