All is normal in the quiet city of Vacaville. The Highschoolers are having clan meetings, the police officers are attacking their dogs, and its been 25 weeks since Travis AFB collaborated with City Council to bury Kayli Jefferson-Henkel. Everything tracks as we welcome the New Year to our sunflower city.

Community members arrive in black every Sunday at Andrew’s Park. The black is a gesture of mourning for the memory of Kayli Jefferson-Henkel. They work on signs and build art. They sing and scream in community mourning and unity. Today was no exception as around 50 demonstrators arrive to the January 3rd event of the New Year.

Voices of Vacaville has hosted this event for 25 straight weeks. Every Sunday, they’ve arrived and demanded accountability for the murder of Kayli Jefferson-Henkel. For 25 weeks, they’ve seen no accountability.

On Sundays we AGITATE
Disrupting white suburbia is what we mean when we say no justice, NO PEACE! These people will ignore our cries at all costs, so it’s up to us to make them hear us and feel us too.

As the March begins, the crowd begins to file into the streets with their chants. Downtown is mostly empty surrounding Andrew’s Park, despite the restaurant and bar scenery. As drivers enter the downtown area toward the march, many drive aggressive and close, feigning assault or casual near-misses. The amount of angry, white drivers crashing into the crowd is as astonishing as it is expected from a city with our legacy.

A Familiar Face

During this time, a repeat agitator identified as Jacob Cantrell (41 years) is seen yelling at the demonstrators from the downtown streets. Jacob has been witnessed at numerous other events for the Sunday protest. He was seen following the event for several blocks before ending his pursuit.

Vacaville Police Station

The crowd arrives to Vacaville Police Station as they do every week, where demonstrators immediately begin leading community conversations. Demonstrators chalk the building and parking lot and speakers pass the mic. Participants are encouraged to chalk “every inch” of the property, an exercise of their first amendment rights.

Things wind down as demonstrators run out of space to chalk. Night begins to fall and open mic comes to a close. Before the crowd leaves, Jacob Cantrell returns to the event with a partner in tow. We’ll call his partner & co-assailant “John Doe” for our purposes.

Jacob and “John” can be seen scuffing the side walk chalk as they enter. “John” pulls down signs placed by demonstrators as he begins challenging the crowd in confrontation. Jacob appears belligerent and distant as he pushes up against members of the crowd while screaming misogynist obscenities’. “John” puts on combat gloves and prepares a can of an unidentified chemical agent, screaming. “fagots” into the crowd.

Warning: Graphic Language

As seen in the video, demonstrators create a defensive wall with their signs to protect against the antagonists who came armed for a brawl. Members of the demonstration can be heard calling the situation “a trap,” “don’t give them what they want,” as well as cries for the liberation of Black folks.

As the crowd de-escalates the encounter, it maneuvers past the attackers with a definably calm and casual demeanor, emphasizing non-violence. The antagonists, Jacob and “John,” continue to be seen in the distance making obscene gestures towards the crowd as it leaves Vacaville Police Station.

We Protect Us!

In the mess of violent antagonists that stalk and terrorize, drivers with a homicide fetish, and the cover-up of the death of Kayli Jefferson-Henkel, demonstrators create a shield wall against on-coming traffic. With signs emblazen against the institutions of white supremacy, advocating for Black lives, they stand united with their signs in defense of each other. They chant “Who keeps us safe?” and respond “We keep us safe!”

A few last turns, some angry drivers, and demonstrators return to Andrews Park for closing chants and conversations. Speakers discuss their reason and purpose for being out. People cite the dangers of today as credible evidence to why Black life must be fought for and defended with such severity. Community members begin to disperse as the event folds to a close.

And Everyone Was Happy Until Jacob and “John” Return

A few bystanders visiting downtown came forward to request follow-up information on how to get involved in future events. Some drivers pass, honking their horns in unity and approval. Participants of the demonstration begin leaving in different sized groups. Safety is in our numbers. Good spirits and positive notes quickly dissipate with the return of Jacob and “John” to Andrews Park.

Members of the demonstration are loading equipment into a truck when Jacob and “John” re-enter the crowd. The assailants at this point had stalked them from the park at 4PM, then to the police station, and finally to Andrews Park once more.

The pair of assailants immediately shout challenges into the crowd, and demonstrators rush to finish loading their supplies. Once the supplies are loaded, the truck drives away from Andrews Park, leaving behind a small crowd of mostly non-men demonstrators. The groups exit the event down a parking lot towards their car with Jacob yelling from behind them.

“John Doe” stays behind by the downtown Christmas Tree as Jacob pursues the remaining demonstrators down the adjacent parking lot. The supply truck returns, parking between Jacob and the demonstrators as a barrier. Jacob, photographing every vehicle on the street, makes his way towards the protestors. He shines his light into random peoples cars, upsetting a group of bystanders who only just arrived to pick up food from a nearby restaurant.

As Jacob makes his way closer to the demonstrators, he comes up the side of the truck, punching in the passenger side mirror. He continues to yell at the group of demonstrators who are trying to enter their vehicles to leave. He crosses the distance between truck and the demonstrators, then grabbing at the small group of women.

Warning: Graphic Language
This video contains emotionally disturbing audio footage.

 It’s in this video where Jacob is seen lunging at the group of women and attacking them. He asks them, “What are you gonna do? What are all you gonna do?”

As Jacob attacks, the camera is turned down. In moments, Jacob is pursuing a target away from the encounter as “John” runs down the street to the women. Once close, “John” deploys an unidentified chemical agent into the group.

Warning: Graphic Language
This video contains emotionally disturbing audio footage and scenes of violence.

Seen here in footage taken by bystanders, it picks up at the 1:00 minute mark of the first video.. The screams from the 1:00 minute mark match with the screams from the start of the video. A woman behind the truck hits the ground as she screams in agony. “John” can be seen hopping and skipping with the aerosol container in his hands.

Jacob pursues a demonstrator who continues to walk backwards, facing Jacob. Jacob can be heard provoking more challenges to the victims as he aggresses. The bystander recording is then struck with the chemical agent deployed by “John” and footage stops, which can be heard in the 1:20 minute mark of the first video. We have 20 seconds between “Johns” first deployment and second deployment of the unidentified chemical agent.

Warning: Graphic Language
This video contains emotionally disturbing audio footage and scenes of violence.

A second bystander picks up during the first bystanders attack. In the first frame, you can make out “John” as he is pushed up against the first bystander and his car. He strikes him several times before passing the second bystander and skipping up the street towards Andrews Park. In the second frame, Jacob can be seen braced, legs apart and arms out, in what can only be described as a “goalie” stance.

I’m Telling Mum First

It’s at this point, the bystanders who were physically and chemically assaulted dial 9-1-1 and report the incident. As their describing the attackers and the vehicles involved with the incident, Jacob immediately pivots from aggression to social distance as he dials 9-1-1 and reports an attack.

A street medic arrives to the event as first on scene while injured are treating their eyes with water flushes. Four people travel to the ER for secondary treatment.

One of the vehicles transporting an injured woman, the truck from before, is stopped by Vacaville PD on their way to the ER. The injured is then removed from the car and detained as an ambulance arrives. The victim is treated by the Vacaville fire department and released. 

Police also arrive on scene to the attack at Andrews Park. Voices of Vacaville goes live.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJm4fTalVLj/

There are no arrests made and demonstrators refuse to press charges. It’s important to note that our communities have been deeply victimized by the police already. The animosity and distrust of law enforcement isn’t some frustrated guise of troubled youth lacking parental discipline. Our communities, especially our Black communities, have been personally and institutionally victimized by law enforcement in the United States for literally hundreds of years.

The civil rights era of our grandparents didn’t magically “erase” the racism of their day. The racists in these videos had kids who grew up into Jacob Cantrell. They had grandchildren who became students at Vacaville Highschool. While law enforcement preyed on our communities and separated us from each other by kidnap or murder, the ivory white suburbs continue to ask us why we don’t press charges.

The system of policing is a corrupt system that is working exactly as it was designed to, and this is why it can’t be reformed. We know that when we ask our abuser for help, we receive more abuse. They don’t work for us and they never have. It is their job to continue to prey against our families, and to protect vigilante’s such as Jacob Cantrell.

It has always been us here protecting us. We’re the only people we have. We will continue to stand our ground and protect each other against the threats of Jacob Cantrell, Vacaville PD, and the many abusers who are like them. We’re the result of generations of surviving against them, and that isn’t going to change.

Wall of Shame

Wall of Shame Pt. II

These aren’t all of the recorded attacks, but it is a highlight reel that continues to be reminiscent of the hostile reactions demonstrators have faced while marching for justice. Participants can only imagine the patterns of violence that must exist among the type of homes that threaten homicide against pedestrians for a moment of inconvenience.

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If you have any information on Jacob Cantrell or his friend, including stories, pictures or any additional information, send us a message: vacavibe@protonmail.com

or send it to our friends at Vacaville Right Watch, a collective of community members organized to monitor threats to the community such as Jacob Cantrell and his friend. Send them a message: vvrw@protonmail.com

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