Attorney for Brianna Colombo confirms unborn child lost following CHP shooting

Protest outside Highland Hospital for Brianna Colombo

Demonstrators gathered outside Highland Hospital in Oakland Thursday afternoon to protest against the California Highway Patrol shooting of Erik Salgado and his pregnant girlfriend, Brianna Colombo.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Attorney John Burris confirmed to KTVU on Thursday that the pregnant woman shot by California Highway Patrol officers over the weekend has lost her unborn child.

About 80 demonstrators gathered outside Highland Hospital in Oakland Thursday afternoon to protest against the CHP shooting of Erik Salgado and his girlfriend Brianna Colombo, who was four-months pregnant. Colombo was injured by officers when they shot her twice.

Salgado, 23, a stolen vehicle suspect, died from his injuries after three officers fired as many as 40 rounds last Saturday during a traffic stop.

Both Salgado and Colombo were unarmed at the time. Colombo's stomach was pierced in the shooting. She remains at Highland Hospital where she is recovering from her injuries.

"We lost Erik and possibly a second child as well. We do know that the baby did not survive," said Salgado's sister, Amanda Bajail-Blanco at the rally.

"What we want to know is why?" Salgado's mother Felina Ramirez
said in a statement after the protest. "Who are the officers involved? We want to make sure that the officers are held accountable so that they don't do this to other mothers."

Along with the names of the officers involved, Salgado's family wants footage from CHP vehicles and surveillance video from homes in the area to be released. In addition they want to see charges brought up against the officers involved.

CHP officers said they feared for their lives when Salgado, driving a Dodge Challenger, allegedly rammed a CHP vehicle. Police said Salgado was driving was one of 74 cars stolen by looters in San Leandro.

Members of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, Do No Harm Coalition, Anti Police-Terror Project, Asians4BlackLives and others as well as hospital staff joined family members in the rally.

People at the rally carried signs that read "Erik was murdered,"
and among others, "CHP Blood On Your Hands."

KTVU's Henry Lee and Bay City News reporter Keith Burbank contributed to this story.