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Jacksonville Narc Kills Armed Drug Suspect

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #676)
Consequences of Prohibition

[Editor's Note: This year, Drug War Chronicle is going to try to track every death directly attributable to drug law enforcement during the year. We can use your help. If you come across a news account of a killing related to drug law enforcement, please send us an email at [email protected].]

Herbert Earl Harris
A Jacksonville, Florida, undercover narcotics officer shot and killed an armed drug suspect at an apartment complex last Thursday afternoon. Herbert Harris, 29, becomes the 17th person to be killed in US domestic drug law enforcement operations this year.

According to police, the shooting occurred as heavily-armed police attempted to serve a drug search warrant and a fugitive arrest warrant on Harris. No one answered the door at the apartment, so police forced their way into the unit and encountered Harris. When Harris pulled a 9mm handgun, an unidentified officer fired five times, hitting him twice and killing him. Police said Harris did not fire his weapon.

"You hate when these things turn out this way, but it happens," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief John Harley said. "This is a dangerous business."

In addition to the drug warrant, Harris was wanted for violation of probation on a felony assault charge in Ohio. Police found small quantities of cocaine and marijuana in the apartment. Other occupants of the apartment admitted to police that Harris was selling pot and cocaine from the apartment.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

joi (not verified)

i miss herb and its jso fault he is gone if he did have a gun or drugs so what thats not a reason for a handicapped man to be shot and killed. fuck jacksonville police and everything they stand for. i have the same disability as he did im afraid to even talk to the police shit they might kill me too scence they killing people with no legs now.feds fuckem D.A fuckem we dont need you bitches on our street say with me fuck the police fuck the police with out that badge you a bitch in a half fuck the police.

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 10:29pm Permalink
Prospect (not verified)

In reply to by joi (not verified)

crackers? Not all cops are racist cops are here to protect the city and make us feel safe. Safe from people like Mr Harris you keep making it seem like he was this great person. You probably was out there slanging that crack with him smoking it drinking and robbing people with him.. . Right by his side all the way to the grave with him You need to shut up!! You sound so ignorant he had a 9mm hand gun on him when they bust in the door u Ass what were they suppose to do let him shoot first? And how do you know it was a white man who shot him why couldnt it had been an honest brother who saw him as the dangers criminal he was? This boy robbed my mothers home not the first or second time but this last timeMr Harris and his friends backed a uhaul up and triedto wipe her clean while she was at work unsucessful because someone was home tried again days later and cleaned up. Whats crazy was that my mother loved him so much after that would have taken his sorry ass back No matter what we said and the fact that he did all this running around with her car.. . Were you there? If not shouldnt you be glad you werent.
Tue, 10/11/2011 - 10:22am Permalink
Prospect (not verified)

Herbert harris was a one legged robber drug dealer and thief he had children whom he cared nothing about. a father who spoke highly of him Whom if today were still alive would roll in his grave and sisters whom instead of trying to help their brother get off the streets incouraged their brother to live a life of crime that ended in death. So to all you people saying he was " Good" and only had leg asking questions like why did he die? Be serious did you honestly think he would live this long doing so much dirt?
Mon, 10/03/2011 - 11:26am Permalink
Joi (not verified)

No one on this earth has a heaven or hell to put anyone in....so him doing bad shit had nothing to do with his death them pussy ass crackers and i mean allllllll of them saw a chance to kill another black man....we anit got no good cops in jacksonville shit i kno sum that sold drugs jus like herb o but because the got a uniform and a peice of metal on they chest its ok for them huh.....hustle all day and grind all week listen u dont work u dont eat...
Mon, 12/05/2011 - 10:15am Permalink
Stayinurlane (not verified)

THREE TIMES FOR YOUR ASS BITCH!!!
Wed, 02/05/2014 - 12:19pm Permalink
Nono (not verified)

Hebert Harris wasn't a good man...Rest in Hell.... He came off as a nice, Kool dude, He started hanging out at my house, sitting around scoping shit out... I came home one day and my house had nothing... My TV's were gone he took the liquor on my bar, I had been noticing lil stuff missing, but kept blaming it on my niece... But my neighbor had surveillance cameras and that's how I found out it was him the whole time.... Then later I found out from a lady Sabrina who phone he had stole and had me calling the lady phone... I called him to tell him I know that it was him and she sd he had stole her car..... He wasn't a good person at all
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 1:55am Permalink

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