2011 Drug War Killings

[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 psmith@drcnet.org.]

A Fitchburg, Massachusetts man became the 10th person to die in US drug law enforcement operations this year after being shot by a state trooper in Ashby Tuesday afternoon. The victim, Roger Padilla, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, the state trooper "was in fear for his life" when he fatally shot Padilla as Padilla drove toward him after a brief car chase. The unidentified trooper was conducting surveillance as part of a drug investigation when he tried to pull over the silver Nissan Maxima Padilla was driving.

"The Maxima refused to stop for the trooper, leading the trooper on a brief pursuit up Pine Road to the end of the road, which ends in a cul-de-sac," said State Police spokesman David Procopio. "At that cul-de-sac, the trooper exited his vehicle and repeatedly commanded the driver in the suspect vehicle to exit his own vehicle. The suspect ignored repeated commands to exit his vehicle."

The driver began driving his car toward the trooper, according to Procopio. The trooper, fearing for his life, fired his weapon, striking the victim, Procopio said. The trooper was in an unmarked black SUV and was alone.

"The trooper was alone in this location. The trooper is engaged in a drug investigation and the suspect was engaged in activity that the trooper considered part of that investigation," Procopio said.

Drugs were found at the scene, Procopio said.

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 psmith@drcnet.org.]

A metro Denver man became this year's seventh US drug war fatality when he was shot and killed by a plain clothes Aurora Police narcotics officer last Thursday evening. He was identified as Richard Arreola, 25, of Thornton.

According to police, undercover narcs were conducting surveillance on Arreola, whom they said was the subject of a drug investigation. Arreola arrived at a house on Macon Street, and at some point, approached one of the officers while carrying a "long gun" and a revolver. The officer radioed in that he was being approached by Arreola, then reported "shots fired" and that Arreola had been shot.

"He was pronounced dead on scene," said Aurora Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson. "The officer was not injured."

Carlson said Arreola had been under investigation for illegal drug sales for a couple of weeks. She said it was unclear at this point why Arreola had approached the officer or whether he had fired any shots at the officer.

Arreola's brother Ruben Montano told the Denver Post the next day he had no idea why police were investigating him and that Arreola had gone to the Macon Street address where his mother lived to pick up his three-year-old daughter. He said he saw his brother leave the apartment and then heard seven gun shots.

"I went to go find him," Montano said. "Then I saw my brother shot for no reason."

Arreola was the owner of Neviah Wireless in Aurora. His criminal history consisted of a handful of Denver traffic offenses, a misdemeanor pot possession charge, and a gambling offense for which he served 18 days in jail and a year of probation in Gilpin County in 2007.

The police shooter has not been identified. He has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

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 psmith@drcnet.org.]

Two South Florida brothers became the fourth and fifth persons to be killed in drug law enforcement operations this year when they were shot to death by police the night of February 1 at an apartment complex in Miramar. Police told WVSN-TV they opened fire when brothers Herson and Hedson Hilaire struck an officer with their vehicle while attempting to flee a drug raid.

It is not known whether the police were uniformed or undercover. Police did not say the brothers were armed.

"The officer was struck by the vehicle," explained Miramar Police spokesperson Tania Rues. "He went over the hood of the vehicle. He was transported to the hospital. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries."

A later report from NBC Miami said that "the officer's injuries were minor and didn't require medical attention."

According to unnamed "sources" (read: the cops), four officers with the Safe Streets program observed "the suspected cocaine traffickers" inside a unit at the complex cutting several kilos of cocaine. The brothers grew spooked, ran to their car, and drove into one of the officers, prompting the other officers to open fire.

[Editor's Note: It is unclear why the brothers, who were allegedly involved in felonious activities, would do so in such a manner as to be visible from outside the apartment.]

The NBC Miami report said nothing about the brothers being inside a unit, only that officers "approached the Hilaire brothers, who were in a car outside the complex."

Police records showed that the driver, Herson Hilaire, 28, had been previously arrested on cocaine trafficking and distribution charges. Older brother Hedson apparently had no criminal record. He was in the front passenger seat.

The apartment unit did not belong to the Hilaires, but to an unnamed tenant who was not home at the time of the incident. That tenant was questioned by police and released.

The tenant told WSVN-TV News that the brothers were helping him move and that they were good people. "Two of the best people I know," he said. "Loyal, they're not violent people, they're not confrontational. They're real good people. Herson is an aeronautical engineer," he said. "He was down here on vacation. They were at my residence helping me move out, helping me clean up, so I can be out of there. There were no narcotics involved. This is the past. They were being rehabilitated."

Police have not released the amount of type of drugs found, but spokeswoman Rues said, "It was a narcotics investigation. Officers did view narcotics in their possession, and narcotics and paraphernalia was found at the home. I will say this: It was more than the amount that would appear to be for personal consumption."

The four officers involved in the shooting have not been named, but have been reassigned pending the outcome of a routine investigation into police-involved shooting.

Editor's Note: This year, Drug War Chronicle is going to try to track every death directly attributable to drug law enforcement this year. We didn't have to wait long, did we? We covered the year's first drug war death last week. 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 psmith@drcnet.org.]

The year's second death during a drug law enforcement operation occurred Tuesday night in Corpus Christi, Texas, where police said an as yet unidentified man shot himself to death as they searched a house suspected of drug activity. The dead man was identified only as a 20-year-old Hispanic male "deceased from a possible gunshot wound."

According to the Corpus Christi Police account, patrol officers investigating drug activity at the address received permission from one of the inhabitants to enter the house and search. As an officer entered a bedroom, he heard a single gunshot from a closet or bathroom. The officer found seven men and one woman in the bedroom and ushered them out, but another shot was heard as they left, as well as a male voice yelling he had a hostage. The officer attempted to talk to the man, but heard only a third gunshot.

A SWAT team was called in and surrounded the house, but attempts to negotiate with the man inside were met with silence. SWAT officers then entered the residence and found the dead man, the police report said.

There was no word on any drug arrests and no mention of any evidence seized, other than a handgun police said was found beside the dead man's body. They said it was stolen. The seven people detained by police were released back to the same address.

The death did not sit well with someone in the community. Police returned to the same address early Wednesday morning to find the house covered with anti-police graffiti. One message called police murderers, while another referred to them with an expletive. Graffiti visible in a photo shown by a local TV news station said "You take ours, we take yours" and "We love you, homie."

Corpus Christi Police said Wednesday some of the messages seemed to be a direct threat. "We take this very seriously and we will be following up on that," said Lt. G. Ermis.