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Police Kill Miami Man in Marijuana Grow House Shootout

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #746)
Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues

A Miami man who police said engaged them in a shootout as they knocked on the door of a home to investigate a possible marijuana grow was shot and killed by police last Tuesday night. Gerardo Delgado, 56, becomes the 38th person to be killed in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

According to the Miami Herald, relying on police sources, Miami-Dade police and FBI agents arrived at the Coral Way home and went to the front door at about 7:00pm. Neighbors said the police were not in uniform.

When the police arrived at the front door, according to a police spokesman, Delgado opened fire on them from a nearby parked car, striking one of the officers three times before being shot and killed. That officer is in stable condition.

A second man with Delgado was arrested. There is no word yet on whether there actually was a marijuana grow at the house.

Police swarmed the scene in the aftermath of the shooting. One neighbor said he saw at least 30 police cars filling up the neighborhood. Another neighbor found the shoot-out and massive police response in the quiet residential neighborhood disconcerting.

"I've never seen this before," said Carlos Rios, 45, who lives on the block. "This is a family-type neighborhood. We're all in shock at all this."

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

sicntired (not verified)

The cops were not in uniform.So this guy saw a group of armed men attacking his house and responded.Of course they were police so that somehow makes it alright,even though they were unrecognizable?This is another inevitable result of the high handed way the drug squads act in every city and town in America.If they had been armed robbers and he had killed them he would be released for a SYG defence.Because they were cops,even though indistinguishable from the other,he gets killed because they all have body armor and are almost impossible to even harm.That's the war on drugs.I'm sure if the grow op was there they would have released that fact right away.Just to cover their asses.This is why we have more restrictive gun laws in my country.It can save your life if the police get the wrong address.

Tue, 08/21/2012 - 1:08am Permalink
Rick S. (not verified)

In reply to by sicntired (not verified)

Really a**hole?? It's no coincidence that an average house in a Miami suburb had " super high quality", multiple security cams, 2 cams that we were shown (and there most likely many more) out front of the house.. Why??! They are effing drug dealers!!! Your claims of the police officers looking like home invaders??? Yeah, in broad daylight with bullet proof vests on and an FBI agent...do you seriously expect any to buy your bull that Delgado jumped out of his ghetto BMW 9mm in hand, safety off with a full clip because he feared his 55in LG was in harms way??? Please!!!! I bet the gun he had was illegal, just like everything else about that guy. I spent 21 years in South Florida, part if it in Miami and its a drug dealer's playground-hundreds of miles of coastline, float in, float out and lots of buyers. Since when does having a record of dealing and countless hours of surveillance by law enforcement not permit the police from shutting that place down??? You don't have all the facts: warrants, audio as to law enforcement identifying themselves???. Cops didn't just rush the house without probable cause. I'm in the Boston area now and there's all this talk about the "rights" of the 2 ungrateful scumbags who called this country home only to KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE with 2 bombs and had plans to repeat in NY. Whether its your so called knowledge of people's rights to defend their property, your argument is pathetic and weak. Before you make judgements about people's rights being violated, please read the Federalist Papers- these are the documents that preceded the writing of a little document called THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. Then ask yourself, "WHAT WAS THE INTENT OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS with respect to the inherent rights we are granted as citizens of The United States Of America. Until then, stop trying to defend the very people that are hiding behind the manipulation of the Constitution and it's Amendments by slick defense attorneys. Remember, when that Constitution was contrived, drug lords didn't pray on the rich who can afford drugs and the poor who see drugs as a "way out" of today's urban areas...."the British were coming" and the "right to protect one's domain and bear arms" was implemented- FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, DESIGNED FOR INFLICTING MASS CASUALTIES ON HUMAN LIFE DIDN'T EXIST THEN!!! So, (sarcasm) lets "not" step up the difficulty for Americans to buy these guns for their "protection" and the inevitable will happen: more innocent 5 year olds will be killed and/or more law enforcement officers will die in the line of duty at the hads of drug dealers. Granted, a handgun was wielded by Delgado, but please, stop defending the rights of those who pose the highest risk to you, me and the rest of the country..sometimes we have to "see the forest through the trees" and try to put into perspective what needs to be done for the greater good and safety of the upstanding general public. Too many lives are list EVERY DAY in the US at the hands of people like Delgado because I'll guarantee if YOU ever become a victim of violence, by anyone in the drug trade, I'm sure your family with wanna have their hands on the switch, attached to the chair, that your assailant is sitting in.
Fri, 05/10/2013 - 1:49am Permalink

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