Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues
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].]
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.
Herson Hilaire
"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.
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
Routine Investigation
"pending the outcome of a routine investigation into police-involved shooting."
Which means police investigating police and routinely finding the shooting justified.
Prohibition continues unabated for shameful political reasons.
We all have our victories and defeats as regards fear, but most of us strive not to let fear rule our hearts or our minds. Being free means being free to live and love as if death and fear had no power over us. Freedom also means that we have an ethical and moral responsibility to expose blind hate, lies and ignorance by shining eternal light, truth and love, sending such dark forces fleeing to the shadows from whence they came.
We explore outer space with various forms of space craft, but many choose to explore inner space via nature's abundant chemistry - an infinite journey into the heart of God. Whatever, we are here to explore this glorious universe. The Prohibitionist's brand of hateful, choking pseudo-Conservatism is the antithesis of all that. Like a lion who cannot grasp that he can do more than walk in a circle the size of the cage he's recently been freed from, the prohibitionist is incapable of exploration beyond the boundaries of his own fear, prejudice and loathing. We are all free to choose how we walk our own path, but when we choose to go beyond this by supporting drug-war demagoguery, to the point of even threatening others with imprisonment and physical violence, we loose the right to expect any form of respect from the once free and prosperous society that we are helping to totally destroy.
Thanks to prohibition we're about to lose all semblance of that once ordered, prosperous and safe society. Myself, along with many others, have been debating prohibitionists on this for many years. We have shown what destruction prohibition has wrought on all the civil institutions of this once great nation, -we've always provided facts and statistics - they, the prohibitionists, have countered with either lies, personal abuse or even serious threats of violence.
Ending the insanity of drug prohibition by legalized regulation, respecting the rights of the responsible users and focusing on addiction as a sickness, like we do with alcohol and tobacco, may save what remains of our economy and civil institutions along with countless lives and livelihoods. Prohibition continues unabated for shameful political reasons. It cannot, and never will, reduce drug use or addiction.
In reply to Prohibition continues unabated for shameful political reasons. by malcolmkyle (not verified)
Very well said! If only those
Very well said! If only those that be would only open there eyes to see the truth of it all.
legal murder
here's how the police get a license to kill;
#1. cops target some black dudes they do not like
#2. they get a snitch to lie about large amounts of drugs to get a dumbass judge to sign a jack-booted-thug warrant.
#3. the cops dress like common street thugs with guns and 'serve' the warrant hoping that the suspects will flee.
#4. suspects mistake prohibitionist slime for common criminals and try to escape.
#5. one thug-cop positions himself in front of the fleeing vehicle and does a movie actor hood roll.
#6. criminal cops then execute suspects with impunity.
In reply to legal murder by lessgov (not verified)
You are so right, this is
You are so right, this is exactly what happened to one of mine!
Such A Disgrace
What a terrible tragedy. Not only have they been coldly executed in circumstances that are highly suspicious, there is next to no chance that these 2 boys will ever get a fair and independent hearing on the allegations.
MIRAMAR PD IS LYING
According to Detective Bertrand (of the Miramar Police Department) who is handling this investigation. He states that the brothers were not under surveillance..but the whole neighborhood was. When asked "why"?. He then stated that the neighborhood is under surveillance because that particular area is a high crime area. When asked why did the police approach that particular vehicle?..He proceeded to tell me that the officers witnessed drug activity thru the window on the 1st floor. I then asked Detective Bertrand how did the police officers that were canvassing this neighborhood see that it was drugs? I was curious to know if they were on foot peeking in windows. He told me "no, this activity was witnessed from the patrol car".
Which leads me to this question: How do you get 2 ("alleged") drug dealers handling drugs on the 1st floor townhome in front of an open window, in what was known to be a high crime/risk area? I have never dealt drugs a day in my life....but in what world would 2 people do that? At that point I wouldn't even be thinking about a police officer. I would think I would be a little bit more concerned about a stick-up boy or somebody else trying to rob me.
Bottom line: Miramar Police Department. YOU ARE LYING! YOU WANT TOO PISS ON OUR HEADS AND SAY ITS RAINING.
This is the part that sucks for you. I will not stop until I find out the truth. NOT THE PIECE OF SH*T YOU ARE TRYING TO FEED ME AND CALL IT A SNICKERS.
Signed,
Cyndee
Miramar PD Lies
When Miramar Police want to take someone down they just Lie & Plant evidence, Im not saying all Miramar Police are bad people, but their are too many on the force & too many that keep their mouth shut "which is just as bad" I know 1st hand the extremes they will go to when they find they have come into some ones home & found nothing. They will lie, plant evidence, even get SA & judges involved & put innocent people in jail just to make themselves look right. When you allow police to cut corners, this is what happens, I hope the family sues the crap out of them! Not that this will bring their son's back, but it may help stop them from killing other innocent young people.
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