These are the innocents who died, really, only a very very few. If a law is more harmful than helpful, isn't the law then itself illegal? Read them, and if you don't weep, then go your own way, and I hope that you can find sleep.
1. John Adams, 64 years old; Lebanon, Tn. Shot to death during a SWAT drug raid while watching Tv. The house didn't match the description on the warrant. October, 2000
2. Xavier Bennett, 8 years old; Atlanta, Georgia. Xavier was accidentally shot to death by officers in a pre-dawn drug raid during a gunfight with one of Xavier's relatives. November, 1991
3. Delbert Bonnar, 57 years old; Belpre, Ohio. Shot 8 times by police in a drug raid. They were looking for his son. October 1998
4. Veronica and Charity Bowers, 37 years, and 7 months respectively. As part of a long-standing arrangement to stop drug shipments, U.S. government tracking provided the information for the Peruvian Air force to mistakenly shoot down a Cessna plane carrying missionaries. The United States is considering reinstating the shoot down program. Perhaps they think that you forgot???? April 2001
5. Rudolfo Cardenas, 43 years old; San Jose, California. Rudy was a father of five who was passing by a house targeted by narcotics officers attempting to serve a parole violation warrant and the police mistakenly thought he was the one they were there to arrest. They chased Cardenas, and he fled, apparently afraid of them(they were not in uniform). Cardenas was shot multiple times in the back. Dorothy Duckett, 78, told the Mercury News she looked out her fith floor window after hearing one gunshot and saw Cardenas pleading for his life. "I watched him running with his hands in the air. He kept saying, "don't shoot," Duckett said, "He had absolutely nothing in his hands." February, 2004
6. Jose Colon, 20 years old; Suffolk, New York. Jose was outside the house where he had come to repay a $20 dollar debt, when a drug raid on the house commenced. He was SHOT IN THE HEAD by SWAT. April, 2002
7. Troy Davis, 25 years old; North Richland Hills, Texas. During a no-knock raid to find some marijuana plants he was growing, he was shot to death in his living room. There are disputed accounts regarding whether he had a gun. December, 1993
8. Anthony Andrew Diotaiuto, 23 years old; Sunrise, Florida. Anthony worked two jobs to help pay for the house he lived in with his mother. He had a permit for a concealed weapon because of the areas he traveled through for his night job. Sunrise police claimed that he had sold some marijuana, and because they knew he had a legal gun, decided to use SWAT. Neighbors claim that the police did not identify themselves. Police first claimed that Anthony pointed his gun at them, and later changed their story! Regardless, Anthony was dead with TEN bullets in him, and the police found 2 ounces of marijuana. August 2005
9. Annie Rai Dixon, 84 years old; Tyler, Texas. Bedridden with pneumonia during a drug raid, an officer kicked open her bedroom door and "accidentally" shot her. January 1993
10. Patrick Dorismond, 26 years old; New York, New York. Patrick was a security guard WHO WANTED TO BECOME A POLICEMAN! He was off duty and unarmed when he went out with friends. Standing on the street looking for a taxi, he was approached by undercover police who asked to buy some marijuana from him. PATRICK WAS OFFENDED BY THE REQUEST(he didn't use drugs) and a scuffle ensued. DORISMOND WAS THEN SHOT TO DEATH BY POLICE! March, 2000.
11. Juan Mendoza Fernandez, 60 years old; Dallas, Texas. Police found a variety of drugs when they raided the Fernandez home. However, Juan apparently believed he was the victim of burglars during the raid, and was shot while trying to protect his 11 year old granddaughter. He and his wife had been married 36 years and had four children and 13 grandchildren. September, 2000
12. Shirly Dorsey, 56 years old; Placerville, California. RATHER THAN BEING COMPELLED TO TESTIFY AGAINST HER 70 YEAR OLD BOYFRIEND FOR CULTIVATING THE MEDICINAL MARIJUANA SHE DEPENDED ON TO HELP CONTROL HER CRIPLING BACK PAIN, SHIRLY COMMITTED SUICIDE! She saw it as the only way to prevent the forfeiture of their home and property. Despite her suicide, her boyfriend(Byron Stamate) was sentenced to 9 months in prison, and his home, cottage, and $177,000 in life savings were seized. April, 1991
13. Curt Ferryman, 24 years old; Jacksonville, Florida. Undercover agents were attempting to arrest Ferryman, who was in his car and unarmed. A DEA agent KNOCKED ON HIS CAR WINDOW WITH HIS GUN TO GET THE SUSPECTS ATTNETION! THE GUN WENT OFF KILLING HIM AS HE SAT IN THE CAR! August, 2000
And More. . . . .
1 Derek Hale, 25 years old; Wilmington, Deleware. A retired Marine Seargent who served two tours in Iraq, was peacefully sitting on the front stoop of a house, when police in unmarked cars who had him under surveillance(believing based on his acquaintances that he might be part of a narcotics ring) pulled up and tasered him three times, causing him to go into convulsions and throw up. Becuase he did not get his hands free quick enough(WHILE CONVULSING!) an officer then shot him point blank in the chest with three .40 caliber rounds. Hale's widow has filed a lawsuit. November, 2006.
2. Willie Heard, 46 years old; Osawatomie, Kansas. SWAT conducted a no-knock raid, complete with flash-bang grenades. Heard was shot to death in front of his wife and 16 year old daughter who had cried for help. Fearing home invasion, he was holding an empty rifle. THE RAID WAS AT THE WRONG HOUSE! February, 1999
3. Clayton Helriggle, 23 years old; Eaton Ohio. Clayton was shot to death while coming down the stairs during a surprise raid. He was carrying either a gun, or a plastic cup, depending on which police report you read! Less than an ounce of marijuana was found! September, 2002
4. Esequiel Hernandez, 18 years old; Redford, Texas. Hernandez was shot and killed by a Marine sniper unit conducting drug interdiction activities near the Mexican border. Esequiel was out herding his family's goats and had taken a break to shoot at some tin cans with antique rifle. May, 1997.
5. John Hirko, 21 years old; Pennsylvania. An unarmed man with no prior offenses was shot to death in his house by a squad of masked police officers. In a no nock raid, they tossed a smoke grenade in through a window, setting the house on fire!!! Hirko, suspected of dealing small amounts of marijuana and cocaine, was found face down on his stairway, SHOT IN THE BACK while fleeing the burning building. When the fire was finally put out, officers found some marijuana seeds in an unsinged plastic bag. 1997. 6. Lynette Gale Jackson, 29 years old; Riverdale, Georgia. SHOT TO DEATH IN HER BED BY SWAT TEAM!!!!!!!! September, 2000
