What's going on with the Border Patrol? (DoJ drags its feet investigating border killings)

[EFerrari]

What's going on with the Border Patrol?
April 20, 2012|By John Carlos Frey

snip

By policy, border officials do not make their use-of-force protocol public. When they can fire a weapon and why is kept secret. With insufficient training and little public oversight, perhaps it's no surprise that since May 2010, there have been at least eight documented cases of extreme use of force against unarmed and non-combative migrants resulting in death. Families and advocates of the victims seeking answers have been met with silence. The cases, some more than 2 years old, remain under investigation and therefore the Justice Department is not forthcoming with details.

The story of Anastacio Hernandez Rojas, 42, an undocumented immigrant who came to the United States at the age of 16, is just one example of a law enforcement agency using deadly force without repercussion. I learned of his case while researching and reporting a television segment about the Border Patrol and its use of excessive force.

snip

The same witnesses told me Hernandez offered little or no resistance. One said she felt like she was watching someone being murdered — a conclusion later confirmed by the San Diego coroner's office, which classified the death as a homicide. As a result of the brutal beating, Hernandez suffered a heart attack. An autopsy also revealed several loose teeth; bruising to his chest, stomach, hips, knees, back, lips, head and eyelids; five broken ribs; and a damaged spine.

snip

Of the eight recent killings, none has proceeded to trial and no agents have been disciplined. The victims' families have sought answers and explanations from the U.S. government but have received no comments in return.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/20/opinion/la-oe-frey-border-patrol-violence-20120420

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[EFerrari]

2. Amy's segment this morning, w/ video from two different American witnesses

to the murder of Hernandez. Both were tourists that day, one is a former National Guardsman who calls out to the ten or so border patrolmen to stop using excessive force on the prone, hog-tied unresisting victim. Hernandez leaves behind a widow and four American born children, 19, 13 and 6 year old twins.

The DoJ would not respond to a request for information, citing an ongoing investigation however, DoJ has not contacted any of the eye witnesses or the family, no border patrolmen have been suspended or charged in this death so it's hard to know in what sense there is any investigation going on.

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/24/death_on_the_border_shocking_video