Within an 18 day period, Miami-Dade police killed four Black men and wounded one. The killings began with 19-year old Haitian immigrant Gracia Beaugris, who was walking to a local Laundromat from his home.
Beaugris was the unsuspecting victim of a common police tactic used in Miami known as “jumpouts.” This highly aggressive police activity involves randomly searching and questioning “suspicious” people in impoverished neighborhoods. When Beaugris was harassed by jumpout police on Oct. 25 and subjected to an unlawful search, he asked a fatal question—”Why?”
The infuriated police officer, Christopher Villano, responded by pushing and choking Beaugris. During the struggle, Villano pulled his gun and shot Beaugris in the arm. While Beaugris lay on the ground defenseless and wounded, Villano then shot him two more times—once in the head, fatally wounding him.
In the midst of community outrage and candle-light vigils, 40-year old Roger Brown was surrounded by police for acting “erratically” on Nov. 7. Witnesses report that Brown was tasered, beaten with clubs and kicked in the face by police officers. Police soon noticed he was unresponsive. They took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Less than a week later, Miami-Dade police pulled over a car for running a traffic light. Before any of the passengers could exit the car, police opened fire on the vehicle, killing two men and wounding a woman. Police claim the car was in reverse trying to ram the police car, however witnesses assert that the car remained motionless until the shooting started.
Miami-Dade police have justified each killing, although their excuses contradict eyewitness accounts. None of the men who were killed were in the possession of any weapons or drugs.
No disciplinary action has been taken against any of the officers—instead the Miami-Dade Police Department, the “Police Union,” and their attorneys have scrambled to deny all accusations of excessive use of force. Although the community is demanding an independent investigation, it is unlikely that any of the officers will be held accountable.
In fact, for over 20 years, the Florida State Attorney’s office has not once indicted a police officer in wrongful death and brutality cases.
But these actions have not taken place without an angry response from the community.
On Nov. 24 over 150 people, including family members of those killed, protested the killings. Banners and signs read “Stop Killer Cops” and “1 month = 4 dead.” The action was organized by CopWatch, led by Max Rameau, who organized a struggle for affordable housing last year.
”I want to see justice,” said Maizelyn Reid, mother of one of the two men shot and killed by the police at the traffic light. Her sentiments will continue to be the demand of the growing movement opposed to racist police violence in Miami.
