More Outrage in Rachel Hoffman’s Murder
Every time I think the murder of 22-year-old Rachel Hoffman couldn’t get more repulsive, new details emerge suggesting there’s no end to the incompetence, recklessness, and misplaced values of the officers who caused her death.
The young woman – whom the Tallahassee Police Department recruited as a confidential informant after threatening her with a marijuana charge – was murdered by the drug dealers she’d been sent to ensnare in a sting operation.
One of the many confounding aspects of the case to me was why they would send Rachel to buy not just an uncharacteristically large amount of drugs, but a gun as well. She had never been in legal trouble for anything except a couple relatively low-level drug offenses mostly involving marijuana, and she had absolutely no history of violence.
It now appears she suggested purchasing the gun herself because the cops had led her to believe a more high-profile bust would mean the end of her obligations as a CI, and that she would then be allowed to move on with her life.
The officer supervising her CI activities also continues to stick to his dubious claim that Rachel was a big-time drug dealer making $26,000 a week, even though her friends say they never saw her with that kind of cash or drugs, and her dad still paid her rent. Curiously, the officer also said he trusted her with the money she was given for the sting operation because she was a “very religious, family-oriented girl,” and that stealing would have been out of character for her.
I suspect that Rachel’s handlers in the Tallahassee Police Department knew she wasn’t really a criminal in any practical sense. She was just an unlucky soul who got caught up in the ridiculously wide net created by our marijuana laws. In our cruel system, that means those sworn to protect her were now entitled to exploit her, and that she had forfeited her claim to our most basic civil right: life.
Tagged with: drug war and law enforcement and Prohibition and victims by the author
5 comments
The drug war seems to be ruled by contradictions. They keep our children safe by raiding our homes. They keep drugs off the street by perpetuating there black market status. They prevent violence by initiating against non-violent citizens.
There is no doubt what the drug war is all about when a seasoned narcotics officer would trust a drug dealer with thousands of dollars because she was a white Christian suburbanite. Their target? Two young black men.
I am sickened by our apathy towards corruption. This is nothing but the fox guarding the hen house. Marijuana prohibition empowers those in power to supress and profit while doing the exact opposite of the will of the people. Massachusetts just decriminalized marijuana posession. By a whopping 2 to 1 margin across the state. 65% in favor!!! A college bound boy was shot in the head in our state over 400 bucks of marijuana. had it been legal, would this boy not of been killed over tobacco? Unfotunately we’ll never know, it’s a senseless tragedy and why i’m for legalization and taxation of marijuana. Do not let those who have died go in vain. STAND UP for your rights, freedom and better use of YOUR tax dollars. legalize and tax and let’s move on to rapists, murderers and corrupt politicians. THE POLICE HAVE BEEN FREED IN MASSACHUSETTS to solve real crime instead of wasting half their time processing tobacco smokers… What a joke. FREE THE POLICE IN YOUR STATE, like we did in Massachusetts. PEACE.
It is amazing that DOCTORS cannot prescribe Marijuana when they can freely write scripts for Opium, Cocaine, and Speed derivatives! what kind of sense does it make? even during prohibition of alcohol DOCTORS could clean their instruments with rubbing alcohol and give their patients cough syrup (which contains alcohol). who’s paranoid now? o
I agree with Eric. It’s about time we passed legalizing medical marijuana. We have freed the police here in Michigan too! They need to go solve some real crimes as well instead of wasting our time and theirs on tobacco smokers. Whoo hoo!! Thank you voters in Michigan for realizing the hypocrisy surrounding this issue and for taking the power out of the hands of those who want to oppress and putting it back into ours. Love and Peace.
Our goverment made marijuana illegal in the early 1900′S to try and run the mexican’s out of this country. I watched a long documentrary on this on history channel. Our goverment hired some dude who made a national campaign telling everyone how smoking one joint would make you kill your parents, burn your children, and other horriable things. Us dumbass american’s believed every word they told us.
Today we all know better, but we all are still living by these policies that we all know are totally wrong.
Its about time we as American’s stand up and say enough to our goverment. These stupid, races policies need to change.
Marijuana is less harmfull then any pain meds that are out thier. I know I was one Ocycoton for almost 4 years. Fentinal patches for just as long.
These drugs are horriable, but I need them for pain.
Just one joint helps so much more, if its a good joint, try and find that.
THINGS NEED TO CHANGE
Leave a Comment