Video Shows Taser Torture of Anastasio Hernandez

A couple of years ago this blog shared the story of the taser-killing of Anastasio Hernandez, an undocumented person who was caught, handcuffed, surrounded and then tortured by US Border Patrol agents. The story took another twist when a new video emerged that gave a fuller view of the torture endured by Mr. Hernandez.

Check out the video and you be the judge on whether or not this taser activity was necessary on an unarmed and handcuffed man surrounded by a dozen trained agents:

 
Sometimes we lose the human side of these stories. I imagine that some felt justification in this taser-torture once they learned that Mr. Hernandez was in the country illegally. However, the other side of the story is that he was a hard-working father of five who was loved by his family and respected by his neighbors. I remain convinced that something is wrong with the taser policy or training currently in place with America's law enforcement officers. Is it just me? Or do you have similiar thoughts about taser use in our nation?

Taser Autopsy: Death of Anastasio Hernandez is 'Unclear'

I have to admit that I often think that doctors aren't much more different than witch doctors. Both professions seem to guess without any real answers. San Diego medical examiner Glenn Wagner did the autopsy on 42-year old Anastasio Hernandez ... a man tasered-to-death by unidentified US Border Patrol agents.

He says that he still can't tell what caused the death of Hernandez.

Wagner's autopsy report characterizes Hernandez' methamphetamine blood level of 0.16 milligrams per liter as acute but lists it as only one of several potential causes. He says it's also unclear how much blame to assign to the taser gun, Hernandez' agitated state and the position in which he was restrained by law enforcement officers.

It appears that we will have to wait for the legal system to determine who is responsible for the death of the 42-year-old father of five U.S.-born children came to the U.S. when he was 14.

Am I Not Human? US/Mexico Border Killings

We support the 'Am I Not Human?' blogging campaign that lights up on the 27th of each month. I encourage all villagers to find a way to support this effort to shine a light on human rights abuses taking place all over the world.

This blog tracks taser-related deaths. One of these killings occurred at the US/Mexico border near San Diego. It turns out that these border killings are more frequent than I imagined.

As a result, this blog joins with Human Rights Watch, American Civil Rights Union and others in calling for the US government to conduct a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation of the recent killings of two Mexican citizens by US border agents. The increasing number of episodes in which migrants are killed or wounded by border agents, raises grave concerns about possible unlawful use of lethal force.

Border control agents shot and killed Adrian Hernandez, 15, on the evening of June 7, 2010, at a railroad bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with El Paso, Texas, after rock-throwing migrants confronted agents during an arrest. In a separate incident, Anastacio Hernandez Rojas died on May 31 after being electrocuted by border control agents on May 28 with a taser gun at the San Ysidro border crossing.

"The increasing number of border patrol killings make it clear that an open and thorough US investigation is needed," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "Any border agents found responsible for using excessive force should be held accountable."

According to the Mexican government, the number of incidents in which Mexicans were killed or wounded by border patrol has increased significantly in the past three years. Five Mexicans were killed or wounded in 2008 by the border patrol. The total in 2009 was 12, and there have been 17 incidents already in 2010.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a statement that in the June 7 incident, agents encountered a group of suspected illegal immigrants entering the United States and arrested two of them. The others fled across the border and began throwing rocks at the agents. One agent fired several shots, killing Adrian Hernandez. The victim's family says that he was not involved in the rock throwing and had not crossed the border.

In the earlier incident, the San Diego police said that Hernandez Rojas, 42, attacked the border patrol agents as they prepared to return him to Mexico. One agent allegedly struck Hernandez Rojas with a baton, and then another agent electrocuted him with a taser gun. Hernandez Rojas stopped breathing and showed no pulse. He was taken off life support three days later. Hernandez Rojas reportedly had been in the United States since the age of 14. He had been deported after a traffic violation, returned to the United States and was rearrested on the afternoon of May 28.

The United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials provide that authorities shall, as far as possible, apply nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms. The Basic Principles provide that if the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, then the authorities must use restraint and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offense. Lethal force may be used only when strictly unavoidable to protect life. The Basic Principles also call for an effective reporting and review process, especially in cases of death and serious injury.

Taser Autopsy: Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas Death is Ruled a 'Homicide'

Homicide. That is the ruling of the San Diego Medical Examiner's officer in the taser electrocution of Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas. The autopsy results also indicate that methamphetamine abuse and hypertension were contributing factors.

Hernandez-Rojas was beaten and tasered while in the custody of Custom Border Patrol (CBP) agents last week. He died Monday afternoon at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in Chula Vista, California.

The Mexican government said the autopsy results "support the strong condemnation the government of Mexico made from the outset, publicly demanding through diplomatic channels a thorough and impartial investigation."

Mexico has asked for an explanation about what happened to Hernandez while he was in U.S. custody.

"One of the agents used a baton to administer to the subject to get him to stop fighting," said San Diego homicide Capt. Jim Collins. "When that was not successful, they used the Taser."

U.S. officials declined to comment aside from a brief statement:

"Customs and Border Protection regrets the loss of life and awaits the results of a complete investigation into this incident."

Does anyone know the name of the unidentified CBP agent that shot the taser gun? Any thoughts, insights or updates that you can share with us?

Taser Death: Anastasio Hernández Rojas (San Ysidro, CA)

Taser-happy law enforcement meets illegal immigration. The result is another taser-related death in America. Anastasio Hernandez came across the Mexico-US border in 1984. He lived in the shadows ... got married ... raised five children in small town of Encanto, CA.

His life was thrown in an uproar last week when he was detained by police and deported to Mexico.

Of course, it is unreasonable to think that a man would who spent 26 of his 42 years on earth in southern California raising five children is going to stay away. Mr. Hernandez and his brother made an effort last Friday to rejoin his wife.

It was a decision that cost him his life.

Hernandez (the Mexican newspapers are calling him Anastasio Hernández Rojas) didn't make it across the border. He was caught by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. CBP officers took him to the Border Patrol station gate leading to Mexico where they removed his handcuffs in preparation to complete the deportation to Tijuana. Police say that he became violent.

"The agents and the subject all fell to the ground during the fight and the agents radioed for assistance," San Diego homicide police said in a prepared statement. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents joined the struggle and one CBP agent fired a Taser at the man to subdue him.

A short time later the man stopped breathing. Agents began CPR and called paramedics. He was brain-dead when they took him to Scripps Memorial in Chula Vista after the taser electrocution. He died on Monday, May 31.

The family of Mr. Hernandez is devastated. They are convinced the Border Patrol is lying. Witnesses, who said they saw the altercation Friday at San Ysidro, said agents also kicked Anastasio while he was on the ground ... which would explain why he became brain-dead.   There may even be video evidence of the taser electrocution.

Please let us know if you have any new information on this taser-related killing.