The Creeping Police State

When viewed as a whole, the post 9/11 'security state' seems less about protecting us from terrorism, and more about population control and quelling dissent. In May of 2004 in Chicago, the home of May Molina, a long time anti-police brutality and misconduct activist was raided by the Chicago Police. Although Molina had no history of involvement with drugs or drug dealing, the officers present claimed to have found 80 bags of heroin in her room and that of her son, Michael Ortiz. Both were taken into custody, and sometime within the next 28 hours Molina died. The coroners report claimed to have found bags of heroin lodged in her esophagus, and the presence of heroin in her system. Three strange things stand out in this case. The first, as previously mentioned, was that Molina was an activist. People's Weekly reported, "[Molina] worked with Families of the Wrongfully Convicted and Comite Exijimos Justicia (the "We Demand Justice Committee"), which have for several years accused the Chicago police, particularly the homicide squad detectives at the Grand and Central police station on Chicago's northwest side, of framing Latino and other young people. The second strange thing was that the alleged heroin turned out to be candle wax. Chicago IndyMedia reports, "On the day of May Molina's death, police leaked to the press that 80 bags of heroin were found in their apartment. On June 16, Michael Ortiz [Molina's son] was released by a judge who said none of the samples tested positive for any narcotics. Police now claim they mistook candle-making supplies for drugs." The 22 days in which Ortiz was held in custody over the possession of this wax caused him to miss his mother's funeral. [more]

• May Molina –- Killed by Chicago Police [more]