After receiving hundreds of pages from the first round of FOIA requests from Miami-Dade, we have a better understanding of the issues which led to the suspension and later removal of Miami-Dade School Police Chief Hurley. We also better understand why the historical activities of Trayvon Martin have been difficult to locate.

The first part of the publicly requested document release shows aspects surrounding an Internal Affairs investigation following the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Within the investigation dozens of witnesses gave sworn statements to investigative officers.
Included in the witness affidavits were six officers accused of leaking information to the media, and their statements reveal a systemic attempt by Chief Hurley to cover-up the instructions by Hurley to his officers.
From their statements, made under oath, it is apparent that sometime around 2009/2010 the police chief gave instructions for his officers to find alternate methods outside of the criminal justice system to confront the behavioral issues of school students.
As officer Tagle affirms, and other witnesses corroborate, the instructions were specifically targeted to young black males within the Miami-Dade Public School system. Targeted to keep their unlawful behavior away from engagement with the correction system and aimed to use school discipline instead of criminal corrections within the justice system. (more…)