Jessica Hernandez’s Autopsy Contradicts Police Report
Jessica Hernandez
We previously reported on the death of 17-year old Jessica Hernandez. Jessica was killed on January 26, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. Authorities said Jessica was in a stolen vehicle and tried running over one of the officers, striking him on the leg, which led to that and another officer firing their guns.
A witness, 16-year old Trina Diaz, who was in the passenger’s seat during the incident, stated that the officers were standing next to the car when they fired, and that the car hit the officer only after Jessica was struck, which veered the car in his direction, pinning his leg between the car and a fence.
The coroner’s report shows that Jessica was shot twice to her left side; once to the chest where the bullet went through her heart and both lungs. The coroner determined that none of the shots were fired at close range. Jessica also had bruises and abrasions to her face, torso and neck.
Jessica’s family at her memorial service
Attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai who represents Jessica’s family said in a statement, “These facts undermine the Denver Police Department’s claim that Jessie was driving at the officers as they shot her.”
Attorney Mohamedbhai also stated “Jessie was clinging to her life after being suffering four gunshot wounds. She was then dragged out of the car, dropped onto the ground, and handcuffed. The abrasions to her face confirm this inhumane treatment.”
The Denver Police Department declined to comment on the autopsy’s findings and Mohamedbhai’s statements.
See Buzzfeed for the autopsy report.
Posted on 02/28/2015, in Cases, Jessica Hernandez, Uncategorized and tagged autopsy, Denver, Jessica Hernandez. Bookmark the permalink. 25 Comments.
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident 
We now have another case where it is obvious that the police are lying to save themselves. I am just looking for that one time in which police officers are held accountable for deliberately ling, covering up for each other in a shooting that was totally preventable. I feel like we are living in a police state by which the police feel invincible. I just did a blog somewhat on the issue of folks being able to seek redress, justice and for the whole truth to be fully exposed in these types of cases without relying on the government to serve the cause of justice for all American citizens. I just had one of my crazy, insane, shannonofmiami moments and I emailed the Chicago law firm of Loevy and Loewy to find out if they could consider taking on a Ferguson class action suit v all those state, county and local entities and personnel who participated in the debacle. This is a law firm with lots of success in filing class action suits against police departments and systems. Here is a partial listing of their successes as per their advertisement:
.BIG WINS BY CHICAGO LAW FIRM, Loevy & Loevy
Loevy & Loevy has won more multi-million dollar verdicts than perhaps any other law firm in the country over the past decade. Our willingness to take hard cases to trial, and win them, has yielded a nationally recognized reputation for success in the courtroom. Our victories over the past ten years alone include:
$55 million after class-action jury verdict for our clients in the 2010 Young v. Cook County class action suit for federal claims. Our verdict in this 250,000-member class action law suit represents one of the rare instances that class counsel were willing to take a class action all the way to verdict. (Judge Kennelly)
$25 million jury verdict for our client, Thaddeus Jimenez, in 2012, the largest wrongful conviction case jury verdict in the history of the United States. At trial, we proved that the Chicago Police Department violated Mr. Jimenez’s constitutional rights, resulting in 16 years of wrongful imprisonment. (Judge Kennelly)
$28 million jury verdict obtained by Loevy & Loevy in federal court on behalf of our client Joseph Regalado. This is the largest police brutality jury verdict in the history of the city, and is believed to be the highest tort verdict against Chicago as well. The client was beaten into a coma by two Chicago police officers and ever since, he has been in a “locked in” condition: conscious, yet unable to move or speak. (Judge Shadur)
$21 million jury verdict for our client, Juan Johnson, in federal court in Chicago in 2009. Mr. Johnson had spent nearly 12 years in jail after being wrongfully convicted for a murder he did not commit. The jury concluded that a Chicago Police Department detective violated the client’s constitutional rights, causing his wrongful conviction. (Judge Grady)
$16 million jury verdict for our client, Ted White, in federal court in Missouri in 2008. The client was wrongfully convicted in 1999 of sexually abusing his adopted daughter, and he served more than five years in prison. The client’s wrongful conviction was based on an investigation by an officer who was romantically involved with the client’s ex-wife, who accused our client of the sexual abuse. However, the police hid that fact from the client and his criminal defense lawyers, which violated the client’s constitutional rights. (Judge Loughery)
$13.2 million jury verdict for our client, David Ayers, in a wrongful conviction case tried in Cleveland, Ohio in 2013. Mr. Ayers spent twelve years in prison before his conviction was overturned, and we proved that the Cleveland Police Department caused his wrongful conviction by violating his constitutional rights. (Judge Gwinn)
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Wow! That’s quite a list
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Good afternoon Gronda! Thanks for looking into a way for people to find redress. You have the heart of an activist.
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The grief on the faces of her family. How horrible. I think we knew all along it would turn out this way.
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Mindyme,
The grief is one reason why I report on these cases. They are real human beings who have families and friends who love them. In a split second, their lives are taken by something invented by man for the sole purpose of taking human life.
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I have grown tired of seeing the repeated pattern performed by those who are paid by our tax paying dollars to protect us. The system needs to have a new make over these practices are a direct result of the current gun culture we have in the United States.
at this point we can not trust Gun owners or Law Enforcement with firearms we must disarm
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Florida officers under fire after slapping, dragging incidents caught on video
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/25/us/florida-ft-lauderdale-broward-county-police-slapping-dragging/
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This story is encouraging in that folks are willing to take photos and videos whenever they witness someone being mistreated by police. I am still waiting to see if these officers are really held accountable.
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Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
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Jueseppi, thanks for the reblog, dear friend.
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Honestly, who the hell can believe anything any metro police say anymore. This is tragic, but unfortunately not shocking.
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Valentine, to answer your question — jury members. There is still bias and prejudice that says a deputy of the law tells the truth, regardless of the evidence.
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I ache for Jessica’s loved ones. May she rest in peace. Prayers for her family.
So many lives lost.
I just found his article published two weeks ago:
“These 15 Black Women Were Killed During Police Encounters. Their Lives Matter, Too”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/13/black-womens-lives-matter-police-shootings_n_6644276.html
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Excerpt from another article (published yesterday):
Kendrec McDade, Amadou Diallo, Tamir Rice, Ramarley Graham, Trayvon Martin, and Akai Gurley were all unarmed young men who should all still be alive today. That they aren’t and that new names will continue to be added to this list is an American crisis and it’s not one that will be solved by better dads or afterschool programs. This is a legal problem and failure of our justice system.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/27/1367292/-How-the-white-imagination-of-a-black-threat-continues-to-make-justice-elusive
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The Hispanic Communities “Ferguson Moments,” reporting on unarmed Latinos killed by the police.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/antonio-zambrano-montes_n_6714466.html
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This is horribly wrong, sad, and senseless.. .
What kind of Cowards do this?
Something seriously has got to be done about our murderous law enforcement here in the United States, citizens are going to start forming together and fighting back,.. . and justifiable so.
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I wish that America would disarm — citizens and law enforcement. I no longer feel safe in my own country because of conceal carry.
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It’s getting to be that we have more to fear from law enforcement than we do from our fellow citizen. I truly don’t feel safe, nor do I any longer trust in our law enforcement. Will never call them conserning anyone of my loved ones.
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It’s both for me, and because of guns. Guns have no mind of their own.
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The power of the NRA and Alec are costing Americans their lives and well being in so many ways. The NRA blocks even sensible gun law restrictions agreed upon by the vast majority; and ALEC in promoting the concept that climate change does not exist. It was the NRA and ALEC who provided the template for SYG laws which was first enacted in 2005 by the Florida republican led legislature.
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Something still doesn’t make sense to me……I understand she was hit by gunfire from the side and from that we know where at least one of the two cops were at the side. But how did the other officer end up being pinned by the vehicle against the fence. That, right now, tells me he was in front of the vehicle since a side swerve would not propel the officer to the front of the vehicle to be pinned.
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Towerflower, it’s kinda difficult to tell from the picture because the entire driver’s side of the car is pretty much against the fence. It didn’t look like the pin was in the front of the car but rather, just at the driver’s door.
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The Denver DA announced that he will not be filing charges against the 2 officers involved the the fatal shooting of Jessie Hernandez.
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The article also tells of this settlement:
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