The Hernández Llach family left Barranquilla 13 years ago and emigrated to the United States, but not for the ‘American dream’, but to stay alive, as asylum seekers.
Seeking the security they saw in Miami, they were protected by the US government. So it had been six years before the tragedy, dressed as a police officer, knocked on his hometown door.
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It was about 3:30 pm on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 and Offir Hernández was home alone at the time The police arrived, knocked on the door and showed him some photos of his 18-year-old brother Israel.
Given the situation, he called his parents and the men in uniform waited for them to arrive. While waiting, the young woman served them and poured water. They joked and laughed.
And the police arrived … They hadn’t finished talking when my mother said, ‘And they killed him’
“It was a daily routine. Something like ‘No … Ha ha (ironic laugh) nothing happened. And when my mom came they started saying my brother was doing graffiti and the police arrived … They weren’t done talking when my mom said to them, “And they killed him.” And I said, “Oh Mother, please!” “, to remember.
While Offir still hasn’t calculated the seriousness of what happened and the tragedy he was about to experience, her mother’s natural instincts identified what had happened.
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When the police confirmed that he had died, she went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. “I watched as part of me melted and my legs turned to jelly. I fell to the ground, crawled practically as best I could, came back and said to them: “I know what you’re doing,” he recalls.
The Hernández Llach family left Barranquilla for safety.
Courtesy Family Album
This last sentence Offir repeated over and over to the police, who assured they shot him with the taser pistol and “possibly he could have hit his head”, helping the nurse to sit up, after the shock who was nervous that the news caused him.
“I said to them, ‘I’m going to find out everything. I’m not going to rest until I have justice. ‘It was a very difficult moment, we acted very quickly. My father started to read the Bible and I started calling his friends, ”says Hernández.
More than a decade later the pain of his departure remains intact as if time stood still between the parents and Sister Offir Hernández, who explains that “it is as if they cut off your leg” to describe the emptiness caused by the fact that he is no longer alive.
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He was a visual artist, he presented in the National Museum, he presented in different places where he sold his art
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He was a licensed graffiti artist
Offir says Israel was already recognized for its work with graffiti and art, as graffiti in Miami is used for advertising, boosting purchases in the local trade and the opportunity for urban artists to get ahead.
“My brother was one of those graffiti artists who were recognized by many people for his style and artistic skill. He was a visual artist, he presented at the National Museum, he presented at various places where he sold his art and he used that money for organizations and to help other people, ”he says.
Hernández Llach recalls that, thanks to his activity, He won the Golden Key of the city and was certified by the then president, among others, Barack Obama.
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‘Reefa’ was passionate about graffiti.
Courtesy Family Album
She says her brother had no criminal record, was never arrested and was a healthy young man, although she said the police did not want him to be identified as such.
“They even wanted to say he was on drugs and toxicology showed that he wasn’t. He had a split head and many other blows to the body. They wanted to say he broke his head, turning on the ground when they put the taser on him … Or rather, many contradictions and shortcomings, ”he says.
10 policemen arrived, they had already subdued and beat him, they put the taser on him and he did not resist
What happened?
It was not easy for her to remember that story now. And not because his memory wouldn’t allow it, but because of the drama it contains, the impotence and pain it continues to cause.
“My brother was doing graffiti and the policeman decided to call in reinforcements, 10 policemen arrived, they had him subject and hit, they put the taser on him and he did not resist,” the 29-year-old woman recalls.
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He says it was as far as one of the two friends Israel was with at the time and that they saw everything and were also affected and intimidated.
The Barranquillera recorded the full history of the events witnessed by one of the friends from his brother right after what happened.
“They were taken to the station for 12 hours and kept cold there. They took their cell phones, which they never returned, and psychologically abused them. When I got to his house he was shocked and looked around every corner because they had told him if he wanted to end up as their friend, ”said Offir.
In the story he recorded, the good friend said they grabbed him, threw him against a marble wall, beat him, then arrested him and later shot him with the taser.
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What the sister does not explain is how the security cameras that were in that place, being a banking area, were ‘lost’ from one moment to the next.
The police officer is in a state of abuse; one veteran said he would one day kill someone for attacking him
The drama of a family seeking justice
“To this day we don’t know exactly what happened to him, because his friends saw things that were never heard in the section where the police were tried. They said their statements weren’t valid … because it didn’t suit them. It was abuse of power, brutality and negligence, an attack on civil rights, ”he says.
The woman stops her version and grabs a glass of water to sip and calm the anger with which she recounted this last excerpt, but which apparently wasn’t enough, because now recalls that the police officer was declared innocent “despite his criminal record” and was promoted to rank.
“The police are in a state of abuse; one veteran said one day he would kill someone for attacking him; abuse of power, because he was drinking in a bar and started fighting civilians; drug abuse, because they had previously found cocaine; and family abuse … And he protected us. Can you believe that? “He says.
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The book was released to preserve the young man’s legacy.
Courtesy Family Album
Since then, Offir has tried to be more united with her parents and, in the event of an argument, spends no more than an hour without obligation with them. In addition, they hold protests on site every August 6, in front of the police station and at the convention center, where the arts festival is held.
It also gives continuity to the project Israel undertook to assemble skateboards. He cut them, painted them, left the logo, the brand, the style and now, with the project already formed, the family donated a package of these in 2019, when they traveled to Santa Marta.
In addition, they launched the book ‘Art is not a crime’ at the Colombian consulate in November 2019, in which the story of ‘Reefa’, her visual art, her photos, his poetry and the ‘Justice for Reefa’ movement in 250 pages. .
A painting is erased, a life is not restored. Painting is temporary, death is permanent
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“This book is a call for justice. It is an invitation to future leaders to make a good decision. A painting is erased, a life is not restored. Painting is temporary, death is permanent, ”he explains.
Offir acknowledges that we must continue. That’s why he celebrates achievements as cameras in police vests, although he acknowledges it’s not enough and remembers other events such as one of the recent cases where George Floyd died. And he deplores cases of “police abuse” in Colombia.
“I had to learn to live without that part of me and I do justice to his legacy. We live in an asylum, we moved to the United States for safety, it’s the most ironic …
Deivis López Ortega
Correspondent for EL TIEMPO Barranquilla
On Twitter: @DeJhoLopez
Write to me at [email protected]
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