On June 10, 2024, detainee Rolin Hill died after a series of struggles with police and corrections officers in Virginia Beach. His death was the product of numerous contributing factors — drug intoxication, severe medical conditions, and pneumonia — yet prosecutors chose to indict three deputies for second-degree murder.

This case is not about justice. It is about politics. The deputies acted within their training and policy, disengaged when possible, and attempted to render aid. There is no evidence of criminal intent. Nevertheless, prosecutors seized on Hill’s death to make a political statement, twisting a tragic outcome into a murder case against three dedicated public servants.

Deputies Eric Baptiste, Michael Kidd, and Kevin Wilson are career professionals with spotless records of service to their community. They are now being scapegoated, their reputations and livelihoods put in jeopardy, not because of misconduct but because of a prosecutorial agenda that has made law enforcement officers into convenient political targets.

This prosecution never should have been brought. It is a textbook case of overreach — criminalizing standard law enforcement practices to advance a political narrative. The charges against these deputies must be defeated, and their honor restored.