After finance minister Leslie Delatour fired him, in January 1987, Volel sued him and won a symbolic victory for $1 in damages.
[6] Volel became a candidate for the 1987 general election to replace Namphy, amidst rising violence.
"[7][6] On October 13, 1987, Volel told reporters he would be giving a speech demanding release of his client Jean Raymond Louis, a political prisoner held without charges, in front of the Port-au-Prince police headquarters and prison.
[6][4][8] The next day the police released a statement saying Volel had been armed and attempting to force his way into the station, though witnesses disputed their description.
[2] In his honor, Haitian lawyers in Port-au-Prince held a strike as part of "a week of mourning".