« Pro-gun Democrat's take on Michael Moore | Main | Article on use of shotguns in war »
No-knock raids and shootings of civilians
Radley Balko has some interesting thoughts.
"The apologists say that if the warrant is legal, and the police have the right to be there, you're pretty much screwed. If the police storm in and you -- not being a drug dealer and consequently having no reason to think the police might break into your home -- mistake them for criminal intruders and meet them with a gun, you are at fault....
On the other hand, if the police break into your home and they mistake the blue cup, TV remote, the t-shirt you're holding to cover your genitals because they broke in while you were sleeping naked, or the glint off your wristwatch for a gun -- and subsequently shoot you (all of these scenarios have actually happened), well, then no one is to blame. Because, you see, SWAT raids are inherently dangerous and volatile, and it's perfectly understandable..."
3 Comments | Leave a comment
There is another side. These things happen because the elected civilians that should be overseeing the police depts. have been cowed into believing that these policies should be set by the police themselves. Between the police and city attorneys they have been convinced that such matters should be left to the professionals. The trouble with that is that these people are trained to get the perp not to worry about little things like rights. The fact that they are almost never punished by the system leads them to believe that they are above the law. The founders had a good reason for putting civilians in charge.
Thats assuming they are legitimate police not MS-13 or or bill collectors or some sort of black ops jackbooted thugs that every agency seems to have these days.
The CATO Institute has an interactive map or "botched" raids and a 100 page report ont he history of SWAT and other tactical teams. Very interesting reading. I would be interested to hear the other side of this story, because I have to believe and hope there is another side.
http://www.cato.org/raidmap/