Another family surprised by SWAT team invasion

Happyflowerlady

Happyflowerlady

Vagabond Flowerchild
Location
Northern Alabama
This is the latest in a line of stories about the police using SWAT teams on warrants for a non-violent crime charge.
Again, it involved a senior lady, and her family, and they were targeted by police on the suspicion of credit card use illegally, and the person that they were looking for was not even there. At least, this time, the family dog is seen running through the videos, and was not shot to death.
I can see using a SWAT team for armed and dangerous suspects, but I think that using them for what is considered a white-collar crime, is pushing the limit of what they should be used for.
Our families should be safe in their own homes, and there have been several of these stories where they even attacked the wrong house, and people were shot because they thought they were being attacked, and had no idea it was the police breaking into their house.
Having police protection is a good thing, but when we have to start being afraid for our lives, our children's lives, and even for the family pets, then this is not how America should be governed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-militarized-america-iowa-family-terrorized//
 

Well, at least the old lady wasn't as surprised as the poor bloke who was blown away with a shotgun here a few years ago. It was a 'hit' but he lived in a street that changed it's name at a Y junction and he was just living in the wrong house number at the wrong end of the street.

There have been a few raids out here at the wrong address too. You have to wonder just how good these authorities are at 'investigation' when they can't even get the address right. Or at least check that who they're after is home before they charge in.
 

The SWAT team may have been a bit over the top, but until you have walked a mile in the cops shoes it is impossible to know why they do things that way and to understand it, i know my late husband and all his work mates were very wary going to a house and domestic issues are the worst, many a cop have been ambushed when knocking on a door.:fword:
 
Happyflowerlady said:
Our families should be safe in their own homes, and there have been several of these stories where they even attacked the wrong house, and people were shot because they thought they were being attacked, and had no idea it was the police breaking into their house.

Having police protection is a good thing, but when we have to start being afraid for our lives, our children's lives, and even for the family pets, then this is not how America should be governed.
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I agree Happyflowerlady, they're overstepping their bounds and abusing their power. Seems like they're testing the waters to see how much they can get away with in regards to citizen's rights. Like the nonsense that went on after the Boston pressure cooker bombing, green light to invade people's homes without warrant or permission. Police protection isn't like we remember when we were growing up, now we need protection from the police. :mad:
 
Yep, our "protections" are paper-thin at best.

Maybe those cops were going on the word of a CI (confidential informant), who many times are your friendly local junkie or common thief. Hardly iron-clad information, but they act on it as if it were.

I understand the caution they need to display when breaking and entering, but maybe they could just stand outside with a bullhorn and TALK them out?
 
The bullhorn is soooo 60s TV. We're all drama junkies now, think the chase scene in The Blues Brothers. I think of that every time I see something on SWAT teams off the leash. Hut hut hut hut.
 
The police were looking for someone who had used a bad credit card, not any kind of dangerous criminal, according to the article. There had not been any kind of police problems from that address, or the people who lived there, so there was no reason at all to think they needed to break in with guns in this particular instance.
I think they are doing this kind of unreasonable searches and arrests so that people will come to be afraid of the police, and not to look at them as our "protectors", as we were taught when we were growing up.

When there is any kind of danger that there could be an armed or dangerous criminal in the house, then the police DO need to protect themselves, but not in a case like this, where it was like someone writing a bad check, or something similar.
As SeaBreeze said, we are being conditioned, and our local police are being trained to assault houses like the military might do, and it is not a good omen.
 
I know that this is flogging the proverbial dead horse, but how do the police know that the residents of any home are not fully armed and ready to defend themselves against all and sundry? Even when the crime is of a non violent category?

Is there a register somewhere that they can access? And is every firearm recorded on that register?

If the answer to either question is No, then perhaps they are justified in using overwhelming force rather than a knock on the front door.
Just saying. Sometimes preserving one precious freedom causes another freedom to be curtailed. Police have a right to life and liberty too.
 
Oh boy gun control. police have been entering an army mode for years. Strategic Weapons and Tactics, does that even sound police? If the people on the other side of the door are well armed and trained, the cops wouldn't have a chance. The entry way would be lined with claymores and a fifty cal. would be aimed at the door way. the fact is no where in the USA has the police run into any type of resistance that even remotely resembled para-military organization needing a swat team. Swat tactics and training are well known. If you look at most of the swat entries in the last 10 years, most of them have been on little old ladies.
there is no gun registry it leads to confiscation, and there will be no registration, because criminals don't register their guns. Currently in Commufornia if your are on certain meds. they will come and confiscate your guns. Does this make you as a citizen feel safer?
 
We don't hear too much about this kind of unit so I looked them up. Apparently we have them as specialist units for specific purposes.

Australian Federal Police


New South Wales Police Force


New South Wales Department of Corrective Services
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Each state has their own specialist police units but they are fairly low profile. None of them are charged with breaking down the front door to arrest anyone as far as I can tell. That's the job of the regular police.
 
last year Odgen Ut. swat team serving a week warrant, door kickers went in, guy shot 3 cops one dead, before they got him down
guy was 22 just back from Afgany suffering from diagnosed post tramatic shock, using weed. He was special forces. Thought the cops were the local gang coming to take his weed. Held in jail, hung himself. I'm trying to figure out who won. consequences of this. If your a veteran and have been diagnosed with PTSS you cannot buy, or own firearms and if you live in Kalifornia they will be confiscated.
 
Supreme court has held that police are not responsible for your protection, they have no duty to protect you. On the other hand there are all kinds of good cops out there. Most of them dedicated to the Constitution and have stood up to political pressure when it comes in conflict. Most would prefer to have it out with a bank robber, then they know who is the crook, in a domestic dispute both sides are right. But there is still no need for SWAT teams.
 
rt3, we recently had an incident where the police had a "silent" warrent, where they didn't have to announce themselves. So in the wee hours of the morning the police kicked in the door of a sleeping couples home. The home owner thought he was being invaded, so he shot the dark figure coming at him. Killed the officer. No jail time for the home owner. The officer didn't give any warning at all. :saywhat:
 
rt3 said:
you know you are in texas , when "he needed it" is a defense for shooting.
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Ooooh yes, and sooo many desperately do!... but we can't get away with that one here.
smiley-laughing002.gif
 
I don't know how I would react. But, I do know that the threat of criminal invasion is a real one here. It doesn't just happen "over there" anymore. It is happening nightly and daily here, and just around the corner. Do you prepare or not? :dunno:
 
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