SWAT team shoots family pets while child looks on...

[Exterminator]

This just pisses me off.  Here is a video of a SWAT raid on a home in which the police apparent didn't know the man had a wife and young child and busted in with guns blazing only to find a pipe and a small amount of marijuana.  Then, after having killed one of his dogs (the pit bull, who was in a cage when they shot it) and injuring the other, they have the audacity to charge him with child endangerment.  Seriously?

So while everyone is busy arguing over Republican this or Democrat that and worrying about socialism, this once free country is devolving into a fascist police state and no one complains.  And this is "gift" we want to share with the rest of the world?  Fucking please.

But hey, they were effective...he didn't get to smoke his few grams of pot and the Columbia, MO prosecutor ultimately got a fine out of the guy for misdemeanor paraphernalia possession.

http://www.youtube.com/v/RbwSwvUaRqc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0

[me]

That is pathetic.  It would be interesting to know who had a vendetta against this guy that caused this to happen since he only had a few grams of pot he obviously wasn't a dealer, or at least that appears to be the case.  I really don't understand where the child endangerment charges came from unless it was so the prosecutor didn't come up completely empty handed.  To shoot a caged dog is just inexcusable.   

[Exterminator]

It probably wasn't a vendetta, just some poor schmuck who got caught with a couple of joints and started giving the police the names of everyone he knew.  It was then their job to do due diligence to establish the accuracy of that information which they failed to do.  If you google this story, you'll find out a lot of interesting information...the police were unaware that he was even married or that there was a child living in the house...really?  So what did they know that led them to conclude there was a large quantity of pot in the house?  Apparently, their investigation did not include talking to any of the neighbors because they said there is no unusual traffic at the house and they're a pretty quiet family.

Interesting factiod...there are 100-150 raids like this every day in this country.  A war is being waged by the government against the people.

[me]

It probably wasn't a vendetta, just some poor schmuck who got caught with a couple of joints and started giving the police the names of everyone he knew.  It was then their job to do due diligence to establish the accuracy of that information which they failed to do.  If you google this story, you'll find out a lot of interesting information...the police were unaware that he was even married or that there was a child living in the house...really?  So what did they know that led them to conclude there was a large quantity of pot in the house?  Apparently, their investigation did not include talking to any of the neighbors because they said there is no unusual traffic at the house and they're a pretty quiet family.

Interesting factiod...there are 100-150 raids like this every day in this country.  A war is being waged by the government against the people.

That is scary.  Could also be a case of a prosecutor wanting to look like he was doing his job and thinking he would have a big drug bust to add to his credentials but instead ended up looking, IMO, like a fool and putting this poor family through hell.

[pariann]

All too often....that's the truth.  Been there.

[The Troll]

  These SWAT teams are a paramilitary trained group of bully thugs.  The are trained killers.  They are like a group of teenage punks who beat up tear up and terrorized the people they attack.

  This has happened in Anderson, Indian twice in the last 12 months.  The last one, they threw in two tear gas bombs into this house.  Claiming that it was a drug house.  The owner in his 70's setting in the living room with his two grand children, the SWAT team threw in the bombs and then broke down the door.  Burning the living room floor and gassing the people in the house.  The SWAT found two of the man's son in a back  room with a small amount of marijuana.  Plus the tore up the house searching for more.

  I wrote a letter to The Anderson Herald Bulletin and they actually printed it, on just how bad I thought all SWAT teams are and how dangerous they are.  They will kill you and I if their are wrong,  TOUGH!

   There is some good thing about a bad economy is, that a lot of these SWAT teams are going to have to get off their ass and go back to going just plain police work and give up full time SWATing.

  In a sound recording of the book "Sniper", about a American Sniper with over 100 kills, one shot one kill.  Guess what he does in peace time?  He a SWAT Sniper.  In his book he says once he has his crosshairs of the target and his leader says send it down range, he has no remorse.  That person is his enemy and mean nothing to him to kill him or her or child.  He talk about shooting a kid while he was in Iraq.

  Shooting a dog in a cage, is that like shooting fish in a barrel?  Hell, here in the little town I live in, the town cop shot a dog tied to his dog house with a big chain.   He got the wrong dog.  He lost his job and the town had to pay for the dog.

[me]

The thing is Troll the swat teams, if doing a raid on a legit bust, are subject to being killed themselves.  I realize these are bad situations and would be pissed as hell and upset to the max if I were to be the target of a mistaken bust but I do understand the need for them.  I don't know that more training is the answer either but I do think they should find out more about the family and observe the occupants and check out things a little better before they act.  I also feel that if the prosecutor had done his job a little more thoroughly the swat team would not have found themselves in that situation. 

[Palehorse]

Another angle on this: what stupid judge gave them a warrant to perform this raid and on what evidence was it based? Or did they even have a warrant?

To perform this kind of risky mission and unnecessarily risk the lives of private citizens, destroy their property, kill their pets, and come up with a few grams of weed, screams of incompetence on so many levels it is mid boggling!

Yes, I agree this type of operation has become all to common-place in our country today. Granted, some of the hard core drug dealers perhaps played a large role in driving the need for para-military units within local police departments, but to deploy them on the word of an individual charged with a crime, or upon obviously false information that has not even been verified is in itself criminal!

Use of these types of groups should be reserved for serious situations (IE Hostage situations, etc.) and those situations in which the information is solid and confirmed; and only then after reliable recon has been conducted to assure officer safety. It appears these jack booted thugs just wanted to go out and kick ass and didn't care what ass it was!

[The Troll]

Another angle on this: what stupid judge gave them a warrant to perform this raid and on what evidence was it based? Or did they even have a warrant?

To perform this kind of risky mission and unnecessarily risk the lives of private citizens, destroy their property, kill their pets, and come up with a few grams of weed, screams of incompetence on so many levels it is mid boggling!

Yes, I agree this type of operation has become all to common-place in our country today. Granted, some of the hard core drug dealers perhaps played a large role in driving the need for para-military units within local police departments, but to deploy them on the word of an individual charged with a crime, or upon obviously false information that has not even been verified is in itself criminal!

Use of these types of groups should be reserved for serious situations (IE Hostage situations, etc.) and those situations in which the information is solid and confirmed; and only then after reliable recon has been conducted to assure officer safety. It appears these jack booted thugs just wanted to go out and kick ass and didn't care what ass it was!

  Yes, there is a time to kill.  There are people who just need a killing.  But tell me how many times in this country and the county have we really needed the SWAT.

   What the hell wrong of sourounding the place and with a loud speaker say raise your hands and come out or we are coming and getting you and it won't be pretty.  No they sneak up, throw in gas gas bombs and break down the door.  Then they tear everything up, that's what they do.  They are the masters and you will submit.

  Let me tell you a little story about search warrants.  In 1960 I had to very close friends, one of them made Sheriff Deputy.  One night he was on duty and came through town.  We talked our friend to take us a ride in the big new Mercury police car he was driving.  We talked him into a little show what that big Merc would do.  Wow.  Old Joe Broden sure had pick out a fast car.

  While we were in the car we were really looking it  over.  I opened glove box and there was a search warrant.  I said, I thought that you had to call a judge to get one of these.  Well, the judge give us some, so we won't have to bother him.  He also told us, you better be damn right, if you use one of these.  I sure won't be happy if you don't check out things very carfully.

  So much for the cops and so much for the SWAT.  So much for the Judges.

[Exterminator]

The captain of this police department has now been on the radio defending the actions of these officers and has been quoted as saying that they don't write the laws, they just enforce them.  Sounds an awful lot like what the Nazis said during the Nuremburg trials to me.

[Palehorse]

The captain of this police department has now been on the radio defending the actions of these officers and has been quoted as saying that they don't write the laws, they just enforce them.  Sounds an awful lot like what the Nazis said during the Nuremburg trials to me.

Yeah, CYA time and if the citizens of that community have half a brain they'll unite and call for his head; along with criminal prosecution of anyone involved in the decision making process. 

They probably try to invoke the "evil weed" scenario and attempt to make the victim out to be some kind of addict.

[me]

That whole deal stinks and it sounds like they're kicking into cover up mode now.   

[Henry Hawk]

Now, I normally like to give the benefit of a doubt to side with those who serve to protect us.  In this case, I think it is clearly an outrage, and without actually hearing all of the evidence, I would have to say that I hope this guy can sue the crap out of this PD.  This is the kind of crap that give the thousands and thousands of great, honest, hard working police officers out there a bad name.  I agree that the judge who gave the warrent should be questioned.

I also think it is a shame, that 95% of the time, cops are doing the job that they are trained to do with honor, and rarely get any respect.

I agree that THIS kind of sting operations for pot and drug users is a waste of taxpayers dollars.....these resourses can be better applied for alot of other crimes, that is for sure.