Posted on 02/10/2005 10:18:05 PM PST by ambrose
Posted on Thu, Feb. 10, 2005
Report: Police fail to break into apartment where woman was killed
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating whether officers acted appropriately when they failed to break into an apartment where a 24-year-old woman was later found strangled.
San-dee King, who lived alone in an apartment house in the Frankford section of the city, was found dead under a pile of clothes that had been set on fire.
Police were called to the building about 1:45 p.m. Jan. 21 after neighbors reported a fire in the apartment. No arrests have been made.
Police had gone to the building earlier after someone using King's cell phone sent text messages to her friend, saying that King was in trouble. The friend alerted police and officers were dispatched to the apartment, investigators familiar with the case told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
King's father, Eugene King, who also had been alerted of the text messages by King's friend, headed to the apartment and asked police for help in forcing open the apartment door. He was told by police that they could not do that because his daughter was an adult, the Inquirer said.
The officers left, and the fire broke out shortly thereafter.
"The Homicide Division began an investigation, and during their investigation ... it became apparent that there was some concern regarding the manner and the way the officers initially responded," Police Inspector William Colarulo said Thursday.
The case is drawing parallels to the murder of 23-year-old Wharton student Shannon Schieber in 1998. In that case, two officers called to investigate screaming coming from Schieber's apartment decided not to break down her door. Schieber's body was discovered inside the apartment the next morning.
Her parents sued police, but an appeals court dismissed the case in 2003.
If they had smelled a whiff of pot coming from that apartment, they would have had an entire SWAT team busting down the place with battering rams.
Save someone's life? They can't be bothered. Off to Winchells.
Here's the lesson folks:
You and noone else are responsible for the defense of your life, liberty, and property. Do so by all means legally available to you.
L
who needs a gun? The police will protect you!
Obviously you've never had a Krispy Kreme.
Nice book title.
I'm wondering why they didn't break down the door, but where in the article does it mention that they didn't do so because of a donut break?
Meanwhile, the American Bar Association are investigating themselves to see whether they fraudulenlty overcharge some of their clients. And in Bonn, Germany, Skinheads are investigating themselves to see whether they acted appropriately when they beat a man senseless on a subway train in 2003.
I was wondering about that too.
I was on the SWAT team and never breached a door just because of a whiff of pot. Usually it was for some 9 to 5 drunk blue-collar type whose wife who just left him for some younger guy, got the house car and kids, was drunk off his ass and was cranking off rounds into the neighborhood. The narcs deal with the pot smoke btw.
Sounds harsh but maybe you should have just thrown his ex wife at him.
Not a bad suggestion for the next after action report 8>)
Of course, if the cops had broken down the door and didn't find anything, another subset of Freepers would be apoplectic that the cops entered without a warrant. And if they had gotten a warrant but she was in there and had bled to death in the meantime, a third subset of Freepers would have gone apoplectic.
The words "donut," "jackboot," "lazy," "fatassed," "unconstitutional," and "dumb" would have peppered the comments.
I respect the police but don't expect them to save you, because they either can't or won't.....
Dad may be an old man, or may not be very strong, and unable to bust down a door without the assistance of someone else.
Guns? Who the hell said anything about guns?? Of course citizens need guns! This chick probably should have had one and might be alive as a result.
Now, if you want to address what I wrote instead of a red herring, should the cops have 1) busted down the door without a warrant based on the information available, 2) got a warrant and busted down the door based on an affidavit stating the facts available, or 3) told the caller that the resident was an adult and they couldn't vioate her privacy? Hint: No matter what decision you make, you will be a dumbass in somebody's eyes.
asked police for help in forcing open the apartment door. He was told by police that they could not do that because his daughter was an adult, the Inquirer said.
What a joke. Am I to believe that all those doors busted down for drugs were homes of juveniles?
Oh, and for what it's worth, the dad should have grown some balls and busted down the door to check on his daughter. If he broke in on her and her boyfriend, oh well, he can always buy her another door.
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