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.
please, you aren't allowed to stick up for police on FR unless they are killed by criminals. I think its one of the rules.
Hell, that's not gonna do ya any good. What about those areas where it's illegal to have a gun for self defense?
It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
I suppose. Most doors aren't very tough.
A window is the next option.
Not true.
It's simply that most of the 'police' stories posted here are when things go very wrong. The other police stories don't get posted because they are common and of no particular interest.
Funny how some people think that the police have guns to defend citizens from harm.
It does seem a little strange --- someone using King's phone text messaged someone and that someone called the dad and the police? If you were in trouble, it seems you'd at least text message 911 directly.
Cop hater alert.
Two text messages from someone using the murdered woman's cell phone. A friend called police. The woman's father made his way over to the apartment and asked police for help. Any way you factor it, the police should have at least talked to this woman.
The police seem to be dead wrong on this one.
Zod, That was uncalled for, many good LEOs have to deal w/DumbAss Liberal D.A./Judges and/or Lawyers...Good Gun control, is a steady hand.
"If it were my daughter and I thought something was going on inside the door would last about 10 seconds police or no police. I don't understand why 'dad' didn't take it down anyway."
Most apartment doors are heavy duty steel with multiple dead bolts and hardened steel frames these days. A sledge hammer wouldn't take them down in 10 seconds. Better to break a window and go in that way.
Her uncle was dying and "attempted" to kill his wife and did kill himself.
Even though she had been hit in the gut from a shot gun through the door, she managed to crawl to the phone and call '9-ll'.
They REFUSED to break in the house for TWO HOURS because they still thought her husband might be alive with the shot gun inside the home.
Needless to say....she BARELY survived the ordeal.
In my case, it should read, ". . . than carried by, uh, 12." LOL
Oh, where to start, my friend?
First, I never commented on what could have or should have been done, other than to suggest that 1) the chick might have been alive if she had been armed, and 2) that dad, if he REALLY thought she was in danger, should have kicked open the door and taken responsibility for his action. The comment you addressed was on a different topic altogher, if you'd care to reread it (hint: it has to do with the inevitability of second-guessing).
Your last two questions are completely presumptuous. If you care to know what I think the cops might have done under the circumstances, ask me and I'll tell you.
By the way, there are constitutionally permissible exceptions to warrantless entry, one of which probably applied here. However, "someone asked me to" isn't one of them. Unless you've discovered another penumbra in the constitition.
The supreme court has ruled that the police have no responsibility to protect you as an individual unless you are in their physical custody. We need to emphasize this fact at every opportunity, as one more in the lengthy list of reasons for the RKBA.
All my buddies think I'm full of hot air, so I should be OK. LOL
Yes --- I can see text messaging could have been her only option --- but also that maybe the police don't treat text messages to a third party as seriously as they might have treated a phone call.
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