Death raises concern at police tactics

BBC News ^ | Tuesday, 21 March 2006 | Matthew Davis

[Carbonsteel]

The recent killing of an unarmed Virginia doctor has raised concerns about what some say is an explosion in the use of military-style police Swat teams in the United States.

Armed with assault rifles, stun grenades - even armoured personnel carriers - units once used only in highly volatile situations are increasingly being deployed on more routine police missions.

Dr Salvatore Culosi Jr had come out of his townhouse to meet an undercover policeman when he was shot through the chest by a Special Weapons and Tactics force.

It was about 2135 on a chilly January evening. The 37-year-old optometrist was unarmed, he had no history of violence and displayed no threatening behaviour.

But he had been under investigation for illegal gambling and in line with a local police policy on "organised crime" raids, the heavily armed team was there to serve a search warrant.

[Travis McGee]

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

[absolootezer0]

and the officers whose incompetence cause these tragedies are rarely even disciplined

are you trying to say the 6 weeks paid administrative leave isn't a punishment? for SHAME!

[janetgreen]

Last week in L.A. the SWAT team (with two armored vehicles) was called out because one idiot who stole a car wouldn't exit the vehicle after he was stopped.

[Dead Corpse]

[archy]

In fact, they are acting as terrorists!

The unlawful use of or threatned use of force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives.

--FBI definition of terrorism.

[vrwc0915]

background info of the lubbock screw up:

http://www.lubbockonline.com/special/fatal_standoff/docs/TracyTaylor.pdf

http://www.lubbockonline.com/special/fatal_standoff/docs/shields_fbi.pdf

[river rat]

Dressing in black, masking your face and being armed with the latest black weapon --- doesn't make one a responsible LEO....

Too often, we're seeing the result of taking a "Barney Fife", or a self appointed "Terminator" and trying to turn them into disciplined and focused Swat Team members...

Ain't gonna work.... There are going to be MORE, not less of these unjustified police executions, or "friendly fire" killings of their fellow officers.

I doubt there are any training, physical or mental standards controlling the Nationwide rush to militarize the local Police Forces... I also suspect there is no rational guidelines to determine when it is APPROPRIATE to launch an assault on the home of a suspect..

I've seen televised Swat Team assaults on homes, that I KNOW would be met by fire if it were MY home.....

What the hell ever happened to the "knock and announce intention" procedure? Are we ALL assumed to be drug dealers attempting to flush drugs down the toilet -- or arm ourselves to resist the serving of a search warrant?

Semper Fi

[vrwc0915]

A lot of them are juicers which could explain some of the JBT'ery

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E1083520%257E,00.html

Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - A veteran Denver police sergeant and former SWAT officer is under suspicion in Arapahoe County for allegedly possessing steroids, officials said Tuesday. The Denver Police Department placed Thomas Lahey, 36, on paid leave after he received a package of what police believe is testosterone at his Arapahoe County home on Thursday. Investigators from the South Metro Drug Task Force then raided Lahey's home, seizing additional suspected steroids, 97 syringes, a steroid-use schedule, 15 guns and two computers, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said.

A 14-year department veteran, Lahey was not detained. Authorities are still trying determine whether the drugs in the package and in his home were indeed steroids, Robinson said.

Under Colorado law, steroids are considered a controlled substance, and possessing them is a felony punishable by up to six years in prison, Robinson said.

The investigation into Lahey began Dec. 23, when U.S. Customs investigators doing a random check found the suspected testosterone in a package addressed to Lahey from Great Britain.

[vrwc0915]

Check this link

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=7CBDCE299825FD9D5D3BD80824CC651F.hydra?id=460732

[OKIEDOC]

Abuse of the chattering class.

More police brutality, whats new? Sarc

[OKIEDOC]

I understand that several years ago a sheriff decided he would use the RICO laws to get land and money from a local rancher.

He sent out the SWAT team in ski masks and when the barefooted rancher stepped out of his bedroom with a pistol the man was murdered on the spot by the ski masked intruders who turned out to be the local SWAT team.

[OKIEDOC]

It's time to take a good look at what is happening with these military style police departments.

I know in the little town I came from we went for more that thirty years with just a 4 man 2 car police department.

Now we have 13 cars and 42 police personnel.

We now have a SWAT team and the officers have a military style uniform.

There have also been many charges of abuse filed against officers.

Now even routine stops demand two police cars be involved.


Damn shame so much wasted money when 4 used to do what it now takes 42 to do.

This seems to pattern the new land take away called eminent domain theft by big money men.

[afnamvet]

Sending a SWAT team in to a situation immediately escalates the possibility of possible mistakes being made. The decision to roll SWAT had better be made with all the information available and with expertly trained people.

[MileHi]

But he had been under investigation for illegal gambling

Wehehehelll. The world is a safer place with this dangerous criminal off the streets.\sarc

Just damn. The shooter needs to be brought up on homicide charges.

[Jubal Harshaw]

You may be referring to the killing of Donald Scott of Scott Paper. Yes, that Scott paper.

Mr. Scott was killed by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies as the deputies raided Mr. Scott's home in Ventura (NOT Los Angeles) county in a search for Marijuana cultivation. After the killing, an investigation by Ventura County District Attorney Michael Bradbury stated that there had never been any marijuana cultivation on the property, and that the raid was motivated by a desire to seize Scott's home. Seems that just having a nice piece of land near (not in) the jurisdiction of crooked cops is enough to get you killed.

[vrwc0915]

Given the level of training and years onthe job I don't think this was an accident if ya catch my drift

[MileHi]

Yea, I really do.

[cajun-jack]

was he holding saturday poker games with his friends and didn't invite someone that really wanted to play??

[King Prout]

once upon a time, there were almost no organized police forces within the United States. The people kept the peace. It was a function of the militia and private security, and was a common civic duty.

Then, police forces were founded, to some extent in response to the need to co-opt immigrants into government-funded jobs (the rise of "professional" police and fire services was in lockstep with the rise of machine politics)... however: once upon a time, police were "peacekeepers"

now, they are "law enforcement officers" in an ever-expanding "war on [whatever]" with an ever-expanding list of laws to enforce.

we, the people, are fast becoming regarded as collateral items in a war zone - not directly targeted, but... only "oops-worthy" if broken accidentally.

[FreedomPoster]

Nice username.

We need the JBT/boot on face/flashlight in face/1984 image on this thread.