Police goof in raid, city stalls on damages

Baltimore Sun ^ | May 7, 2009

[ellery]

Andrew Leonard was watching television with his wife not long after returning from Ash Wednesday services when police burst through the front door of his North Baltimore home. He was handcuffed, plunked in a chair and told to keep quiet as officers rifled through the house and interrogated him for 15 minutes about drugs and a dealer he knew nothing about.

As it turned out, police had the wrong house. The man they were looking for lived two doors down.

Leonard, a 33-year-old chemist who has no criminal record, said he and his wife, a 29-year-old credit analyst, were frightened and humiliated by the incident. But for the past two months, he's wanted just one thing from the city: for someone to pay for the damage to his front door.

-snip-

No-knock raids can be carried out through warrants signed by judges, or by police who determine at the scene that announcing themselves would present a safety threat or lead to the destruction of evidence.

Critics say the confrontational tactic, often involving masked and armed officers, is increasingly being used in situations that don't require such a volatile response.

A 2006 Cato Institute study found that hundreds of raids are conducted nationwide each year at wrong addresses, sometimes resulting in death.

-snip-

The city denied his claim to be reimbursed for the damage to the door. Leonard said he was told that since the warrant listed Leonard's address, the officers hadn't technically stormed the wrong house.

-snip-

Meanwhile, the old front door sat in the backyard for two months. Leonard said he called the city's bulk trash pickup, but no one came.

The city inspectors who issue tickets for garbage in residents' backyards did, however, and gave him a $50 fine. The door finally was picked up last Thursday.

-snip-

[Larry Lucido]

As a former cop, I agree 100%. Short of a life-or-death emergency, there is no reason for so-called “dynamic entry.” A (properly executed) warrent and a knock on the door is all that is needed.

[jimt]

No-knock raids should be an extraordinarily rare event, not a common occurence.

You are absolutely right. But when the motivstion is to play macho pig instead of police officer, this kind of crap becomes more common. Unlike the citizens who have to change their shorts after being terrorized by masked oinkers screaming obscenities, these JBTs have to from the orgasms they have.

Like the kids who pull the wings off flies or torture small animals, these people have no business in law enforcement, unless it's in communist China or Chavez's Venezuela.

I value and respect police officers: I detest pigs.

[AvOrdVet]

As a former cop... A (properly executed) warrent...

A (properly executed) warrant... Fixed for you. ;-)

[Larry Lucido]

I did proofread my warrants. :-)

Thanks.

[Still Thinking]

The city denied his claim to be reimbursed for the damage to the door. Leonard said he was told that since the warrant listed Leonard's address, the officers hadn't technically stormed the wrong house.

OK, simpletons, who does the JUDGE work for, or whoever filled in the address on the warrant? Just because the cops didn't screw up doesn't mean noone's responsible. Damages should be doubled on the grounds of stupidity. Is it actually the city's position that if a death warrant is filled out for the wrong guy, and the prison executes him, "Oh, well, at least the paperwork was in order. Move along, nothing to see here."

[ChrisInAR]

The problem is, the rest of the citizenry pays for it. Better idea: government employees, including cops, are held personally (and in the case of armed break-ins, criminally) liable for their actions.

Oh, c'mon now: you know that never happens...the police are always on top of things & should be given the benefit of the doubt. Even if it did happen, hey, we've got a War On Drugs to fight! You gotta break a few eggs in order to make an omelet, & if this is what it takes to make a drug-free America, then sacrifices must be made. < /sarc>

[wendy1946]

No possible way is the war on drugs worth it.

[The KG9 Kid]

"Whoops... Sorry, citizen. We thought you were someone else" PING

Click the link to be added to the "Whoops. Sorry, citizen. We thought you were someone else" PING list.

[Red in Blue PA]

These stories seem to happen once a week!

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

"The city denied his claim to be reimbursed for the damage to the door. Leonard said he was told that since the warrant listed Leonard's address, the officers hadn't technically stormed the wrong house."

There's some excellent Orwellian logic.

[Titan Magroyne]

Gawd, how I hate this crap!

I think I need to post my own doors, just in case. I’ve already had my water turned off once when the county meant to shut off the deadbeat jailbirds next door.

Elements of their family actually rented this house years ago, so I’m really screwed if the SWAT dummies don’t do their homework first.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

They inspect back yards?

[08bil98z24]

No possible way is the war on drugs worth it

I've seen way to many people support these violations of freedom, and even more alarming; I've seen many posts from Freepers who support these type of measures ...