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Posted on 05/14/2011 4:58:54 AM PDT by WaterBoard
A Pima County Sheriff's Department SWAT team shot and killed Jose Guerena eight days ago; it was executing a search warrant.
Four days ago, in a news conference, a sheriff's deputy said the department makes it clear when SWAT is about to enter a home. Lt. Michael O'Connor says SWAT says it never wants to be mistaken for other people, "We had our large armored vehicle there with the markings on it. It also has lights and sirens. It was going. So we do everything we can to try to portray the image that we're law enforcement, we're not home invaders."
But, Guerena's wife, Vanessa, who hid in the closet with her youngest son while 71 rounds were fired her husband's direction, said she heard nothing. At any point did you hear them yell, ‘police" or ‘SWAT'?" KGUN9 asked. "No, no!" answered Guerena.
A neighbor who heard the shooting corroborates the wife's account, "The only sirens I heard out here were like maybe 20-30 minutes into the entire ordeal," said David Watson.
Watson is very familiar with gunfire and stressful situations; he's a Vietnam combat veteran, "I want to make this as clear as possible: you only heard the announcements after you heard the gunfire?" asked KGUN9 reporter Joel Waldman. Watson quickly answered, "Yes!"
(Excerpt) Read more at kgun9.com ...
From a safety standpoint (for all involved), it seems senseless to bust down the door and rush into the unknown.
Workable, open and above board policy would be to disband these JBT units and go back to normal police type tactics were officer friendly knocks on your door tells you there is a warrant to search your home.
If you don't comply with a lawful warrant, call in SWAT
Shades of Waco.
Looks like war has been declared on the citizen, only they didn’t bother to tell anyone first.
Even if the home invasion was at the right house. 71 rounds INSIDE a house with women & children present? That is probably more rounds fired at the Marine and his family than the Seal Team 6 used in taking out bin Ladin. Something is fishy and smells and it ain't fish.
...and according to some reports his AR-15 safety was still in the on position
One day these JBT will kill the wrong person and there will be hell to pay
I seriously doubt that. In southern Arizona? A huge percentage of the population here has Hispanic names including many members of the Pima County Sheriff's Dept. and the SWAT team.
No, I think the Sheriff's Dept went to the wrong address. Once there, their adrenalin was up, they saw an armed man and they shot first and asked questions later.
Now they are in CYA mode. I also would question any “evidence” the Sheriff's Dept produces. This case screams for an investigation by the Arizona Attorney General.
IMO, this is not a racial issue. This is a problem with the Sheriff's Dept in general and their SWAT team in particular.
No call in more officer friendly, enough with the military weapons BS.
Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik
Exactly. That man is too muddled to be a sheriff.
Read John Ross's novel UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
Yea, wel that will cost about $100 for a used one or $200+ for a new one. Too bad I loaned mine, never got it back...
You can download it on Scribd.com...
It’s kind of sad to remember SWAT’s origins; to help provide added security for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics following the terrorist attack in Munich and the heightened terrorist threat of the early 1980’s.
Daryl Gates and another LAPD officer named John Nelson pioneered the concept in the 1960s, following the Watts riots. By the 1970's there was a prime time TV series "S.W.A.T." It was all in place long before the '84 Olympics.
Thank you.
Looks like you have to sign up for face book; I’d rather not.
Shame I loaned my copy and never saw it again.
Do-oh! I was thinking of the German counter-terrorism team and accidentally combined the two. Sleep, I need sleep.
Yep, GSG9 grew out of the ‘72 Olympics. Americans began trading liberty for security sometime before that.
It’s kind of sad to remember SWAT’s origins; to help provide added security for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics following the terrorist attack in Munich and the heightened terrorist threat of the early 1980’s.
But we have been warned about the evils of big government for as many years as i have paid any attention to politics, the government agency’s that are put together for a certain purpose is always escalated into something else.
The first sheriff and marshals that i ever knew did not even carry guns, now some of them even strap on their bullet proof vest when going on duty in this little one horse town.
And it is not because it is more dangerous today, in fact since the mines have closed down the bars have closed down, there are fewer people, it is much more peaceful to day than it was back then, they are laughed at today, but back then they would have been laughed out of town.
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