Posted on 10/08/2014 8:24:26 AM PDT by redreno
Phillip Smith at the Drug War Chronicle sums up the news reports detailing the latest casualty in the never-ending U.S. war on drugs.
A Georgia SWAT team shot and killed an armed homeowner during a September 24 drug raid sparked by the word of a self-confessed meth addict and burglar who had robbed the property the previous day. No drugs were found. David Hooks, 59, becomes the 34th person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.
According to WMAZ TV 13, Laurens County sheriffs deputies with the drug task force and special response team (SWAT team) conducted a no-knock search on Hooks home in East Dublin on the evening of the 24th. When the raiders burst through the back door of the residence, they encountered Hooks carrying a shotgun. Multiple deputies opened fire, shooting [and] killing Hooks.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“paid leave”...lawsuit...city pays...taxes increase
and the wheels on the bus go round and round.
Yeah, let's start kicking in the door of a house that got robbed, the owner won't at all be jumpy and assume it's the robbers again, honest!
There is NO WAY this guy deliberately tried to hurt cops.
Any claim that “they announced themselves” so the homeowner could understand, or gave him a chance to disarm are LIES by a bunch of killer thugs.
Any judge signing a no knock warrant must be present at the scene and all swat operations must be bonded for 5 $ million liability.
Makes ya wonder who’s reeeeally on drugs?
Ping.
It wasn’t even a no-knock warrant, that’s just how the cops roll these days.
Big government authoritarians around here love this stuff. A little collateral damage is worth it to put a boot on the throat of “those people” you know.
No knock warrants just need to end. Along with confiscation of anything before conviction.
And no - I’m not soft on drug use.
When a toy kills one kid, millions of units are recalled and an enormous investigation is launched to determine why, possibly changing laws about toy safety permanently. How many innocent people need to die in the Drug War before the first look is made at the paramilitary tactics police have now adopted?
Different drugs, of course. Anabolic steroids are much more dangerous than most drugs.
The robber should be tried for felony murder. Then again, so should the cops and for that matter the judge who signed the warrant. If there was even a warrant.
I read this the other day and there is NO EXCUSE FOR THIS,
The Gestapo Agents that convinced to NON DEPUTY compliant magistrate to issue this Warrant deserve to be on DEATH ROW. Every LAST PERSON INVOLVED DESERVES 20 to LIFE.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE
I would blame the magistrate or judge that issued the warrant on lousy probable cause...
Another reason why LEO should be required by law to wear body cameras. Assume that the sheriff is lying, unless it’s on video.
I’m surprised the cops didn’t plant some drugs after the fact to give themselves some cover. I guess they don’t even fear the consequences of their no-knock raids gone wrong any more. Why should they? Cops are never held responsible for these kinds of screw-ups - rarely does someone even get fired for this sort of disaster.
The warrant did not allow for a break in of the man’s house. Every one of those jack boots deserves to ride the needle over this man’s murder.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.