Posted on 04/22/2020 5:39:31 AM PDT by marktwain
On 20 August 2015, in Brevard County, Florida, John DeRossett, 55, shot and severely wounded a Brevard County sheriff's deputy.
The agent was part of a sting operation, who were attempting to arrest DeRossett's niece, Mary Ellis, for prostitution. They had set up a controlled environment at a motel, but Mary Ellis did not show up. From floridatoday.com:
Brevard County agents set up a prostitution sting on Aug. 20, 2015, arranging to meet DeRossett's niece, Mary Ellis, at a motel where a controlled environment had been set up to conduct an arrest.
When she didn't show, the three deputies in plain clothes went to her Covina Street home in Port St. John, where Agent Peter Stead grabbed Ellis from the doorway while John “Casey” Smith and Jason Roberts hid in the darkened yard.
During their testimony at the immunity hearing, the deputies said it was unusual to go to a suspect's home for a sting operation when a controlled environment had already been established.
When she was grabbed, Ellis began screaming for help from her uncle, who was in a back room eating at the time, according to court records.
There was strong evidence DeRossett did not know the men accosting his niece were deputies. None of the deputies were in uniform. His statements, immediately after the event, and in the hospital, were all consistent with the belief that unknown men were attempting to kidnap his niece. He knew his niece had problems with drugs and prostitution.
DeRossett was retired. He had a concealed carry permit. He had no criminal record. He had taken his niece into his home as a favor to his sister. From the petition to the Fifth Circuit:
Wow! These police had no sense at all.
Yes, let’s trust those brave men who protect all of us from prostitutes.
A good decision.
Randy Weaver was acquitted in the death of a US Marshall for similar reasons.
L
You sound surprised.
One of them paid a heavy price for that mistake...severely wounded means he probably still isn’t back to normal. No warrant for her arrest and tried to grab her and pull her out of the door? Really?
The end.
Good.
Was she the only one in town?
Cops here in San Antonio could walk down Broadway and make 20 arrest a night. Most don't because they just view it as a pain in the butt and the pimps will have new girls out there the next night.
As long as there are drugs available, the pimps will apparently always have an infinite supply.
So I’m safe in assuming LE only do 3 AM no-knock SWAT raids on conservatives?
she was a pimp, or a madam or whatever.
The police risked the lives of citizens not involved in the case because any pushback to them challenges their authority and must be dealt with at any costs to others.
The same behavior is exhibited in a numbers states on lockdown.
I wonder why these cops had such a hard-on for this woman that they went to her house and tried to kidnap her. Without a warrant or probable cause that’s basically what they were doing. As well as trespassing in the man’s house.
There’s something the police are hiding. Unless these cops are simply that stupid.
This is part of the reason I belive in having some type of hardened entry or foyer. A locked storm door would allow you to open your front door but not allow a forced entry while the door is being opened. Even better if there was some distance between doors. But simple Ring doorbells or a security camera would allow you to at least see the person knocking before you open up. With double doors the outer door needs to be pulled open which makes it hard to bust open.
Also keep a garage door opener handy. When someone knocks open the garage door first - this totally distracts the whoever is at the door. They tend to back away from the front and turn around to see WTF is with the garage opening thus distracting them and giving you the upper hand.
Could be both.
“she was a pimp, or a madam or whatever.”
She must be a crappy one.
I know a couple of cops here very well. They would LOVE to have a pimp in their hands and practice a little ‘stick time.” Almost never happens. They know the law too well and have the girls too well trained (terrified) to ever expose them. Neither of my buddies has much interest in busting the girls - but if they had a solid reason to get their hands on the guy driving the flashy car - well that would be another story.
Good advise.
A short standoff distance is very comforting.
I have seen fences, and hardened porches which work well.
Cameras are becoming cheap and very useful.
I remember listening to Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk a few years ago when a caller asked why he would worry about drawing his weapon quickly in his vehicle while being pulled over. Tom said that it doesn’t matter who’s trying to shoot him, he’s going to do his best to defend himself. That if a cop was illegally trying to shoot him, he’s gonna shoot back if he is able to.
I completely agree.
And pray that none of us ever comes across that kind of situation.
Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for a whore. Don’t the police have anything better to do? If not, then we obviously have too many police.
This is part of the reason I belive in having some type of hardened entry or foyer. A locked storm door would allow you to open your front door but not allow a forced entry while the door is being opened. >>> Real security doors open out with pins at the hinges to prevent taking the door off. I have a steel one with 3/8 inch plexiglass. Battering ram will do nothing to the actual door.
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