Let me see…the police *think* you might be armed (gun registration what could possibly go wrong?), so they kick in your door, detain everyone forcibly, and shoot your dog because they’re looking for someone who doesn’t even live there.
So despite having done not one thing wrong, you’ve got a dead dog (and please, spare the me the nonsense about the dog “charging” you, it was a herding dog, not an attack Rottie–I remember meeting with former Aberdeen Mayor Fred Simmons who told me bluntly that he “wanted shots fired every raid, so dogs get shot even if they’re sleeping on the couch”) a door jamb to repair, and could have possibly been in a situation where you accidentally would have fired on police officers.
I’m sure there are reasons to execute no-knock warrants, but it seems invariably in cases like this the reasons just aren’t there.
[…] PGP: Let me see…the police *think* you might be armed (gun registration what could possibly go wrong?), so they kick in your door, detain everyone forcibly, and shoot your dog because they’re looking for someone who doesn’t even live there. […]
Pingback by SayUncle » Llewellyn said police had reason to believe a gun was in the residence, which was why they did not knock — February 6, 2009 @ 10:10 am
You need to spend more time on Radley Balko’s blog. A few months and you’ll realize that freedom for us peasants died a LONG time ago.
Comment by Mike Healy — February 6, 2009 @ 10:19 am
I’ll tell you one thing: my dogs are like family to me. I will defend them as vigorously as I would my own life.
If the cops come crashing into my home and decide to shoot my dogs (in the case of the MD Mayor, they reportedly chased one down that was trying to flee and shot it from behind) they had better be prepared for casualties because I WILL be shooting back.
I don’t presume to speak for my wife, but I imagine that she would be as well. She never had any kids so those dogs, for all intents and purposes, are her children.
Comment by Sailorcurt — February 6, 2009 @ 10:38 am
[…] I don’t honestly know why more people aren’t outraged by this stuff. I think a good part of it is that the media doesn’t really act like they care. You don’t have anyone out there building elite opinion against no-knock raids, because they happen to other people. […]
Pingback by Snowflakes in Hell » Blog Archive » No Knock, Dead Dog — February 6, 2009 @ 11:24 am
I’m the same way, Curt–it’s not like my neighborhood narcotics traffickers aren’t smart enough to yell “Police” when they kick in my door. Shooting at my dogs is a good way to get shot at.
If the door comes crashing in and shots are fired in my house, lead will be heading back in that direction. Why put officers at risk and put me in that situation? What possible law enforcement cause is served with that sort of thing?
Comment by Administrator — February 6, 2009 @ 11:32 am
You’d think executing raids successfully with NO shots fired would be the goal, the sine qua non of police excellence. Shots fired ought to mean officers temporarily lost control of the situation and had to use deadly force to regain control.
I’ve yet to see an example of a no-knock warrant that actually makes sense and is justified. “Oh, we gotta keep drug offenders from flushing the evidence away”.
Low tech solution: Maybe have city works cut the water first before you serve the warrant?
Less “sexy”, though.
Bursting through the door no-knock style and shooting pets is so much more Macho, after all.
Comment by JJR — February 6, 2009 @ 11:47 am
Very sad. Mike is right…freedom for us serfs is a thing of the past.
Jim
Comment by drjim — February 6, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
It’s stuff like this that will turn decent, law-abiding folks against the cops.
I’m not sure about going out in a blaze of glory defending my dogs, but I’m sure as hell going to look into reinforcing my doors and door jambs so that it will take a hell of a lot more than one of those stupid one-man battering rams or a crowbar to get into my place.
If they have to use breaching rounds on the hinges and lock, I might have time to go tactical…
Comment by rocinante — February 6, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
“I’m sure there are reasons to execute no-knock warrants…”
I’m not sure at all about that, Sebastian. I mean how much evidence can you flush or burn in the time it takes for the cops to knock a few times, then have a locksmith pick the lock for them?
If the home owner is armed, I can’t imagine how a no-knock would put the cops at any more of a tactical advantage than the hope that somebody answers the door.
Factor in gangs who’s MO is to pose as police to gain access to a home…or to lessen the chances of return fire in a home invasion, and cops getting the house number wrong, or getting some bad info from an informant. There is NO excuse for this tactic.
Comment by Weer'd Beard — February 7, 2009 @ 8:33 am
Perhaps society should get back to at least a modicum of common sense. Reevaluate, for example, why the hell the police are even going in (WACO is a burning example, no pun intended). Militarization of the civilian police force is extremely dangerous…not every berg needs a SWAT team.
Comment by Donald Pollock — February 7, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
Hey Sebastian–MSP wont renew, I haven’t been attacked or assaulted lately. Might be the perp knew I was carrying, you think!! You said you wanted to be kept posted.
Comment by Ray — February 7, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
Interesting! They renewed mine no problem. I wonder if the difference is media attention. Might be time to call up my buddy Steve Levigne at Fox News. I have a sneaking suspicion mine was renewed because they don’t want me on TV anymore bringing attention to how fucked up the MSP’s stance is.
Comment by Administrator — February 8, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
There ARE legitimate circumstances for a no-knock warrant–but so rare and so few that the presumption should ALWAYS be on the police to demonstrate that there was NO OTHER SOLUTION. Perhaps a kidnapper holding a child; certain national security situations involving WMDs. The rest of the time, the risk to both police and innocents is simply too high to justify such raids.
Drugs can be flushed, sure, but if the quantity is so small that knock and announce isn’t sufficient, then it’s not a serious enough crime to justify such practices.
Comment by Clayton Cramer — February 10, 2009 @ 10:16 am
Clayton pretty much nails it–doesn’t matter whether it’s dogs, mattresses, or walls being shot, the risks associated with paramilitary agents raiding houses and shooting at anything that moves simply aren’t justified by catching drug amounts small enough to be flushed.
Comment by Administrator — February 10, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
I have a letter that states I must show them “aprehended fear” i.e. assaults or threats, backed by police reports,by 3-02-09. I said that having the permit is the reason I haven’t had any problems.
Comment by Ray — February 10, 2009 @ 7:05 pm
Funny, the guy who threatened you doesn’t want to come after you any more because he knows you’ve got the means to defend yourself and so he leaves you alone…
And as a result, MSP doesn’t want to renew.
Sounds like a case for Steve Levigne at Fox News, the guy who helped with my case. 410 467-5595. Tell him I sent ya!
Comment by Administrator — February 11, 2009 @ 7:57 am
Raids with results such as this will not end as a result of lawsuits, internal investigations or the like. If the police kick the door you probably will not have a good opportunity to fight back, unless you see them arriving and get the .30 loaded with black tip. What needs to be done is, after the hubbub dies down, some months later, those responsible need to be systematically hunted down on an individual basis and dealt with. Only when they realize that there are consequences for this will this stop.
Comment by Mark — February 23, 2009 @ 4:53 pm