Next time don't raise Japanese Maples
A friend of mine, Dan Ingberman, writes me about what appears to be a particularly egregious law-enforcement case. Dan summarizes it well:
Short version: cops invaded this guy's house with a SWAT team based on an informant. Turns out the informant had burgled the guy's house a few days before. Informant told cops guy was growing pot in his detached garage. Actually he was growing japanese maples. For some reason cops thought they'd kick down his front door. He didn't know they were cops and fired. Guy may have been scared due to recent burglary. They are charging him with first degree murder.
No marijuana charges.
Labels: LawEnforcement
posted by John Lott at 12:06 AM
6 Comments:
Not the first time something like this has happened. Remember when a SWAT team acted on bad information and broke into some guy's apartment in Minnesota last December?
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/12/minn-man-shoots.html
So much for doing a little recon' or investigation first... "naw, we'll just ram his front door after gassin' this dope-head." Wonder if they even identified themselves properly before bashing in. Without proper announcement, probable cause and a warrant the police are treading upon this being viewed as an attack rather than law enforcement. If so this homeowner should be viewed as acting in self defense against an overwhelming armed force enterring his home.
No-knock warrants are evil, and dangerous for everyone involved.
The CATO Institute has an illuminating graphic of the USA plotting botched police raids. It's not very up-to-date, but a disturbing chart nonetheless...
http://www.cato.org/raidmap/
oWhen copys break in with out proper ident they are criminals.
This is another example of the state having to much power and thinking they can do anything they want.
Under Texas state law it would be legal to shoot back as the court found in the Waco case.
Radley at
http://www.theagitator.com/
has been all over this one since it happened.
Also, the "raid map" and accompanying white paper are Radleys work also.
These kinds of raids are out of control. If the cops are shot while performing a botched raid because they can't do basic investigative work then they only have themselves to blame. I sure wish I could end up on the jury, no way I'd convict him.
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