Gotta love stupid cops

[Sand]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071218/ap_on_...s/officers_shot

 

Gee, you would think that cops would first check out if the tip is accurate before bashing in doors, guns drawn. Luckily for the stupid cops no one got hurt.

[jaguars4ever]

And on that note, we can take solace that when they do catch them, they keep that locked up with Shawshank Redemption quality security.

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/17/nj.jailbreak/index.html

[Xard]

Lol @ nicking idea from Rita Hayworth

[Walsingham]

They sound like unpleasant chaps, but you have to give them points for style.

[Sand]

Sometimes I wonder where they get some of these guys.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Whatever happened to surrounding a place and shouting "This is the police! We've got you surrounded!" like in the movies?

[Tale]

It was a drug raid on warrant. It wasn't based on a "tip." Most likely the address on the warrant was written wrong. As for shouting that they've got them surrounded, that's usually when you end up with hostages taken and disposed of evidence.

 

A warrant should be more credible than that, however. This should, and from the article it is, cause them to reevaluate their procedures when conducting raids. They may be putting in some sort of verification steps in there, if they don't already have them and they just weren't followed.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Tale

[Sand]

Stupid cops world wide!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7149216.stm

[Nick_i_am]

Stupid cops, sure, but is nobody going to point a (mocking) finger at the moron who thought it would be a good idea to shoot at a fully armed team of SWAT officers?

[astr0creep]

Stupid cops, sure, but is nobody going to point a (mocking) finger at the moron who thought it would be a good idea to shoot at a fully armed team of SWAT officers?

 

That was my thought as well at first. But the article does mention that he dropped his weapon when he saw who he was shooting at...

[Sand]

They didn't identify themselves to him as police, busting in the house in the wee morning with no light. He saw them as intruders in his home which they are, cops or not. It was good that he stop shooting once he had the chance to see who they actually were, but they shouldn't have raided his home without verifying that he was actually doing criminal acts.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Sand

[Nick_i_am]

rofl @ 'doing criminal acts'

[theslug]

You know I've seen this show where they follow the swat team of varying states, usually Miami I think but they showed some Vegas ones as well and I never understood why their procedures were so utterly incomprehensible. Number 1, they have no form of reconnaissance so they have no idea if anyone is even home at the time of the raid. Two they destroy property for absolutely no reason. This one really boggles my mind, I mean I'd love to do it to for the fun factor which is why I think this type of thing was made in the first place, but it's highly unpractical. They'll hook a chain from the armored truck to a barred window and just pull out the entire front end of a house. Moments later they have 4 people on the ground, they know they've done drugs and such but the house is completely void of drugs or weapons. Thanks Vegas Swat, now tax payers have to cover for those scum bags and you guys are asking for another pay raise? I think it's time cops no longer exist. Systems of neighborhood watches regulated by the state would be much more efficient. Strong sense of community with guns and something to protect, sounds good to me. Keep the scum to waaaay down town and don't let them enter the pure sections of society. It'd be like something you see in a poorly written animated movie.

[thepixiesrock]

Gee, you would think that cops would first check out if the tip is accurate before bashing in doors, guns drawn. Luckily for the stupid cops no one got hurt.

 

They did check out if the tip was accurate, or did you miss the part where they went to the house? I mean, if it was a correct tip, and they just knocked on the door, then they would give themselves away, and put themselves into potential danger. If the tip was incorrect, under normal circumstances, then the worst they could do was bust into a house with innocent people and nobody would be hurt. They can't just predict everything that is going to happen. The best they can do is operate under what a normal condition would be. Also, you calling the cops stupid is ridiculous. It isn't their fault that they got bad information. Stop being such a freaking Hades.

[Aram]

This may or mat not surprise some people, but I am completely against the use of no-knock warrants and in fact SWAT teams altogether. There's just something about regular police men dressing up and acting like military special forces that bothers me. Peace officers simply shouldn't require flash grenades and armored tanks to do their jobs, and when they have them, they're going to use them, and they're going to stop acting like police officers and more like Navy SEALS.

 

And then we have incidents like this where they not only get the address wrong, but spook an innocent man out of bed without announcing that they're police, almost get themselves killed (if he'd had a rifle instead of a shotgun, we'd have several dead cops), and then fire "20 to 30" rounds with submachineguns into a home filled with six children, all of them completely off target.

[Sand]

They did check out if the tip was accurate, or did you miss the part where they went to the house? I mean, if it was a correct tip, and they just knocked on the door, then they would give themselves away, and put themselves into potential danger. If the tip was incorrect, under normal circumstances, then the worst they could do was bust into a house with innocent people and nobody would be hurt. They can't just predict everything that is going to happen. The best they can do is operate under what a normal condition would be. Also, you calling the cops stupid is ridiculous. It isn't their fault that they got bad information. Stop being such a freaking Hades.

 

Nobody would be hurt? For godsakes, man, there was gunfire involved and children in the house. It could have easily turned into a bloody massacre. I don't care if they have a warrant or not, you don't go bust someone's door down with guns firing. If they are unsure of the situation they shouldn't have weapons drawn. Is it their fault they got bad information? No, but it is their bloody fault for acting on that bad information. The cops were lucky, that is all. Next time they pull this sort of crap, the next innocent house they shoot up may have deaths involved.

[Tale]

This may or mat not surprise some people, but I am completely against the use of no-knock warrants and in fact SWAT teams altogether. There's just something about regular police men dressing up and acting like military special forces that bothers me. Peace officers simply shouldn't require flash grenades and armored tanks to do their jobs, and when they have them, they're going to use them, and they're going to stop acting like police officers and more like Navy SEALS.

 

And then we have incidents like this where they not only get the address wrong, but spook an innocent man out of bed without announcing that they're police, almost get themselves killed (if he'd had a rifle instead of a shotgun, we'd have several dead cops), and then fire "20 to 30" rounds with submachineguns into a home filled with six children, all of them completely off target.

I can understand being against no-knock warrants, but a stance against SWAT boggles my mind. How do you expect police to respond to armed groups with body armor and assault rifles? Just let them do whatever they want?

 

You could build an argument for limits on SWAT intervention, but not outright getting rid of.

 

I think it's time cops no longer exist. Systems of neighborhood watches regulated by the state would be much more efficient. Strong sense of community with guns and something to protect, sounds good to me. Keep the scum to waaaay down town and don't let them enter the pure sections of society. It'd be like something you see in a poorly written animated movie.

And absolutely nothing to stop organized crime, handle investigations, rural crime, or anything more serious than household robbery.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Tale

[SteveThaiBinh]

Wow. Apparently in the US there is actually such a thing as a no-knock warrant.

 

According to the Wikipedia article, deaths of innocents are very rare but do happen. I'm afraid I think it's a horrendous idea - and it's clearly not being reserved for only the most extreme cases - 50,000 a year now?

[Sand]

Even one innocent death is one death too many.

[Nick_i_am]

Judge Hades strikes again.

[Sand]

Judge Hades strikes again.

Are you saying that it is okay for cops to go into someone's house, unannounced, and opening fire on innocent people?

 

I think that the family of Kathryn Johnston (link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston ) would disagree.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Sand

[thepixiesrock]

They did check out if the tip was accurate, or did you miss the part where they went to the house? I mean, if it was a correct tip, and they just knocked on the door, then they would give themselves away, and put themselves into potential danger. If the tip was incorrect, under normal circumstances, then the worst they could do was bust into a house with innocent people and nobody would be hurt. They can't just predict everything that is going to happen. The best they can do is operate under what a normal condition would be. Also, you calling the cops stupid is ridiculous. It isn't their fault that they got bad information. Stop being such a freaking Hades.

 

Nobody would be hurt? For godsakes, man, there was gunfire involved and children in the house. It could have easily turned into a bloody massacre. I don't care if they have a warrant or not, you don't go bust someone's door down with guns firing. If they are unsure of the situation they shouldn't have weapons drawn. Is it their fault they got bad information? No, but it is their bloody fault for acting on that bad information. The cops were lucky, that is all. Next time they pull this sort of crap, the next innocent house they shoot up may have deaths involved.

 

I said, "under normal circumstances" where the owner of the house doesn't just pull out a gun and start shooting before seeing who it is he's shooting at. It isn't too far of a stretch for the officers to assume that an innocent person wouldn't shoot at police officers. They didn't "bust someone's door down with guns firing." They only fired AFTER they were fired on. Stop twisting things.

[Sand]

We have the right to protect ourselves in our own home. If I see someone busting through my door or trying to break in through the window I am going to shoot to kill. And if police officers do not state they are police officers how the hell is one is suppose to know? Middle of the night, low illumination, dark uniforms... Police need to announce themselves first.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Sand

[thepixiesrock]

We have the right to protect ourselves in our own home. If I see someone busting through my door or trying to break in through the window I am going to shoot to kill.

 

First of all, I think that's a ridiculous stance. It's also dodging the point I was making.

[Sand]

So you are saying that it is ridiculous to protect one's family and home from intruders? That is one messed up view you have.