Comments on: Maryland SWAT Team Raids Home on Hunch, Hits Husband in Face, Handcuffs Couple, and Shoots Family Dog — and Finds No Evidence of a Crime

By: Police vs. Pets (Guess Who Wins) | OhmyNews International

Police vs. Pets (Guess Who Wins) | OhmyNews International — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:05:20 +0000

[...] Maryland SWAT Team Raids Home on Hunch, Hits Husband in Face, Handcuffs Couple, and Shoots Family Do… (via Jonathan Turley) [...]

By: Prohibition: At What Cost? « Without Eyes

Prohibition: At What Cost? « Without Eyes — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:57:13 +0000

[...] all SWAT raids are drug related. In Maryland, a SWAT team raided three houses looking for someone who stole some stuff out of a police cruiser. [...]

By: J. Holt

J. Holt — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:14:31 +0000

I have no problem hunting down cops who pull this shit. Shoot my dog, threaten me – ANYTHING – and I’m going after the cops. To me it doesn’t matter if they were even involved. They all wear a uniform, and that makes them all guilty. They all have to go to sleep sometime.

By: Buddha Is Laughing

Buddha Is Laughing — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:34:42 +0000

Wow.

On the topic of what are the police thinking, check this out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/al-gore-your-heroic-tva-w_b_172480.html

By: Adam C

Adam C — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:40:16 +0000

I believe that no-knock warrants should absolutely be banned. The government should be compelled to announce its presence when it’s kicking down your door, especially if they are going to turn around and arrest the homeowners for firing back when they do. Also, there is no reason that they have to automatically kill the dogs in these situations. What ever happened to a little pepper spray?

By: Buddha Is Laughing

Buddha Is Laughing — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:07:15 +0000

Mike,

Again you cut to the chase. A tool is only as good as the user. Well done.

By: CCD

CCD — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:47:28 +0000

“This was a situation that required two detectives and perhaps a patrol car backup.”

Mike Spindell, your take is so well balanced. Demonstrated here as well.

“I would … much prefer to see SWAT’s on a State Police/Trooper level. Make them highly mobile, but let there be a damn good reason for calling them out.

The County and Municipal budgets cutters should closely examine these police units.

By: rafflaw

rafflaw — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:24:56 +0000

Alex,
You are right that they need to be trained with dogs in the house, but they obviously need more control in preventing their raids into the wrong homes. They also have to be able to admit that they were wrong before they will change anything.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:05:44 +0000

I don’t think the problem is directly that the SWAT teams are being used too much, the problem is that the highly boasted about ‘special training’ isn’t good enough. It’s not unusual for a family to have a dog, so they should be trained in how to deal with them, and shooting a running away dog in the back is not the right way.

Animal control officers, and even firefighters (http://stopbsl.com/2008/11/01/omaha-ne-article-firefighters-get-dangerous-dog-training/) have to deal with dogs, and they don’t get guns.

By: rafflaw

rafflaw — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:54:44 +0000

I would agree with Mike and Adam that the SWAT teams are necessary, but this kind of repeated abuses cannot be allowed. I seem to recall some other abuses that resulted when “no-knock” warrants were utilized. The information in the linked story indicate a very high usage of the the Swat Teams in that area. I hope the homeowner is successful in putting a serious dent in the police coffers. Those here who have criminal law experience, can the public get its hands on the transcript(s) of the hearings with the judge who signed the warrant to see what information the police actually had?

By: Mike Spindell

Mike Spindell — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:38:18 +0000

Adam,
I don’t disagree with you. The answer is oversight and respect for the law by the people who are paid to enforce it. SWAT teams in large municipalities make sense, but if your community/county is less than 250,000 people than it really is about ego. Secondly, the police should have access to the best equipment possible, but if like that small town police chief mentioned hear in the past few weeks, you think you need a tank, you’re overdoing it. I would in any event much prefer to see SWAT’s on a State Police/Trooper level. Make them highly mobile, but let there be a damn good reason for calling them out. In this instance using a SWAT team was like using a hammer to kill a fly.

By: Adam C

Adam C — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:15:49 +0000

Mike Spindell – I would agree that police departments seem to be abusing the use of SWAT, but I have a hard time questioning that they should exist at all. There will continue to be situations where the regular beat cops are out-matched by well-armed criminals. If the police had evidence that this guy was the culprit, but also had credible information that he was armed to the teeth, that would certainly be a situation for SWAT. Other cases, such as hostage situations, organized crime, and instances of extemely well-armed criminals (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout ) will all require officers who have “special weapons and tactics”. Like so many other things, the instances of abuse do not mean that something should be banned outright. What is needed is effective and ongoing oversight by elected officials who have to answer to the people.

By: Jericho

Jericho — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:20:11 +0000

Sounds like excessive force to me. Shoulda warranted that, no?

By: Joe Schmoe

Joe Schmoe — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:51:18 +0000

Thanks for the story. What sort of legal remedy does such a homeowner have against the police? Could the homeowner bring a viable section 1983 suit? Or does the fact that the cops had a warrant basically shield them from liability?

By: Mike Spindell

Mike Spindell — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:33:03 +0000

The para-militarization of the police, with establishment of SWAT teams was originally an offshoot of the War on Drugs and the claim that the dealers had better guns and equipment than the police, was a mistake. Their use has proliferated into overuse. After all if you’ve got elite officers, with expensive equipment, just sitting around waiting for emergencies its’ costly. This was a situation that required two detectives and perhaps a patrol car backup. SWAT tactics are such that they assume hostile resistance and barge in guns drawn, with brutal results. The fact that there is no reliable information on SWAT use and effectiveness is telling. Not to be crude but many of these teams exist for a type of “look how big my penis is” law enforcement theory dealing less with need than ego.

By: Sally

Sally — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:52:41 +0000

Wow….That’s just terrible. That’s a shame that they lost their family dog.

I too, wonder why was there a high powered rifle and ammo sitting in a car unattended overnight?
With the high costs of each one, you would think that the police department would do a better job at storing those items so that such things don’t happen.

Sounds like someone screwed up big time and that the police department was trying to cover their ass

By: Mike Appleton

Mike Appleton — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:14:12 +0000

I “have information” that Chief McMahon may be a dope.

By: Buddha Is Laughing

Buddha Is Laughing — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:48:26 +0000

Mr. Hasenei,

Good luck on your case and sorry about your dog.