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TUCSON, AZ (CBS5) - CBS 5 Investigates has learned that attorneys for Pima County have agreed to settle a case with the family of a slain Iraq War veteran, who was gunned down during a SWAT raid at the vet's home. In the original claim, Jose Guerena's family demanded $20 million. The family's attorney, Christopher Scileppi, confirmed that the sides has reached an agreement, but that it still needed the approval of the county board of supervisors and the court. He did not say how much the family would receive in the settlement. At issue was whether an innocent man...

We need police to catch murderers, thieves and con men, and so we give them special power -- the power to use force on others. Sadly, today's police use that power to invade people's homes over accusations of trivial, nonviolent offenses -- and often do it with tanks, battering rams and armor you'd expect on battlefields. In his book "Rise of the Warrior Cop," Radley Balko recounts the rise of police SWAT teams (SWAT stands for Special Weapons And Tactics) armed with heavy military equipment. SWAT raids began as rarely used methods of dealing with violent situations, like hostage-takings. But...

The last update in the Jose Guerena case–5.2 on February 1, 2012–concluded, as have all the others, with many unanswered questions. What is known is that Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik claimed that it could take an enormous amount of time to investigate this case, and it could be a very long time before any arrests were made. This article, for those that have not been following this case closely, is a brief review of developments through Update 3 to bring you up to speed as I continue reporting and analysis. I’ll also add a bit of new information in...

Where was the Reverend Al when police killed Hispanic Iraq war vet Jose Guerena? Jay Stephenson GenerationSnooki.com March 24 2012 On May 5 last year, former Marine and Iraq war veteran Jose Guerena was just minding his business before police raided his Arizona home and opened fire, releasing more than 70 rounds in 7 seconds while his wife Vanessa and 4-year old son listened from a nearby closet. Armed with SWAT gear and an armored carrier, police no knock raided the Guerena home searching for illegal drugs that were never found. He was suspected of taking part in a marijuana...

TUCSON - The family of a Tucson man killed by a Pima County SWAT team filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Jose Guereña died May 5th, during a raid at his southwest side home, reportedly after he pointed a rifle at officers. The team fired 71-shots in all, nearly two dozen hit the former marine. Weeks later court documents tied Guereña to a drug trafficking ring; something the family's attorney said isn't true. Originally the Guerena family filed an intent to sue hoping to get a $20-million settlement. That never happened so the official lawsuit was filed by their attorney and...

Jose Guerena was killed by a Pima County SWAT team back in May. His wife, Vanessa, and 4-year-old son were in the home at the time but were fortunately unharmed when police fired dozens of bullets into the home. Guerena himself did not fire on police, but police reported he was holding a rifle when they broke the door down. Follow-up investigations have shown that Guerena was related to people likely involved in criminal activity, but Guerena himself appears to have been on the sidelines. Now Vanessa Guerena is filing suit against Pima County to the tune of $20 million...

The attorney representing Vanessa Guerena filed a twenty-million dollar lawsuit today naming all of the agencies whose members participated in the SWAT raid, Pima County and the several agencies employing them and Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. See the filing PDF link at KOLD.COM for the listing of names and agencies involved in the filing. Chris Scileppi, the attorney called the raid needless and in a report shown on KOLD TV channel 13 Tucson, a tape ran showing Mrs. Guerena at the door of the home, approached by SWAT members and dragged from the doorway across the gravel front yard after tripping...

No arrests have been made in the three months since Jose Guerena was killed by a SWAT team during a raid of his home that officials said was part of a complex drug-trafficking investigation involving numerous people. Stolen cars, drugs, cash and weapons were found in another one of the four houses raided that May 5 morning, but Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said no one has been arrested because an ongoing homicide investigation tied to this case is "much bigger." "We could go out and make some arrests today, and we could've made some arrests some time ago, but we have...

Pima County Republican Party leaders voted late Thursday to take party chairman Brian Miller’s keys to the GOP headquarters away and call a special meeting to try to remove him from his post. Miller has been under fire from party stalwarts for the past month, with multiple meetings called in recent weeks after he criticized a SWAT raid in May that resulted in the shooting death of a man law enforcement officers said they suspected of involvement in drug dealing. Several elected officials and party leaders have complained that his comments pitted the party against law enforcement at a time...

Tucson Police confirm that a weapon they found in Jose Guerena's home had been stolen in 2008. SWAT officers killed Guerena in his southwest side home last month when they went to serve a search warrant. Investigators say Guerena pointed an assault rifle at officers when they went in the house.

We want to know what you think: were SWAT officers justified in shooting Guerena?

The SWAT team that gunned down a former Marine in his Tucson, Ariz., home was cleared today of any wrongdoing in the incident. Jose Guerena, 26, was killed in a hail of bullets from the SWAT team, which broke down the door to his home on May 5 while trying to serve a search warrant as part of a home invasion probe. Guerena did not fire a single shot in the incident, but Pima County Chief Criminal Deputy Attorney David Berkman said in the report issued today that the five SWAT team members were justified in using deadly force because...

The SWAT officers who shot and killed a man while serving a search warrant last month gave at least two commands for someone to open the door before knocking it open, according to documents released Friday. The officers told investigators that, upon opening the door, they saw a man appear in the hallway holding a rifle before they saw what they thought were muzzle flashes from his gun. It was later determined Jose Guerena's rifle was on safety and he didn't fire at the officers. The Pima County Sheriff's Department released hundreds of evidence photos and transcribed interviews with the...

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Pima County Superior Court Judge Deborah Bernini has postponed her decision on the warrant unsealing in the fatal SWAT shooting death case that left Jose Guerena, 26, dead. Judge Bernini said during a hearing Tuesday afternoon that she needs to meet with Pima County Sheriff's Investigators to discuss why the records should remain sealed since information has already been released in the case. Mike Storie, attorney for Pima County SWAT and Christopher Scileppi, attorney representing the Guerena family have already spoken publicly about the case. Judge Bernini hopes to have her final ruling made by the end...

The man killed in a SWAT team raid last month had been under investigation by The Pima County Sheriff’s Department for 20 months as part of a major drug and homicide investigation, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Tuesday during an editorial meeting with the Star. But details of the investigation into Jose Guerena’s activities won’t be released because a criminal informant for the sheriff’s department could be in danger, Dupnik said. “There’s a chance that our informant is going to get killed,” he said. Guerena died after SWAT officers fired 71 rounds from the front door of his home in the...

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) – 9-1-1 recordings from a deadly SWAT shooting reveal some tense moments: 911: Is law enforcement at your house, ma'am? Is law enforcement at your house? (Are they) inside or outside your residence? Guerena: They are outside, but they came inside! They were inside. They were (inaudible) going to shoot me. And, I put my kid in front of me. They were going to hit me! 911: Ok, I need you to calm down. Fear and panic from the wife of decorated Marine Jose Guerena's. Vanessa Guerena called 9-1-1 the morning of May 5th, the day SWAT...

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - They are the best of the best responding to the worst situation in Tucson. Let's put it this way, when Police call 91-1 they get S.W.A.T. Little is known about the team members that make up Special Weapons and Tactics. They are the highly skilled and specially trained to handle every and any emergency. David Ortiz, a Medic with S.W.A.T. says," The goal for the S.W.A.T. Team really is to save lives." Before you sit side by side with the most elite part of the Tucson Police force on you to way to resolve a high risk...

Jose Guerena, 26, was killed when a SWAT team came to his house to serve a search warrant Guerena's wife, Vanessa, said the SWAT team did not identify themselves Thinking it was a home invasion, Guerena got his rifle Now, Pima County Sheriff's officials are refuting original claims that Guerena fired at the SWAT members. In fact, they confirmed his safety was still on when his gun was recovered. Also, officials said that reports that some SWAT officers' shields were riddled with bullets are also untrue. SWAT gunned Jose down with 71 rounds fired in just about seven seconds; officials...

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - 9 On Your Side has uncovered startling new information in the case of a man SWAT team members killed Thursday. Medical attention was standing by to try to save Jose Guereña. Paramedics waited more than an hour. Then deputies sent them away By then Guereña was dead.

The Pima County Regional SWAT team fired 71 shots in seven seconds at a Tucson man they say pointed a gun at officers serving a search warrant at his home. Jose Guerena, 26, a former Marine who served in Iraq twice, was holding an AR-15 rifle when he was killed, but he never fired a shot, the Sheriff's Department said Monday after initially saying he had fired on officers during last week's raid.