Maye on Death Row; Shot Police Officer breaking into daughters bedroom

The Hattiesburg American | January 23, 2004 | Hattiesburg American

[TennMountains]

Only a link and title are allowed for any material from Gannett Publications.

[GregoryFul]

So what is your theory on why Maye did not invite the cops in?

[Riley]

So what is your theory on why Maye did not invite the cops in?

My theory? My understanding is that this occurred when the guy was asleep. He is awakened by someone trying to break the door in. I don't believe that this guy even knew that they were cops- witness the fact that he stops firing and disconnects from the weapon as soon as it becomes obvious that they're cops.

Besides- if he had known that they were cops, what sense would it make to shoot at them if he doesn't have drugs or other contraband in the house? He'd just be setting himself up to be screwed.

[Baraonda]

"I wonder if they even bothered to find out there was a kid there who would have been endangered in the raid process."

The cops need not find out whether a child is there or not when they do a bust. But I agree that the child in the premises endangered her life. The child should have never been there. Children having children is a dangerous combination.

[GregoryFul]

That seems to be most plausible to me, as well. To me, Maye was clearly protecting his child and his person against an unknown assailant. It is too bad that this country has deteriorated to the extent that police are allowed to use such dangerous and obviously unconstitutional tactics to apprehend suspects, in the name of efficiency.

Think the founding fathers of this country did not appreciate the obstacles they were attempting to establish against the tyranny that so many here are willing to accept?

Each citizen is equal to a cop, a judge, a senator, the president, etc., cops do not have any right to break into a person's home, suspect or not, unless having presented a legal warrent to the suspect, he resists. Suspects are innocent until found guilty in a court of law in accordance with legal process.

How many cops get capital murder charges when they mistakenly kill someone they misapprehend as a threat? 0.

[Riley]

At this point- I am interested in hearing what the other side has to say. Can't say for sure, but the blogger has indicated that he is going to be acquiring the trial transcripts. I am wondering what is in them.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Oh, come on, how can you be suspicious of a source called The Agitator?

LOL. I am trying to be logical and not let superficial things get in the way.

[SauronOfMordor]

The cops need not find out whether a child is there or not when they do a bust. But I agree that the child in the premises endangered her life. The child should have never been there.

Since I've not seen anything about drugs or illegal activity having actually been going on at that location (other than one anonymous informant's alleged report), it is not shown that this house was any more dangerous than your house or mine

Children having children is a dangerous combination.

I haven't seen anything in any article I've seen about the age of the mother. Where did you get that particular bit of data?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Thank you.

I am using this to try to decide who is getting their facts most correct here.

It does not really matter if the kid is a boy or a girl except that getting it wrong is a major error that speaks to the accuracy of the report

[Myrddin]

My local PD did a SWAT operation at 1:15 AM. The suspects were in a trailer. The officers announced their presence, followed with a flash/bang grenade and entered the premises. The suspect was waiting with a .357mag revolver. One officer took a round through both buttocks and one in the back that left a very deep bruise. Had he not been wearing his vest, it would have gone right though his heart. The other officer was hit in the collarbone through the vest. It broke his collarbone. The officers observed the 2nd suspect, a female, and a small child in the room. They didn't return fire. The suspects escaped in a car and were apprehended the following day in another city.

The SWAT operation was an arrest warrant for both suspects in the trailer. Both were convicted felons. They now face additional charges as felons in possession of a firearm and attempted murder of two police officers.

[labette]

"And?"

Couldn't help but notice you left off the second half of the fourth amendment. From SOME of the information posted here there does seem to be SOME doubt about the warrant. Do you have knowledge about this story that the rest don't? Perhaps we may learn more about this.

"I didn't see anything about dope and cop killing."

I didn't see anyone convicted of dope either. Have you really been reading the responses to your statements?

Your Joe Friday style of one-liners seems familiar to me but I can't recall where just yet. Your ability to ruffle feathers in only a couple of months is also noted. You'll find we squabble quite a bit, since different opinions are allowed here. {some call it freedom}

[Mojave]

Couldn't help but notice you left off the second half of the fourth amendment.

And?

I didn't see anyone convicted of dope either.

And?

[labette]

And they all lived happily ever after?
Then again, could arguing simply for the sake of argument be your only pleasure in life?

[F.J. Mitchell]

I lived in the area at the time, I didn't just hear it through the grape vine.

Would you please eloberate on your, "Uh huh"??????

[F.J. Mitchell]

First off, there is no reason to believe the cops ever did identified themselves. Second off, it was too damn late to start identifying themselves as they crawled through the window into the child's bedroom.

[Mojave]

Already posted, 229

prosecutor, Claiborne "Buddy" McDonald :
[...] There were 2 separate search warrants issued for 2 separate apartments in a wood frame duplex which were located side by side one of which was the apartment Maye was in. The warrant was not for the wrong apartment. The warrants were issued by a lawyer/city judge not a lay judge. The warrants were served at the same time by two teams. The testimony was that there were several announcements that they were the police and that they had a search warrant. The occupants in the apartment next to Maye’s allowed entry after announcement and there was no resistance. Maye did not. Porch lights were on in the front of Maye’s apartment and the uniformed officers and marked cars visible in the front yard and on the porch. The officers announced at the front door and then at the back door. The officer who killed was at the front door initially and then went around the back to the back door before entry was made. The defendant Maye testified and the jury did not believe him. You really need to get a copy of the transcript to get an understanding of the entire case. You can get it from Cecilia Fillingame the court reporter in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. If the officer had not had a valid warrant and right to be there the trial judge would not have allowed the case to go forward.

[Mojave]

Would you please eloberate on your, "Uh huh"??????

What was his name?

[Mojave]

First off, there is no reason to believe the cops ever did identified themselves.

"The testimony was that there were several announcements that they were the police and that they had a search warrant."

[El Gato]

Morover, if no drugs were found, it's possible one of the three adults had enough time to dispose of them, especially if they were hidden close to the toilet flush

Or maybe there were no drugs and the original tip was bogus. The tip was reported to the slain officer anonymously, it was not something the police developed on their own through surveillance or following leads from other cases.

My notion is that if there are so few drugs that they can be quickly flushed down the toilet, it's not worth risking the lives of the officers and possible Innocent "civilians". Just serve the warrant as they are supposed to be served, by knocking on the door and presenting the warrant to the suspect.

[F.J. Mitchell]

I don't remember his name after all these years, and the those who turned his body into Swiss Cheese , probably don't either. You may be able to find that information , by digging into old records from the files of the Portales, New Mexico, Police department. Or from early 1980's issues of the Clovis, NM, News Journal.

[F.J. Mitchell]

There was no such announcement in the data, I read.