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.

[exDemocratbutnotRepubican]

As someone who owns land in Prentiss Mississippi, I can tell you that these cops aren't trained like big city cops. This was a local police raid? Not DEA, not FBI, not state police.

I can also tell you that EVERY house has at least a squirrel gun in Jefferson Davis county.

The truth will never be known. The cops will protect their own. They will say that they announced that they were cops before entering true or not. It was probably just a small town screw-up.

[Mojave]

Cops and Judges are crooked.

And cop killers are paragons of virtue.

/sarcasm

[wildbill]

Consider that most cops who break into houses want to get the door down and enter the premises as fast as possible--often to prevent dope from being flushed or to prevent the inhabitants from arming themselves.

The result is that they yell "Police" and take the door down simultaneously without any wait.

If the raid occurs at the prime time (early morning hours when most are asleep and not alert)then it's pretty easy to see how accidents occur.

Note that the raid might have been a mistake. No drugs were found.

[Cyrano]

I remember reading an article about this awhile ago (can't recall where or how credible it would be) that talked about how there's been an increase in the police going in without announcing their presence. The thought is that by announcing, they give the bad guys a chance to destroy evidence, prepare a more vigorous defense, etc. Instead, they bust in relying on surprise as an inhibitor.

If that's true, and it's what happened here, then it would seem to be relevant to the defense.

[Mark was here]

I know cop haters must love that headline.....

There is a difference between real cops catching real bad criminals, and revenue agents out just using their badge to make a buck.

I like real cops. I put revenue agents, "Just doing my job" in the same class as NAZI prison guards executing the prisoners, after all they were "Just doing their job!". These same revenue agents will bust in to your house and steal your guns, if that is what it takes to get their pension. Their pension holds more sway than their oath to defend the Constitution.

[YOUGOTIT]

"Don't know anything about the case, but even stupid cops will announce their presence before forcing entry, if only avoid being shot like this cop."

I do not think they announce themselves anymore. I remember reading something about if they announce the evidence can be flushed down the toilet. So they break down the door and shoot, as has been reported old women, disabled people with soda cans, etc.

The question is did they have a warrant? If so what was the warrant for or were they at the wrong address again?

[TennMountains]

You raise a good point, but one of the articles I read stated that the back door was also an entrance into the daughter's bedroom. Apparently this was neither a large duplex, nor a normal residence layout. The police apparently thought it was another door into the residence they had a warrant for, and for all we know, at one time may have been. But it would help explain why his gun was in that room. Further, I've seen nothing that would indicate this young man had any sort of criminal record. I can't help but hope there's something wrong with the information being put forth.

[Mojave]

the same class as NAZI prison guards executing the prisoners

That didn't take long.

[Mark was here]

And cop killers are paragons of virtue.

The "cop" killer or the "revenue agent" killer?

[Hardastarboard]

My brother-in-law stayed with us recently, and had to come downstairs to wake me up because my daughter had called after I fell asleep. He told me the next morning that he was afraid I would come up shooting, probably not unreasonable. Fortunately, he woke me gently, so I had no reason to believe anything bad was happening.

[Mark was here]

That didn't take long.

Are you saying neither "was just doing their job"?

[pageonetoo]

No drugs were found.

That doesn't stop the madness... this guy needed a better lawyer, or a different venue!

[El Gato]

Don't know anything about the case, but even stupid cops will announce their presence before forcing entry, if only avoid being shot like this cop.

Yea, but when they break in at O'Dark thirty, and announce from outside before breaking down the door, it seems quite reasonable that those inside might not hear or understand what is being said. Add to the mix that they had the wrong house, and so the occupants had no reason to expect such midnight visits from the police.

Of course the other police testified, most likely truthfully that they did announce, but it's their word against his. Now generally a murder conviction must be beyond a shadow of doubt, but when it's cop that's dead, especially the son of the Chief, the rules get bent a little sometimes, even when the police break into the wrong place.

I hope the drugs they didn't find, until much later that is, were worth the life of the police officer. Unless there's more to the story than is given in either story, this was a definite miscarriage of justice.

[khnyny]

This case sounds shaky. A young Black man with no criminal history, in a small southern town, shoots the police son of the local police chief in a drug raid "gone bad". No drugs are found in the house. Why aren't the NAACP or Jesse Jackson and company jumping all over this one and trying to get more information and/or fight for this guy?

[Riley]

Further, I've seen nothing that would indicate this young man had any sort of criminal record.

That sticks in my mind, as well.

[Jimbaugh]

Kicking in someone door and be hazardous to your health.

Crooked cops and judges are now the standard in America.

[Ghengis]

Southern Justice. Father was police chief, I lived in the south and justice is for sale. Cops and Judges are crooked.

"Southern Justice" for sale? There's many an area up north that is as corrupt -- or moreso -- than anything you will see in the south. NE Ohio is infamous for being owned by organized crime in their law enforcement activities.

That being said, I'd like to know more about this case. There seem to be a lot of bothersome details not addressed in the media accounts.

[SauronOfMordor]

Mayes is being held without bond on first-degree murder charges and faces a death sentence or life in prison if convicted. Mayes had no prior criminal record. No drugs were found at the duplex. Local law enforcement officials have refused to say what the officers were searching for or whether Mayes was a suspect in the raid.

Translation: they screwed up and busted down an innicent man's door.

I would acquit the guy on self defense.

[F.J. Mitchell]

The war on drugs has spawned unannounced raids-just kick in the door, and enter. Not saying that is what happened here, but it sure does smell that way.

We know that more than one innocent family has suffered from a raid at the wrong address. If this was one, it seems the innocent victems are damned if they defend themselves or persecuted if they do.