[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.

[pageonetoo]

No drugs were found.

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

[SauronOfMordor]

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.

This guarantees that the homeowner will be asleep at the point that they yell "Police" and it will not register. All the homeowner will be aware of is a loud crash and masked men charging into his home

[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.

[willyboyishere]

That's right---no drugs were found.
Mayes had no criminal record.
The police officer was the son the the Chief of Police.
IF they yelled "Police" and broke the door down, and Mayes didn't hear it because he was asleep, it would be logical for Mayes, or you or I, to run for a gun, if we had one, and shoot an intruder violently breaking into our house. The policeman was not shot because he would "find drugs"---there were no drugs, and it makes no sense that Mayes shot him because he didn't want him to find drugs
THAT WEREN'T THERE (We tend to know if there are drugs in our own residences.I am actually surprised that the police didn't strengthen their case by planting drugs, but they seemingly didn't think they HAD to strengthen their case. (They were right). Unless there is a lot more to this story, and unless there was a very strong case made to the jury, with total incompetence on the part of the defendant's lawyer, then an innocent man in sitting on death row.