Ex-Atlanta cops sentenced in deadly botched raid

FoxNews ^ | February 24, 2009 | KATE BRUMBACK

[rednesss]

ATLANTA — Three former Atlanta police officers who each pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge in connection with the death of an elderly woman during a botched drug raid were sentenced Tuesday to federal prison.

Jason R. Smith, Gregg Junnier and Arthur Tesler received sentences ranging from five years to 10. Kathryn Johnston, 92, was killed by police gunfire during the 2006 raid at her home.

[rednesss]

"But the judge said Tuesday Tesler was a "minor participant overall" and lowered the sentence to five years. She said the government's recommendations were "unduly harsh.""

Tell that to the corpse of 92 year old Kathryn Johnston.

[txnativegop]

Those sentences were far too light. LEO’s have a position of trust, and these three violated that trust.

[Natural Law]

Queue the “just following orders”, “officer safety first” police apologists attempting to excuse the actions as a reasonable mistake.

[trumandogz]

Another Slap on the Wrist for one of the Protected Class.

[Secret Agent Man]

I did not realize they also tried to cover up the botched raid by dropping baggies of marijuana in the apartment.

Also interesting is that the old woman fired 1 shot hitting nobody, the two officers shot 39 bullets, and only 5 or 6 actually hit her.

[rednesss]

This was no mistake, they fabricated evidence to get a warrant in the first place, then they stormed her front door, she got off 1 shot, they returned 30 something, shot her, left her to bleed out while they planted marijuana in the house to cover their a$$es. These jack booted thugs all deserved life in prison with no possibility of parole. Ever.

[rednesss]

"Those sentences were far too light. LEO’s have a position of trust, and these three violated that trust."

These guys deserved a lifetime of "no knock" warrants on their rectums by Bubba in Gen Pop at the Georgia State Penn.

[txnativegop]

Soooo Graphic!!! My eyes, My eyes .. . .

[Zuben Elgenubi]

You actually have to assassinate a ninety year old woman to get kicked out of the police union, the protected class.

[rednesss]

"Soooo Graphic!!! My eyes, My eyes .. . ."

[txnativegop]

Just what I needed, thanks!

Whew, seeing pictures of cats with mental problems always brings me back to my senses! LOL!

[theDentist]

additional info: Tesler, who did not fire a shot, was in Johnston's back yard when plainclothes officers burst in through the front door.

I'd say not even firing his weapon makes him more of a minor participant. Whether he helped plant drugs wasn't mentioned.

[rednesss]

I have a cat that has given me that exact look.

But seriously, this just pi$$es me off so badly, they hand out 10 year sentences like candy for burglary and petty crap, these guys conspired to violate this woman's home, and murdered her in the act. That's capital murder almost everywhere. And I don't care if the one guy was out back and didn't shoot. People are sent to jail all the time as accomplices and receive the same sentence as the guy who pulls the trigger, i.e. the getaway car driver. But his judge, oh, you have a badge, well I think this is unduly harsh, and if I could I would send you back to the force with back pay and all benefits..... WTF????

[rednesss]

"not even firing his weapon makes him more of a minor participant"

Kinda like the getaway driver at a bank robbery that ends up killing a person??? So he should what, get a parking ticket for blocking the fire hydrant and call it all good???

[theDentist]

Nope. he got 5 years. I’d call that sufficient.

[TheKidster]

You got it, there are laws for most of us and then there aren’t laws for them.

[rednesss]

You missed the point of the analogy, the getaway car driver would be prosecuted and sentenced for the crime the same as all of the participants and would likely face the death penalty. The law makes no distinction between the trigger man and the getaway car driver.

5 years is all a life is worth to you??? She was old, and wasn't going to live long anyways??? Senior killing discount???

[patton]

Actually, the federal code for deprivation of rights under color of law while armed call for a minimum of 10 years, maximum death, I think.

[Natural Law]

The main casualty of the war on drugs has been civil liberties. I am not a Libertarian but I am smart enough to recognize that, like prohibition, the profit incentive is too great for the government to compete with. Consequently, there has been an arms race between organized crime and law enforcement. Today nearly every middlesex and village has a paramilitary police force armed with automatic weapons, night vision equipment, an air force, and armored vehicles. The use it or lose it budgeting cycle mentality and the prospects of property seizures to finance even bigger guns more law abiding citizens are harmed are physically harmed and deprived of their rights by law enforcement than would be harmed by a laize faire drug policy.

[rednesss]

My point is illustrated in this story, this guy is being charged with murder even though it was his crime partner that was shot by the jewelry store owner. He didn't fire any shots.

A Chicago man with previous convictions for drug offenses has been charged with first-degree murder after the death of his alleged partner in the attempted robbery of a Southwest Side jewelry store, authorities said.

Carl Thomas, 26, of the 7800 block of South Yates Boulevard was charged initially with attempted robbery and attempted murder after another man, Marvin Groves, 41, was shot and seriously wounded by the owner of the jewelry store during an attempted robbery Aug. 13.

The charges against Thomas, who also was wounded by the store owner, were upgraded after Groves died because the death was the result of an attempted felony, authorities said.

Sergio Vasquez, the owner of Sergio V. Jewelry in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, has not been charged, according to police and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Thomas was sentenced to 2 months in County Jail and 30 months of probation in 1999 after he pleaded guilty to a drug charge, according to court records. He has at least two other convictions since then for drug-related charges, records show.