Wrong Door Raid and Flash-Bang Grenade Heart Attack Provoke Lawsuits

Reason ^ | October 13, 2011 | Lucy Steigerwald

[Immerito]

A few victims of the drug war's "standard procedure" are fighting back in court. First, a Colorado Springs woman who suffered a heart attack during a raid has brought a lawsuit:

Rose Ann Santistevan, 71, is suing for medical expenses and noneconomic losses such as pain and suffering.

An emphysema sufferer, Santistevan was alone in bed receiving oxygen on Oct. 6, 2009, when a multijurisdictional SWAT task force with a search warrant surrounded her home in the 200 block of South Prospect Street. They threw in a flash-bang grenade before rushing in with guns drawn, authorities have confirmed.

Stricken by a heart attack, Santistevan was admitted in critical condition at Memorial Hospital Central, where she remained for several days. A search of her home yielded no arrests and turned up no drugs, the family said.

[magslinger]

Every cop involved in a wrong address raid should be prosecuted for illegal entry, breaking and entering, kidnapping, committing a felony while armed, etc, etc, etc, etc. I’ll bet you wouldn’t need to do that more than twenty times before every cop is triple checking the address and the wrong addres raids STOP.

[ml/nj]

All the SWAT ‘horror stories’ I see involve bungled drug raids. Bad informant info, sloppy warrants, etc.

Guess you missed the Branch Davidians.

ML/NJ

[goat granny]

Opps, I shouldn't question anyone smarter than me..(a compliment not insult:O) Military service runs though my family...Ouchy....During my 2 son's years in the military, One Air Force, One Navy, each one has at least one time when they questioned what they were being told to do...One ended up in the brig one time (if I am remembering rightly what I was told) and lost stripes. The other situation, the one giving the order was wrong and my son knew it and refused...(they were in the service during the cold war, no active fighting)

Your one of the good guys also....were you in JAG? a military lawyer?

The military doesn't have to deal with unions, so its a tad different to get rid of the bad ones when it comes to LEO.

Question---what did you mean by *you lasted too long*, just curious and of course you don't have to answer...GG

[Daaave]

Stupidly, I thought an over due library book (A Seinfeld episode). Theft, after all there was a search warrant. And then I thought embezzlement. Fraud is as good a guess and any.

We would have to know more facts. And the Dept. of Education isn't talking.

[bamahead]

Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!

[bamahead]

ping.

[Psalm 144]

“A bigger question is why there are so damned many local law enforcement agencies equipped with paramilitary equipment and units.”

It is the bigger question. So far, without good answer.

[Psalm 144]

“But who’ll tell us which flowers we can’t grow?

Can’t be having felonious farming or aggravated agriculture occurring. Why society would collapse into a bunch of illiterate thug gangster wannabees.”

Goodness! One might even be elected President that way!

[Still Thinking]

Why society would collapse into a bunch of illiterate thug gangster wannabees.

That segment already has the Presidency. Might as well let em have the rest.

[Still Thinking]

I see that phrase struck you the same way it struck me.

[SuperLuminal]

Surprised that they didn’t tase her for being non-responsive after they got in...

[SuperLuminal]

.Those that followed orders and assumed the above was properly done, are of a lesser degree responsible...It starts at the top with the commander.."

Yep...Although I'm old enough to remember that excuse being used post-WWII by concentration camp guards and railroad engineers (first-hand on RR engineers)...