Posted on 10/24/2011 1:49:30 PM PDT by Immerito
(CN) - A group of Chicago police officers armed with weapons and a warrant violated the Constitution and may face sanctions for barging into the wrong house and threatening to shoot a mother and her kids, a federal judge ruled. On June 7, 2009, Officer Billy Gonzales applied for a warrant to search the first floor of 3811 West Diversey Ave., based on the tip that it was a Chicago crack house. The application was granted. The next day, the police executed their search at 3815 West Diversey, the building next door to 3811. The officers approached the building through the alley in the rear and broke down the back door with a sledgehammer. Two officers stayed outside to watch the building entrance. Startled by the noise, Nancy Simental walked upstairs from her basement apartment with her two children. She claimed to find police pointed their guns at her and saying, "Don't move or I'll shoot you." When she asked the police to put their guns away because children were present, a policeman repeated that he would shoot Simental and another pointed a gun at the children.
(Excerpt) Read more at courthousenews.com ...
Hats off to our Servants of the State!
Sadly, if the mother had pulled out a firearm and shot the intruders who threatened her and her children, she would be despised here as a “cop killer”.
But change the identity of the intruders to “any non-police intruders” and the same Freepers would regard the same act of self-defense as the work of a heroic mother defending her children.
Since some police want to act like common criminals, they should receive the just desserts of engaging in criminal activity—in this case, unlawfully entering a private citizen’s home and threatening bodily harm to a lawful citizen.
Yes.
I am a police officer on a very large city force. My brother was, until recently, a narcotics detective in a neighboring county. He demanded to be transferred out due to the disgusting practices he observed in the narcotics unit - very sloppy warrants, warrants obtained with dubious probable cause, and seizure of legal weapons from gun owners during raids based on these warrants.
My brother and I both got into law enforcement to protect the rights of law abiding citizens. Unfortunately, some of our “brothers in blue” see their mandate as quite the opposite, particularly those who are political appointees (chiefs) and other career law enforcement executives.
And, of course, some cops are just thugs with badges.
Sounds like you and your brother are two of the good guys.
Thank you for your service.
It sounds like you need to start cleaning house.
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