[BipolarBob]

The SWAT team used a battering ram on Johnson's garage door, and in the fruitless search that followed,

Pretty sure I could have opened that door without a battering ram and with minimal damage (if any).

[GeorgianaCavendish]

Check out the Civil Rights Lawyer. He covers this stuff in West Virginia:

https://www.youtube.com/@thecivilrightslawyer

[Fido969]

Actually, there is video of the raid, and the cops with the battering ram had a tough time getting that door open.

The attorney had a great commentary:

In Silverstein's view, such lessons are necessary. "What we're saying is that the detective didn't have enough facts to justify a raid on our client's house," he notes. "He didn't do a proper investigation. He should never have asked for a search warrant, his supervisor should never have signed off on it, the DA shouldn't have greenlighted it, the judge shouldn't have issued it, and the SWAT team should have stayed home."

[Leaning Right]

What fun is there in having a battering ram if you don’t get to use it?
It’s kinda like having a tracked armored car. You’ve got to find reasons to roll it out.

[Boogieman]

“I could have opened that door without a battering ram”

But where’s the fun in that? If the cops are not allowed to use all their paramilitary toys to terrorize the citizenry, then what good are they?

[gitmo]

Pretty sure I could have opened that door without a battering ram and with minimal damage (if any).

But what would they do with the battering ram?

[arthurus]

When your preferred tool is a hammer, everything is a nail.