Family feels violated by cops' raid (kicked in doors, used tasers, looking for bad check suspect)

Florence News ^ | 2.3.05

[ambrose]

Family feels violated by Chandler cops' raid

Staff Reports, Florence Reminder February 03, 2005

A Florence family said they were shocked when Chandler police broke down their door as they slept and barged in with weapons drawn, supposedly looking for a bad-check suspect.

Male family members were handcuffed, and one was stunned with a Taser weapon. He claimed he was not resisting or threatening.

Clifton Jones said his family has always been law-abiding and didn't deserve this treatment. No arrests were made. A Chandler police spokesman declined to comment on a continuing investigation.

The family was left on its own to repair the door, at a cost of about $300.

Six to eight Chandler officers, accompanied by three Florence police officers, served a search warrant at the Jones residence at 75 W. 12th St. late last Thursday morning. Some family members had worked late shifts the night before and they were all still in bed when the officers arrived around 11:30 a.m.

Clifton Jones, 26, said Chandler officers kicked in his and his 18-year-old brother's bedroom doors, and he, his brother and father were all handcuffed. They also ordered his mother, Mary Lou, onto the floor. Mary Lou Jones said she refused because of a bad knee, and instead sat in a kitchen chair.

Clifton said he was struck with a Taser, a weapon police use to stun unruly suspects, despite the fact he was cooperating. He said officers then searched the house, and he also gave them permission to search his car, because he had nothing to hide. They eventually unlocked all three men's handcuffs. The officers' attitude in the end seemed to be simply "We're sorry, have a nice day," Clifton said.

He said the suspect they said they were looking for, named Frank, has never lived at that address and hasn't lived in Florence for several years. Clifton said if the officers had merely knocked on the door, they would have been welcomed inside.

Florence Sgt. Clinton Buckley said officers did knock, on both the front and side doors. Receiving no answer, they broke through the side door by the carport. Buckley said he and two Florence detectives were there to assist Chandler.

Buckley said he didn't go in the house, but he did hear a Taser used once. He said he called for Florence Fire EMS to examine Clifton, and made sure Clifton had a shirt and shoes to meet EMS in the front yard. Clifton refused treatment, Buckley said.

Clifton said he and his family would like an explanation.

"There are good officers here (in Florence), I'm not blaming the whole department," Clifton said. However, he said he'd like to ask, "How come you guys let an outside agency come and do this?"

Buckley responded, "They (Chandler officers) weren't out of control, they were doing their job. Was it by the book? I don't know, I wasn't inside. Were we there to protect him? That's why medical was called."

Florence Chief Robert Ingulli said it was unfortunate, but it was "strictly a Chandler operation. ... it had nothing to do with us."

Chandler police notified Florence police they had a valid search warrant in the town limits, and asked that Florence officers be present, Ingulli said.

[international american]

Muzza been one heluva bad check........

[af_vet_1981]

Assuming no one was injured, the police should reimburse the family in the amount of several thousand dollars plus repairs.

[speedy]

Are bad check suspects normally apprehended this way? Sounds a little extreme, unless there is more to this story that isn't being reported.

[GeronL]

These kinds of things are happening more and more. People read these stories and then see that real criminals are allowed to go free and our borders are a joke and get more and more peeved all the time.

Charge the officers with breaking and entering, official oppression and destruction of private property.

[ambrose]

I think the TV show "Cops" has been a bad influence.

[GeronL]

My sister once wrote a check for $49 to a grocery store that bounced. Fines, court costs and other fee's amounted to more than $400. She was told she could be arrested at any time unless she paid up.

Just goes to show that police officers are watching out for the real criminals.

[BerniesFriend]

Nothing to see here..no harm..no foul..move along..

[GeronL]

I always hoped shows like that would tell crooks they look really stupid and to wear a shirt when they are getting arrested but they is too dumb to get the message.

A bad influence on cops, thats an angle I hadn't thought of.

[speedy]

So many laws are applied disproportionately. I'm not saying it's a good thing to write bad checks, but unless it is a long-term way of life, it doesn't seem like arrest at gunpoint should be part of the enforcement process.

[GeronL]

All she needed was a coupl of days. She should have used a credit card, as I have told her several times.

"Shut up Geron"

[jiggyboy]

Florence Sgt. Clinton Buckley said officers did knock, on both the front and side doors. Receiving no answer, they broke through the side door by the carport.

Probably true. One guy at each door, each knocking once simultaneously as they scream "POLICE!"; they received no answer in all of 0.2 seconds, so down goes the door.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

He said the suspect they said they were looking for, named Frank, has never lived at that address and hasn't lived in Florence for several years. Clifton said if the officers had merely knocked on the door, they would have been welcomed inside.

Someone should be fired for this

[Dallas59]

How much crack was sold down on the corner while the "bad" check people were being apprehended?

[deaconblues]

"Clifton said he was struck with a Taser, a weapon police use to stun unruly suspects, despite the fact he was cooperating. He said officers then searched the house, and he also gave them permission to search his car, because he had nothing to hide.

Sad, and disturbing, that people are willing to be intimdated into surrendering their rights because "they have nothing to hide."

If the officers had found a "roach" the headline could have easily read:

"Police Raid Finds Contraband; 4 Suspects Arrested"

[microgood]

No doubt the police are trying to dig stuff up on these people as we speak so they can threaten them with something if they try to get compensated for all the damage they did.

[GeronL]

exactly.

[pennyfarmer]

This story has nothing to do with a bad check.

This is about some cops that needed some training and hey its dangerous to break into a criminals home!!!

Here is how it all went down
Phil is new to the force so the other fellas grab the phone book and tell Phil to throw a dart... Later that same day a search warrant is issued and even later still they gather all the other cops who need some extra Taser, battering ram, or old fashioned assault training. They all show at the search warrant premises(their mark) and all have a hay day. The next day they issue a apology and walla its all better and Phil is qualified on the Taser.

[Dan from Michigan]

Damn. All this for a bad check suspect. These Florence jokers are the reason for the 2nd amendment.

[El Gran Salseron]

Florence, Italy?

If I say Houston everyone knows where that is.

The only Florence of which I have heard is the aforementioned.

In other words, where is this place?