Posted on 02/08/2005 11:07:39 PM PST by ambrose
Cops stage raid during toddlers birthday party
Little Rock police say woman inside was selling marijuana
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:09 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2005
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A surprise of a different kind during a 2-year-olds birthday party in Little Rock.
Police on a drug raid burst into a suburban home during a childs birthday party, startling children as they were about to enjoy their birthday cake.
Authorities say the woman hosting the party for her niece is accused of selling marijuana from the house and had been the subject of a stakeout for the past several weeks. Police didnt know about the party.
Police Chief Richard Friend said at the time of the raid, the woman was in the master bedroom smoking marijuana and taking calls from prospective pot customers.
He says that as his officers burst through the door last Friday, the kids started crying. He says the phone kept ringing with calls from customers.
Friend said one of the first things he did after he realized what was happening was to order his officers to holster their guns.
Some stakeout if they didn't notice all the kids coming over for the birthday party. ;)
My thoughts exactly.
Bingo.
Yup. Big tactical no no. If just for safety alone for everybody, keep eyes on until you breach the door.
what? they weren't invited?
Well, coulda been worse. Coulda been an older lady's party, and the raid was mistaken for a very expensive strip-o-gram...
Welcome to FR btw
What a role model.

Toking and selling during your 2 year old niece's birthday party. Lovely...
Yeah right..... the cops didn't know there were a bunch of little kids in the house. But yet, they DID know that this woman was on the phone making drug deals.
When they realized their mistake they apologized and left.
My wife called me at work, shaken.
I had a nice talk with a police lieutenant about the incident and let him know that if I were a Democrat he'd be talking to an attorney and not to me, and if it ever happened again he would be talking to an attorney....
Just say no...
Be happy they didn't shoot your dog. That's LEO modus operandi... kill any dogs present during a raid... that includes cocker spaniels.
I don't have a dog, but if they'd have gotten the neighbors I wouldn't have minded.
Am I the only one who thinks that these barge in tactics by the police are taking place when there is the most public notice? We see the cops taking down a criminal while he is in a store or in a public place. If they have been following criminals, for who knows how long, why do they wait until they get into the public arena? I hate to use the term "showboating" in regards to police actions, but hey, give me a good reason why it is happening this way.
Maybe they were looking for Elian?
The cops in LR are not the brightest bulbs on the planet.
But they must have stayed at the Holiday Inn last night because they managed not to shoot any children.
Oh, come on, don't you know they do everything high-tech so they can see through walls to know she's toking and hear everything on the phone lines to know she's dealing...but they can't see over the backyard fence or up the driveway. /sarc
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.