Informant in shooting says he never bought drugs at house

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution ^ | 11/27/06 | SAEED AHMED

[FreedomCalls]

The confidential informant on whose word Atlanta police raided the house of an 88-year-old woman is now saying he never purchased drugs from her house and was told by police to lie and say he did.

Chief Richard Pennington, in a press conference Monday evening, said his department learned two days ago that the informant — who has been used reliably in the past by the narcotics unit -- denied providing information to officers about a drug deal at 933 Neal Street in northwest Atlanta.

"The informant said he had no knowledge of going into that house and purchasing drugs," Pennington said. "We don't know if he's telling the truth."

The search warrant used by Atlanta police to raid the house says that a confidential informant had bought crack cocaine at the residence, using $50 in city funds, several hours before the raid.

In the document, officers said that the informant told them the house had surveillance cameras that the suspected drug dealer, called "Sam," monitored.

Pennington on Monday evening said the informant told the Internal Affairs Unit hat he did not tell officers that the house had surveillance equipment, and that he was asked to lie.

The Chief still maintained that "Sam," the alleged drug dealer, "actually exists."

Pennington was joined at the press conference by representatives from various law enforcement agencies who are now looking into the shooting.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also been called in to investigate.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, at the request of the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, is also looking into the incident, including examining the home to determine how many gunshots were fired in the confrontation.

Kathryn Johnston was killed Tuesday night when she fired at officers seeking to serve a warrant. They had broken down the front door and exchanged gunfire with Johnston.

Police later claimed a man named "Sam" had sold drugs from inside the house to an informant, prompting the officers to seek a "no-knock" warrant. Such warrants are frequently issued so police can get inside a home before suspects can destroy or flush drugs.

Johnston --- described by neighbors and family as a frightened woman who had burglar bars on her windows and door and rarely let friends and neighbors into her home --- had lived at the one-story brick home near the Georgia Dome for 17 years.

The police chief said officers found marijuana inside the house but "not a large quantity." The officers were not wearing uniforms but had on bulletproof vests with "Police" emblazoned across the front and back. And they identified themselves as they burst through the doors, police said.

Johnston grabbed a rusty six-shot revolver and emptied it. Five shots struck the officers, hitting one of them three times. The other two were each hit once. The officers returned fire, shooting Johnston twice in the chest and elsewhere, police have said.

The three officers were released from the hospital the next day. They are on leave with pay.

Funeral plans for Johnston have not been made.

[gondramB]

Here's the PDF
http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/ajc/pdf/searchwarrant.pdf

What's amazing to me is that for a an alledged $50 drug sale they would send three undercover cops to kick in the door and seize all photos and computers and everything else they can possibly link indirectly....

The warrant even points out there is a wheel chair ramp.

And for a $50 alleged sale they allege distribution....

[gondramB]

It probably helps that they were all trying to fit through a doorway but being stopped by burgler bars.

Three guys could pretty well fill a doorway and anybody out to be be able to put 5 of 6 through a doorway.

But they were wearing vests and she hit them all outside the vest area. Maybe she listens to the Gordan Liddy radio show.

[Sam Cree]

"Let me get this straight. An undercover cop is to be trusted but a citizen informant is not to be trusted. Why would you trust a cop since they rely on citizen informants that aren't to be trusted."

I'm inclined to trust a majority of, but not all cops. OTOH, my impression is that most informants are criminal types by definition, therefore untrustworthy by definition. So yeah, if a policeman's info is based on the word of an informant, it's suspect. OTOH, if it had been an undercover cop himself who had allegedly bought the drugs, then I give it more weight.

My neighbor and friend is a former undercover narcotics officer. He is a very fine man.

Having said all that, my opinion, which I have given before, is that no knock commando type raids are dangerous in the extreme, especially for the innocent people who often seem to be affected, and unAmerican.

[gondramB]

>>Having said all that, my opinion, which I have given before, is that no knock commando type raids are dangerous in the extreme, especially for the innocent people who often seem to be affected, and unAmerican.<<

Even if the informant is now lying and he did tell the cops he bought $50 worth of drugs at this house a no knock commando raid with such wide latitude to search and seize everything electronic in the house is simply wrong.

Where is the opportunity to read the warrant or call a lawyer - even if this was by the book it is severely troubling.

[Clinging Bitterly]

This whole thing is just too sickening for words.

I remember back in the '80s in Eugene it was routine for the cops to do no knock raids around here and a number of them were going bad with people getting hurt or worse when meeting unannounced intruders with resistance.

There was a lot of debate on the issue and the local area police decided they would adopt procedures whereby they would only do no knock raids if they believed it was necessary to protect themselves or others from harm.

Nice gesture I guess, but it is still up to their judgment, no laws were changed.

I don't think the possibility of destruction of evidence in support of a charge of selling a $50 sack justifies a no knock. After all of the fireworks by the cops, when that kind of charge gets to court it is treated like a speeding ticket. Here, speeding tickets can only be issued by uniformed cops.

[Zon]

Geez! the warrant allows for seizing the air inside the house.

[Redcloak]

But it was for the children, doncha know.

[gondramB]

>>Geez! the warrant allows for seizing the air inside the house.<<

If this is a standard warrant issued on the basis of some informants word that he bought $50 worth of drugs somewhere then something is terribly, terribly wrong with the system... meaning in addition to all the things we already knew about.

[gondramB]

I think the worm has turned for the press - this phrasing seems to indicate they don't believe the police

"The Chief still maintained that "Sam," the alleged drug dealer, "actually exists.""

[gondramB]

>>But it was for the children, doncha know.<<

Well, in general a crack den will harm a neighborhood and thus harm the children.

[The KG9 Kid]

Good thing it's not the middle of summer in Hotlanta and Queens NYC.

You couldn't pay me enough to be a policeman these days.

[gondramB]

>>Good thing it's not the middle of summer in Hotlanta and Queens NYC.

You couldn't pay me enough to be a policeman these days.<<

You've got that right - especially narcotics or vice - so much money, so many bad people and yet so much "crime" that shouldn't even be criminal. Tough damn job.

[Zon]

Yeah. Sounds like Chief Richard Pennington used the Dan Rather defense: the memo/document is fake but accurate.

[Redcloak]

We should just shoot all of those squawkin' old women, just to make sure. Right?

[gondramB]

>>Yeah. Sounds like Chief Richard Pennington used the Dan Rather defense: the memo/document is fake but accurate.<<

Pennington came to Atlanta with a good rep and Mayor Franklin seems a good deal more honest that her predecessor ( inmate Bill Cambell).

But I thought I saw trouble when he announced his priorities

>>(1) youth-related crime, (2) domestic violence, and (3) the perception of crime in Atlanta.<<

No mention of serious crime by adults and placing "perception of crime" so high on the list.

http://www.atlantaga.gov/Government/Police.aspx

[gondramB]

>>We should just shoot all of those squawkin' old women, just to make sure. Right?<<

I have a really pithy response but I'll refrain in deference to your seniority here...

Crack dens are serious and do great harm however you feel about individual consumption. And no, of course we should protect innocents and we even must protect the rights of criminals because any of us could be falsely accused.

[FreedomCalls]

Geez! the warrant allows for seizing the air inside the house.

But the "other party provision" part that allows them to search any third-party found in the house other than "Sam" is not signed. Ironic that they shot the resident but weren't allowed to search her.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Good thing it's not the middle of summer in Hotlanta and Queens NYC.
You couldn't pay me enough to be a policeman these days.

Ha. Besides the local papers there is nothing on this. Jessie and Al are busy shaking down Micheal Richards. He said nigger. The cops are safe until Richards pays up.

[William Tell]

Wilhelm Tell said: "It's never going to get any better. Most conservatives in power don't have the courage to admit the WOD is a failure and most leftists are eager to expand the WOD to include a war against people who use tobacco, sugar, vitamin supplements, etc."

Keep talking like that and people are going to mistake one of us for the other. I couldn't have said it better.

[Smokin' Joe]

You cannot fight drugs without controlling the border.