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"Atlanta police face murder indictment" in shooting of 92-year-old woman in her home
ajc.com ^ | 2-7-07 | Bill Torpy

Posted on 02/07/2007 3:26:10 PM PST by rawhide

Fulton DA seeks charges in shooting of 92-year-old woman in her home

The Fulton County district attorney will seek felony murder charges against at least one of the three Atlanta police officers who shot and killed an elderly woman in a botched drug raid, according to one of the officer's attorneys.

Defense attorney Rand Csehy, who is representing Gregg Junnier, said he received an e-mail message from District Attorney Paul Howard's office today saying the DA would seek charges before a grand jury Feb. 26.

"It's an overbroad indictment," said an angry Csehy. He said that Howard's office has "broken with the federal government. Paul Howard is no longer part of a joint investigation."

Csehy said that his client had been cooperating with authorities.

On Nov. 21, three narcotics officers went to the home of Kathryn Johnston, 92, to execute a "no knock" warrant. A shootout ensued during which Johnston was killed and the three officers were injured.

"No knock" warrants are frequently issued so police can get inside before suspects can destroy or flush any drugs. When the officers kicked in the door, the elderly woman apparently got off five shots from her own revolver, hitting all three police officers.

Friends and family members of Johnston contended that she was a feeble and frightened woman, who rarely ventured outside after dark and knew few people. And they say that she was never involved in any drug activity.

The three officers, Gregg Junnier, Gary A. Smith and Cary A. Bond, were put on administrative leave.

(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: adrenalinecowboys; atlanta; banglist; donutwatch; jbts; police; warondrugs; waronsomedrugs; warordrugs; wod
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To: Blueflag
IF it really bugs you that I don't have links go to myfoxatlanta.com or fox5atlanta.com and look in the archived news reports

You made the claim and it's up to you to back up that claim...not send others on a wild goose chase!
.
61 posted on 02/07/2007 5:07:56 PM PST by mugs99 (Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive.)
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To: farlander
They bust the door down,

Yes there is something fishy, they all three need to be charge with murder and convicted.

62 posted on 02/07/2007 5:08:46 PM PST by org.whodat (Never let the facts get in the way of a good assumption.)
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To: Blueflag
Other news items (not this one) reported that the police LATER found drugs in the locked (padlocked) basement of the house.

BS, it was planted by the cops, they also were trying to force some local snitch to say he gave them the tip, but he went public on them.

63 posted on 02/07/2007 5:15:48 PM PST by org.whodat (Never let the facts get in the way of a good assumption.)
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To: silentreignofheroes
Sounds like junior was taking advantage of Grandma,,,and she was scared..Sad state this country is in,,in this case junior should be charged with murder...? you reckon.

And you would really believe that a building where a cop shooting went down, that all doors weren't kicked down and a complete search made. If you believe that I have some bridge stock you may be interested in.

64 posted on 02/07/2007 5:20:02 PM PST by org.whodat (Never let the facts get in the way of a good assumption.)
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To: flashbunny

"I feel much safer in a world where swat teams conduct no-knock raids on 92 year old women. Those drug dealers and terrorist know we're serious now!"

We shoot and kill the 92 year old woman but bring the young drug smuggler back from Mexico, give him free medical, a green card, immunity from prosecution and soon probably a couple million for his pain. What is up with this world?


65 posted on 02/07/2007 6:20:50 PM PST by driftdiver
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To: Smogger

Here are the other threads on this from last November.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1742448/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1742449/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1742500/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1742686/posts


66 posted on 02/07/2007 6:30:44 PM PST by HighWheeler (A true liberal today is a combination of socialist, fascist, hypocrite, and anti-American.)
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To: rawhide
Excellent. This may pave the way for ending no-knock warrants.

Damn unconstitutional no-knock warrants!!

67 posted on 02/07/2007 6:33:39 PM PST by Tolkien (There are things more important than Peace. Freedom being one of those.)
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To: Blueflag
It wasn't the wrong house. It was just the wrong door.

There was no reason even to be at that address. From the AJC:

An Atlanta police narcotics officer has told federal investigators at least one member of his unit lied about making a drug buy at the home of an elderly woman killed in a subsequent raid, according to a person close to the investigation.

In an affidavit to get a search warrant at the home Nov. 21, narcotics officer Jason R. Smith told a magistrate he and Officer Arthur Tesler had a confidential informant buy $50 worth of crack at 933 Neal St. from a man named "Sam."

But narcotics officer Gregg Junnier, who was wounded in the shootout, has since told federal investigators that did not happen, according to the person close to the investigation. Police got a no-knock warrant after claiming that "Sam" had surveillance cameras outside the Neal Street residence and they needed the element of surprise to capture him and the drugs.

Other news items (not this one) reported that the police LATER found drugs in the locked (padlocked) basement of the house. Apparently "junior" HAD been selling or partaking from the address, but grandma was not involved or aware.

They found 1.93 grams of marijuana that appears to have been a plant by the same officer that fabricated the warrant, lied about the drug buy, and tried to force someone to lie to back up his story. A standard size paperclip weighs about 1.5 grams so you can judge how little marijuana that is.

There has been a lot of NAACP cries for 'justice' on this one. One guy even flew up to DC to get the Feds involved. So now these poor cops are gonna get Nifonged.

FOr them to ge "Nifonged" they would have to be innocent. That's so far from the case in this incident that they deserve anything that happens to them

68 posted on 02/07/2007 7:18:22 PM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Blueflag
Also bear in mind the cops used an informant (reliable in the past) to 'verify' drugs were being sold at the address. Plus the 'address' had been watched for some period of time by the narcs to observe behaviour consistent with drug selling.

No. Here's your "reliable" informant:

"It was Fabian Sheats' third felony drug arrest in four months. But on the afternoon of Nov. 21, according to a police report, he was looking to curry favor, so he told officers they could find a kilogram of cocaine in a house at 933 Neal Street N.W."
A druggie, just arrested for the third time in four months on a felony charge, thinks he can get off lighter by tipping them off to a bigger dealer -- so he just makes up some stuff and the police believe him. Not good. But it gets worse.

Also bear in mind the cops used an informant (reliable in the past) to 'verify' drugs were being sold at the address.

They did no such thing. It was only two hours from the time Sheats tipped the officers to Johnsons's house and the time the police obtained the warrant. They completely fabricated the story that they had the house under surveillance and that "Sam" made a drug purchase there. "Sam" doesn't exist. Later the police would try to use an old informant and threaten him to get him to lie about being "Sam" but he wouldn't and called 911 instead.

69 posted on 02/07/2007 7:31:06 PM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Blueflag
The grunts should NOT get charged with murder.

The grunts fabricated the details used in the warrant to get the judge's signature. Made it up. They later tried to get someone to lie about being the (nonexistent) person in the warrant that they made up. And in all likelihood they planted the marijuana there there being no other evidence that the 92-year old lady used marijuana.

70 posted on 02/07/2007 7:38:00 PM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Blueflag
IF the cops went in all 'cowboy' on their own with no warrant, no permissions from the Sarge, then it was murder.

That's more or less exactly what happned. It was two hours from the time of the tip from the three-time drug felon to the warrant being issued. The claims in the warrant used to justify the raid were apparantly fabricated by the officers involved. They subsequently tried to get someone to step forward to pretend to be the "Sam" named in the warrant, but he refused and spilled the beans.

71 posted on 02/07/2007 7:42:29 PM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: rawhide

Good.

Someone screwed the pooch here, someone needs to pay for it.


72 posted on 02/07/2007 7:45:29 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: FreedomCalls

Freedom -- lightenupman. I relayed what I SAW and HEARD on the news. In that regard what I posted was anecdotal. I referred others to the sources I got my info from. You went to the story in the AJC, which I personally trust less than CBS, but they (AJC) did keep digging.

I have not seen it definitively demonstrated that one of the officers planted less than 2 grams at the scene. It's entirely possible given the circumstances.

REM: I am not defending what happened, I just don't want to see them convicted in the MSM and pursued by an ELECTED Fulton County DA for political gain and 'community harmony.'



LEt's go with Ockham's Razor for a moment:: why did the police go to THIS house at all? Were they just bored? Were they out to OFF some old lady? Of course not. Somehow they really thought they were on a drug raid. Obviously they were wrong. It got worse the longer it lasted.

If there WAS a legitimate reason for these guys to seriously believe they were on a drug raid, then no matter how screwed up it was, I can only go with wrongful death and not homicide. My only point in all this discussion is really only about whether the cops should be indicted for homicide. I just don't see that. Negligence sure. Wrongful death sure.

BTW, just to mess with your mind, do you expect soldiers in IRaq who bust in on suspected jihadi's to knock first? Even when it's some poor street vendor's home? Just curious ;-)

Final thought -- if the cops are dirty and obstructing justice, then they deserve to go down. I am with you there, no doubt. We just have to keep in mind that the burden of proving guilt is on the prosecution, and there is not the burden of proving innocence on the indicted.

Thanks for finding the AJC goodies.


73 posted on 02/07/2007 7:50:21 PM PST by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: Oberon
Imagine that the perps were not police officers, and the question answers itself. I don't think the cops in question deserve a different legal standard than you and I would face in their place.

I think they do -- a HARSHER one. Fore two reasons, they're acting under color of authority and they're paid with my tax dollars. They should be held to a HIGHER standard, not a lower one than their superiors (citizens with productive jobs) and not even the same one.

74 posted on 02/07/2007 7:55:44 PM PST by Still Thinking (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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To: inneroutlaw

Hallelujah ping.


75 posted on 02/07/2007 7:58:35 PM PST by elkfersupper
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To: rawhide
"No knock" warrants are frequently issued so police can get inside
before suspects can destroy or flush any drugs.

The police act as if Drugs are worth more then a life.
These No-knocks need to stop before more people get killed.

76 posted on 02/07/2007 8:03:36 PM PST by MaxMax (God Bless America)
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To: rawhide

Ms Johnston deserves justice. The narco death squad who murdered her needs to be charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to a long long time.


77 posted on 02/07/2007 8:08:32 PM PST by takenoprisoner
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To: farlander

"Excuse me ? They bust the door down, she pulls a revolver and starts blasting, they kill her returning fire, and this somehow a murder ? A tragic accident, at worst. "

Under concept of the castle doctrine, she has the right to defend herself. Whether it was in effect at the time or not, the one cannot believe in the concept and argue against it on technicality.

If the government wants to use the tactic they have to accept the risks associated of a free society.


78 posted on 02/07/2007 8:22:02 PM PST by School of Rational Thought (Conservatism - For Thinking People)
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To: flashbunny

"I feel much safer in a world where swat teams conduct no-knock raids on 92 year old women. Those drug dealers and terrorist know we're serious now!"

I don't know how to respond to this. Your post is really screwed up.


79 posted on 02/07/2007 8:24:32 PM PST by School of Rational Thought (Conservatism - For Thinking People)
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To: School of Rational Thought

Why? You don't think drug dealers and terrorists are scared now that they know police are willing to shoot 92 year old women when they have a no-knock warrant?

If they don't get the message, I think the police should stake out the homes of people that Willard Scott congratulates for their 100+ birthday. Start knocking off a few centenarians and we'll soon be crime free!

YEAAAAAAARGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!


80 posted on 02/07/2007 8:28:43 PM PST by flashbunny
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