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Posted on 01/07/2009 8:07:02 PM PST by marktwain
A family whose lives were shattered by a mistaken police raid a year ago have been awarded a $612,498 settlement by the city of Minneapolis to make amends.
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"It's only a mistake for them, but it changed our lives forever," Moua said Friday at a news conference held at Heffelfinger's office. "We want what's best for our children. It's a miracle we survived that night. No amount of money can fix what we went through that night."
Acting on wrong information from an informant, a SWAT team broke into Vang Khang's north Minneapolis house last December expecting to find gang members and illegal activity.
But Vang thought the SWAT team members were criminal intruders and shot through his bedroom door to protect his wife and six children, ages 3 to 15. Three officers were hit, but were not injured because they were wearing protective gear. The family also escaped injury even though police fired at least 22 rounds.
Police later admitted that the raid was a mistake and apologized to the family. Heffelfinger said police, who were looking for black suspects, should have realized that a Hmong family resided at the home, at 1321 Logan Av. N., because of various Hmong-related "ornaments and other things" both on the outside and inside of the house.
Moua said Friday her children are still afraid of the police. She said she is trying to turn that around, to make them to believe that most police officers are good and are there to help, rather than harm.
"I told them not all police are bad," she said. "I don't want my kids to be afraid of the police."
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
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The cops denied it ever happened.
But that was in Florida, 20 years ago. Civil rights have come along way since then.
.
This type of settlement should happen every time the wrong house is invaded by the paramilitary police. The amount should double for every killed family pet.
Be nice if there was a sure-fire way to tell the difference.
“This type of settlement should happen every time the wrong house is invaded by the paramilitary police. The amount should double for every killed family pet.”
Incidentally, am I the only one who didn't know what a "Hmong" family is?
Wonder what would have happened if the home owner opened fire on the police with an AK47 and killed them all?
There is something particularly sweet about living rural and having an acquaintance with those might be called upon to raid a given home. Barring an incursion by Hussein Obama’s (as yet to be inaugurated) Civil Security Force, I feel safe.
The Hmong are still with us, and are not pacifists.
So the police should have racially profiled a typical 'Hmong' vs. a typical 'black' family?
Sounds to me that the compensation is fair and if it can be proved that the informant was purposefully deceptive to the police, then he should be charged.
Hmmm. Good to know. I’m a little embarrassed that I have never heard the word before.
More range time, perhaps?
The Hmong were the mountain tribes in Vietnam. They were hunters and gatherers, and practiced small agriculture.
Sounds like the A Team.
I heard the word before...last time was about 30 yrs. ago. Yikes, dating myself.
One Hmong-run fruit stand has THE best strawberries in the spring.
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