Posted on 05/05/2010 3:45:32 PM PDT by OldDeckHand
The video of a Columbia, Mo., SWAT team shooting and killing a dog during a drug raid is now available online, due in part to the efforts of the Columbia Daily Tribune.
The video shows members of the Columbia Police Department executing a narcotics raid on the home of Jonathan Whitworth. While the raid, which occurred in February, only turned up a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and a glass pipe, the Columbia PD was able to charge Whitworth with second-degree child endangerment because a child lives in the home. That same child, age 7, was present when the Columbia PD conducted its raid and witnessed the police shoot both family pets — a pitbull, which was killed, and a corgi, which was shot in the leg — after they had safely entered the home.
“Did you shoot my f***ing dog?” Whitworth asks in the video. ”Oh my God, what the fuck did you do that for?”
Daily Tribune reporter Brennan David submitted a public information request for the video immediately after the charges were filed in February and was denied because the video was being used in criminal proceedings. “I knew that SWAT video was available and that SWAT teams use video. The deputy chief told me that he had watched it a few times,” David said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Ya notice that none of these police officers looked like police officers?
This is becoming troublesome.
Having once been found guilty for a crime I had nothing to do with, I have no tolerance for cops acting this way. If this happened to me there would be, one way or another, hell to pay for each cop.
They are really bad farters, which I suppose is a threat against the officers.
They charged the guy with misdemeanor possession and ultimately let him plea down for paraphanalia.
What a bunch of A-holes.
Why does SWAT need to enter a house to arrest someone in the first place? They could wait until the guy comes out and nab him outside, where it is safe. At the door of his car, pull over with cop cars enmasse, at the grocery store, at the video store, heck, why not at his job?
There is no reason for these raids. The danger outweighs the benefit. Said danger being to others in the vicinity and even pets.
Do they get a charge out of shooting their gun at an innocent living being? It’s not like they were going to eat the dog for dinner. Nope, just kill it, cuz they can and their steroids are pushing their aggression.
Besides, is some guy smoking marijuana really worth this effort? Seems like a a lot of resources and manpower for such a dinky charge and a child could well have been injured or killed by an errant shot.
Law enforcement has their job to do but, their are more intelligent ways of overpowering a suspect and these miscreants did not use their heads for anything more than a hat rack.
I guess they just like getting all geared up to shoot Spot and Buffy. Makes’em feel all manly inside.
Disgusting.
Substitute the word “firearms” in place of “drugs” and you have the future.
“They are really bad farters, which I suppose is a threat against the officers.”
So are my Pugs (paint peelers I call ‘em) it’s a good thing I stopped smoking dope when I grew up.
They probably used Foh-tay.
There fixed that for you. And yes, Oakland PD used a Glock Foh-tay on that Deer they shot.
A military style raid and shooting pets, for that?
Good God!
“Columbia PD spokeswoman Jessie Haden told David on Monday that an ongoing investigation of the use of firearms inside an occupied home is “expected to be completed within the next two weeks,” and that “Internal Affairs is conducting the review because the incident involved multiple shots and was inside an occupied residence. This allows Internal Affairs sergeants to review the incident independent from the SWAT command”
I adore this portion, “internal affairs” will “investigate” (chuckle) and of course find nothing wrong, as usual, nothing to see here..just move along.
Good Call huh? /s
They way the responded to this home, you’d think the occupants had just killed 125 people in Time Square with a car bomb...
No-knock warrants and raids have practically no use law enforcement. For 99.9% of drug raids, you could walk up to the door and knock and go right in and do what you have to do. No-knocks after dark are negligent; negligent because the police are too quick to use the trgger finger. If the police don’t know with 100% certainty that a violent felon waits behind the door, then why do they have to kick the door in at night.
Just wait until the dog that is shot is being held by an 8 year-old; or is protecting the childs bedroom.
Big boys with adult toys can only mean problems and death.
And countless police officers have been attacked by people too...probably far more than by dogs...so should they have carte blanche in shooting people too?
This former commissioned military police officer could not agree with you more.
Roid heads
Target Practice and Force by Color of Law
As a matter of *unofficial* policy, many police departments routinely kill dogs, even small ones, on general principles. Their logic is that they figure that the most a dog owner can recover in court is $500, which they won’t get if there is *any* reason, including just police testimony, that they felt “threatened”, even by a Dachshund.
This is part of the also unofficial policy of “sue us”, when the police screw up. They smash down the wrong door and roust the people inside, there is no apology, just instructions to sue the city or agency. In any event, there are no repercussions to the police department or its officers directly.
They look like the SS. And how big an army do they need? How many people got killed, mugged and raped while they were playing Gestapo?
Unbelievable.
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