SWAT team fired 71 shots in raid

Arizona Daily Star ^ | May 11, 2011 | Fernanda Echavarri

[petitfour]

The Pima County Regional SWAT team fired 71 shots in seven seconds at a Tucson man they say pointed a gun at officers serving a search warrant at his home. Jose Guerena, 26, a former Marine who served in Iraq twice, was holding an AR-15 rifle when he was killed, but he never fired a shot, the Sheriff's Department said Monday after initially saying he had fired on officers during last week's raid.

[Lazamataz]

Reasoned post. I actually believe you are a good servant of the public in your role in SWAT.

You appear to be the rarity, though. Too many people condone this military-bullshit when it isn't necessary -- and no-knocks are absurd. There are ways to serve warrants that would allow for protection of evidence AND do away with no knocks. For example: Simply turn off the water to a given street or house first. Flushing is impossible.

[thefactor]

From the article:

"Tucson is notorious for home invasions and we didn't want to look like that," said Lt. Michael O'Connor of the Pima County Sheriff's Department. "We went lights and sirens and we absolutely did not do a 'no-knock' warrant."

Not that you'll buy it.

[driftdiver]

“But, please, in the future capitalize ‘Marine’ when you write it.”

Only if you promise not to murder any more of them.

[petitfour]

Here’s an earlier version of this same story from 6 days ago:

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_04c18c5a-774f-11e0-8c3d-001cc4c03286.html

The house address or rather the neighborhood is listed.

[Dead Corpse]

Does anyone else see this as scary?

Since the days of Ruby Ridge and Waco. You betcha...

[WaterBoard]

Vanessa Guerena says she heard noise outside their home about 9 a.m. Thursday and woke her husband who had just gone to bed after working a 12-hour shift at the Asarco Mine, she said. There were no sirens or shouts of "police," she said.

Guerena told his wife and son to hide inside a closet and he grabbed the AR-15 rifle, his wife said.

Careless disregard for life in firing 71 rounds into a home with children not mention nearby neighbors.

What is interesting is that the family who was attacked by Pima SWAT had just moved in 2 months ago. Perhaps they were looking for the prior residents? Might also explain why they issued search warrants on nearby homes after the raid, a possible wrong house raid fiasco again.

"Guerena and his family had been living in the house for about two months"

[Emmett McCarthy]

These SWAT boys get these great soldier toys and need to go play “Cowboys and Civilians”. When they get it wrong, as they often do, that song about these “brave underpaid” LEOs gets cranked up on the jukebox. The standards for cops have become so low that there’s no telling who’s likely to have a badge and a gun.

[Lazamataz]

You blur the lines. No knocks are absurd. Regular search warrants are fine.

You make it sound like someone politely walked up to this man's door and knocked, waited, then knocked a little harder -- and that the door opened a few inches with a chain lock still attached, and that the nice officer held up the search warrant.

Bulls***. This was a bunch of black-clad ninja wannabees busting through a locked door. If someone did that to YOUR house, YOU'D BE SHOOTING FIRST, TOO.

To defend the premise of the no-knock raid tells me you are an avowed enemy of the Constitution, and of Natural Rights.

[dragnet2]

What if this guy turns out to be a drug dealer in a drug ring that sells to kids?

Right, or what if he had outstanding traffic warrants!

What if he owed back taxes!

Only 71 rounds fired at this guy, so it's likely the police were being safe and restrained.

[Dead Corpse]

Again, I'm assuming this was a bad guy.

Turn in your badge. "Innocent until proven guilty."

You are part of the problem.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’d think nothing that was obviously drugs or illegal, still waiting for the lab to come back with any “traces.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The department says SWAT members were clear when identifying themselves while entering the home. "Tucson is notorious for home invasions and we didn't want to look like that," said Lt. Michael O'Connor of the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Because home-invaders never shout "police!" </sarcasm>

[Lazamataz]

If this is not a no-knock, and if this man absolutely had knowledge it was police serving, I am much more inclined to side with the police.

But if this guy was on the up-and-up, and it sounds like he may have been, what with the lack of items found by the police, then I'm definitely not getting why he'd resist. Somehow someone screwed up. I want to believe this wasn't a no-knock, I really do. I want to believe this Lt.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

71 shots in 7 seconds is reckless and a public safety issue.

But they so seldom get to shoot anybody!

They all wanted to get in on the action to get a few days off with pay and a commendation in their jacket.

[Zathras]

6 months ago I went to a “combat training class” which said they trained Portland Oregon police.

In one of the videos, the bad guy was holding a knife 15ft away from me and refused to drop it.

Now Im a very good shot and could have done a head shot in a milisecond so from 15ft, he wasn’t a danger to me.

The video when on and on like this and didn’t stop until I drilled him.

This is professional training?
No it was assassination.

My three days at Frontsite in Nevada starts with a day of the legal issues of taking a life. Not something to be taken lighly.

[WaterBoard]

It is interesting that the police are releasing twisted version of events now.

1) First the dead homeowner shot at police, now PIMA states no shots were fired by the murdered man.

2) First, it wasn’t a “No-Knock” raid, now they admit they broke the door down to get into the house.

[Steel Wolf]

Well, no, that's where you're wrong. He did deserve to be burst upon. The fact that he was shot was his choosing. This is, of course, assuming that this guy is a bad guy, not a good guy.

Are you even listening to yourself? The cops kill someone in his own home, and you breezily announce that he had it coming, knowing none of the fact except that 71 shots were fired in seven seconds.

Do you think OBL should have been captured and tried in a court of law?

OBL? What is this, the Soviet Union? You're talking about an American citizen that was either involved in low level drug crime OR was completely innocent. Even if he was guilty, going full auto in a residential neighborhood is criminally negligent. What if it was your family living next door, with 70 extra rounds pushing through the walls and windows?

[petitfour]

Does that sign say “Deaf Child Area”????? And they went into the neighborhood with a SWAT team?

BTW, the fire station is literally right around the corner from the street listed in the article. Not even a five minute drive.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

My friend the Fat Blue Line is strong with you... your a good little Gestapo Trooper feeding at the public taxpayers trough...

The cops are lying here, its obvious to everyone except the cops, no surprise there really. Even the media has called Bullshit on this one.

6 days and no info, give me a break, if this guy was a real bad guy or they “found” the mother load in his house they’d be all over the news singing it from the roof tops.

Silence speaks volumes here.

They are either in cover-up mode or bunkered down with lawyers trying to save their asses.

I’m betting on the latter...

[Dead Corpse]

Here's a scenario:

Marine and family move into a new house. Mama sees someone in the yard with a gun and wakes up hubby. Hubby grabs an AR. Door gets kicked in with a bunch of folks yelling unintelligibly. Marine notes cop uniforms and holds fire, gets lit up by Sgt Sugarcookie before he can get his hands up or drop his weapon.

Cops and boot-lickers go into full CYA mode.

Hang 'em all.