Posted on 08/29/2014 5:18:49 PM PDT by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A couple in their 80s say the LAPD trashed their house while serving a search warrant, but police say officers did what they had to do in a potentially dangerous situation.
Warren Johnson, 81, says police officers smashed in almost all his doors in his house with a handheld battering ram a week ago when they came to arrest his 18-year-old grandson, DeShawn Johnson, a gang member suspected in a West LA knock-knock burglary, and search for the electronics they believe he stole.
Elderly Couple Says LAPD Trashed Their House While Serving Search Warrant
A week after the search warrant was served, padlocks hung off hinges and door frames were cracked from floor to ceiling. Johnson said he and his wife secure each door with a padlock because they can’t take their belongings with them when they go out of town.
“They decided that they would tear everything up because they couldn’t get what they wanted,” Johnson said.
The Johnsons want the LAPD to clean up after themselves.
“We know that this is the type of behavior that is typical of what happens in black and brown communities in Los Angeles,” the Johnsons’ attorney, Nana Gyamfi, said.
West Los Angeles police Captain Evangeline Nathan says officers were just doing their duty in clearing the residence.
“I admit, we damaged some doors,” Nathan said. “We did not trash his residence. We did not break windows.”
The Johnsons’ security video showed officers coming into closets and bedrooms and pushing cameras up or out of view to stop them from capturing the officers’ actions. Nathan said that was because officers did not know where the video was being fed, and they did not want suspects to know they were coming.
“This had nothing to do with where you live, it had absolutely nothing to do with race, it had to do with DeShawn committing crimes,” Nathan said.
How else are they going to “consfiscate” illegal/prohibited stuff if they can’t find it?
They used to serve warrants, knock on doors and make arrests, and make city wide sweeps serving drug warrants, and we didn’t use to see or hear of destruction like they do today.
Don’t be harboring gang bangers in your house next time.
That type of behavior is typical of what happens to anyone that gets a warrant served on them, whether it is the right address or not.
They are very non-discriminatory about it. White, brown, black... they will trash your stuff. Even (especially) if you point out they have the wrong address.
/johnny
If they were harboring or abetting their grandson, then they should be charged. But, don't bring up some absurd idea that you can't have a camera recording the events and movements of cops on private property.
Twenty plus years ago, a burglar broke the frame of my back door and gained access to the house. I heard the noise and confronted him. He stabbed me with the hunting knife he used to pry open the door and then ran. I called the cops and when they arrived a minute later, they pulled the knife out of my arm and had a paramedic stop the bleeding. When I got back from the hospital two hours later. The cops were gone, the door was broken and the fingerprint guys had put graphite on everything. You can’t get graphite off. It cost me about a hundred buck to fix the door and nearly a thousand to repair the damage done by the cops.
Where in the article do you see that?
They only make the situation worse.
/johnny
I knew you’d like this.
Sounds reasonable to me.
buy a gun
me too....the last time I needed a cop I called a local thug instead
Had a situation here when I moved back home the local cops couldn't control.
Word to the wise with the local thugs that the cops allow to exist, and those people were gone from the neighborhood, and this street got crime free.
Police aren't magic. They can't do everything.
Generally, as they are today, they make things worse.
I still won't call a cop here for any reason.
If it's bad enough, one will show up to take a statement after things cool down.
/johnny
They weren’t arrested for that so either they didn’t do it or it’s not illegal.
Did they find either the kid or drugs when they trashed the house?
Yes, be sure to harbor gov bangers like former Milwaukee FBI Special Agent in Charge Teresa Carlson or IRS thuggette Lois Lerner.
It'll be All Good - but you might get a Stern Note from the SWAT team...
What are you asking so many questions for, peasant?
The authorities need your name and SSN when you're posting on the Internet - for the children...
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