Posted on 08/20/2020 5:08:23 PM PDT by Theoria
Three Metro Nashville police officers have had their law enforcement powers restricted after they improperly forced open the door of a family's home Tuesday around dawn, Interim Police Chief John Drake said.
The officers who've been decommissioned announced themselves, then began using a battering ram as they executed a warrant in search of evidence connected to a teenager wanted in a property crimes investigation, Drake said Wednesday at a news conference. They were not there for a violent criminal or drug raid, he added.
Officials later learned the teenager had not lived at that address in several months, he said. No one was injured in the incident. "In all candor, this shouldn't have happened," Drake said. "This mother and her children should not have been subjected to this type of behavior from a police department."
The case comes as police actions and policies across the United States are under scrutiny following the in-custody death in Minneapolis of George Floyd. The Metro Nashville department has tightened its search warrant rules following the episode. Decommissioning is a non-disciplinary, administrative action that temporarily removes an officer's policing authority, the force's online manual states. CNN has reached out to the three officers and the union for comment.
Officers were operating on 'stale information'
The officers were operating on "stale information" when they knocked on the door of the apartment just after 6 a.m., Drake said. In body-camera footage that the chief said "greatly disturbed" him, the officers announce themselves and pound on the door before they begin forcing it open with a battering ram.
A young woman can be heard inside the home talking to the officers as they breach the door. "What is going on?" she asks. As police continue forcing the door open, she screams, "I don't have any clothes on!"
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
No knock warrants should be reserved for the most violent and dangerous of offenders, even then there are better ways of doing things. Remember the FBI could have picked up David Koresh dozens of times he when he went into town.
All officers involved need to be demoted back to base patrolman or fired. Period. There is no reason for a juvenile’s non-violent property crime to be the justification for battering down a door.
The bad thing is that they were probably following SOP that was valid and approved just 3 months ago.
On the flip side - I’m all for getting rid of no knock warrants except for the most egregious of cases. Would’ve been happy to work with “black lives matter” on that too before they told me to shut up because I’m white and then said police brutality isn’t as important as socialist revolution.
I recall an episode of “Kojak,” where they needed to arrest some dangerous thug for something ... can’t remember what. But anyway, they go up to the door and Kojak starts scratching on the door and making meowing noises. The thug opens the door to see what’s going on and finds himself face-to-face with Kojak’s toothy grin. Kojak says, “Meow, baby,” and then they grab him.
Excellent
The excuse given for most no-knock raids is “They might flush or otherwise destroy the evidence.” How, exactly, do they believe that a teenager will destroy themselves so they cannot be found, or flush themselves down a toilet to get themselves out of the way?
Those a-holes wanted to play commando and got smoked because of it.
Wait a minute. They used a battering ram for a property crime investigation? Right house, wrong house - that doesn’t matter. Using a battering ram for a property crime is nuts.
Every time I drift back to being pro-police a story like this one comes along.
Would’ve been happy to work with “black lives matter” on that too before they told me to shut up because I’m white and then said police brutality isn’t as important as socialist revolution.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Had figured at first that BLM(????) would have gotten a lot more support had they been ‘protesting’ for any of the INNOCENT victims of Police or even thugs.
However, they DON’T really want our support, they want to operate with impunity but still manage to ‘weewee’ us ‘regular folks’ off by backing thugs.
This is just an in your face movement that is hiding behind any ‘injustice’ they can muster up.
Like the LIB arsehole had said...’Never let a crisis go to waste’
If they know they have stale/old info
Better dam well get fresh/new info to avoid this bullshiite keystone cop swat wannabee crap
This is what gets innocent people killed, and innocent lawful people put in jail fo defending themselves against govt home invasions
“No knock warrants should be reserved for the most violent and dangerous of offenders, even then there are better ways of doing things.”
How about never? The judicial system has proven over and over that it can’t be trusted with that kind of power.
No Knock Warrants should ONLY be Used on PUBLIC SERVANTS and they should be used Frequently, in Fact, Every Judge in America should be Swatted with a NO KNOCK RAID Annually at random.
The world is upside down and inside out. One one hand cops use battering rams for a suspected property crime. On the other hand they knell with bLM and ignore rioting, looting and arson right in front of their faces. This comes from a lack of consistency across all law enforcement and that is because all too few Americans share the same core values and principles.
Because they can wrap up everything else they find.
Do the police regularly batter down doors for non-violent crimes? Couldn’t they just station someone outside the doors to catch a person fleeing?
This was stupid.
Fuuny.
Which is exactly what a drug dealer would do. Either than or arm themselves for a shootout with police if they facing a long prison sentence.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.