Children handcuffed in police drug raid (and SOP of shooting the family dog)

Albany Times Union ^

[Sir Gawain]

Children handcuffed in police drug raid Dog also killed during bust; 18-year-old charged with misdemeanors, violation

By MIKE GOODWIN, Staff writer First published: Wednesday, September 20, 2006

SCHENECTADY -- A police strike team raided a woman's Prospect Street apartment and handcuffed her children and killed her dog early Tuesday in a $60 pot bust. The woman called it excessive force and a case of mistaken identity, but officers said they stormed the home for a good reason: One of her sons was selling marijuana there.

The Police Department's tactical squad knocked down the front door of the upstairs apartment at 110 Prospect St. and flooded into the apartment shortly after 6 a.m.

"I heard a big boom. My first reaction was to jump out of bed. We were trying to find where our kids were at and all of a sudden we had guns in our faces," said 40-year-old Anita Woodyear, who rents the second-floor flat.

During the ensuing chaos, police handcuffed two of the woman's children, Elijah Bradley, 11, and 12-year-old Victoria Perez, and shot at her dog in the kitchen before killing it in the bathroom, Woodyear said.

"That seems like an awful lot of firepower for marijuana," said Fred Clark of the Schenectady chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "That's like spending $125,000 for $5."

Woodyear said she suspected police had intended to search a neighboring home, but had the wrong address on the search warrant. Neighbors said they suspect illicit drugs are dealt at other homes on the block.

"No apology, no 'sorry about your dog,' " she said.

But police said they have no reason to apologize. They said they raided the house because Woodyear's 18-year-old son, Israel M. Bradley, sold three plastic bags of marijuana there for $40 on Sept. 15. They allege he sold two other bags of marijuana in the house for $20 on Aug. 28, they said.

In addition, police said Bradley was carrying marijuana in the home on Sept. 1.

"We had the absolute right house. We had the absolute right target," said Assistant Chief Michael Seber.

Police said Bradley was one of several drug dealers they have under investigation on Prospect Street.

"The whole street is a mess right now. We'll be back," Seber said.

Bradley was arrested and charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal sale of marijuana, an offense punishable by up to one year in jail. He was also charged with unlawfully possessing marijuana, a violation.

Police Lt. Peter Frisoni said Bradley admitted he sold from the apartment in a statement to investigators after the raid.

"The moral of the story is: If you don't want officers barging into your house with their guns drawn, don't let drug dealers stay with you and deal drugs out of your apartment," Frisoni said.

Woodyear said she is appalled about the way her children were treated -- and said her 12-year-old daughter was hit with pepper spray.

The dog, a pit bull terrier named Precious, urinated on the floor in fear and tried to run from the police before it was killed, Woodyear said.

Police said the animal was aggressive and left them no choice but to shoot.

Elijah Bradley said he awoke to find armed men in his home. "They had the shotgun in my face," the 11-year-old said. "I punched at him. I didn't know who he was."

Police said they had reason to have weapons drawn. Their search warrant noted that among the things they planned to search for were firearms, although no handguns were found.

The NAACP has previously criticized how police conduct raids, most notably during an incident earlier this decade when a Hamilton Hill girl was held at gunpoint and handcuffed after her mother agreed to allow police to search their home for an armed man. The family later sued the city, but the jury awarded no damages. But Paul DerOhannesian, a defense attorney and former Albany County prosecutor, said such a response may have been warranted if police believed there were guns in the house.

"This type of search warrant execution can be very dangerous from a law enforcement point of view," he said.

"You're going to have a heightened sense or need for security for officer safety. You literally have no idea what you're walking into."

[stands2reason]

How about people who don't believe in government waste? A SWAT team raid on a misdemeanor is a ridiculous waste of taxpayer money.

Conservatives tend to be put off by unreasonable government spending.

[stands2reason]

It's a shame I have to explain aspects of conservatism to an old-timer.

[William Terrell]

...just a slight euphoria. No one ever got stoned on pot.

The euphoria is called "stoned", Mortimer.

No

Cannabis has been in the medical lexicon for centuries. Until these last few decades. I have tested it on dark-room migraines and accompanying nausea (a friend; I don't get migraines) and it works every time it's used.

You evidently know nothing about the topic you're discussing.

Perhaps it's, because those who smoke it can't read, remember things, think very well and their overall motivation drops.

After having been in software design for 30 years, I'd say that 40% of the software written was either wholly or partially written while "stoned". I have a colleague that wrote an entire interactive parts supply system stoned about 8 years ago. It's still in use, is bug free, and the package has been sold several times.

As I said, you don't appear to know anything substantiative about the topic you're discussing. These statements make you look like a fool to someone who knows, the only ones buying it are those as ignorant, or are making huge amounts of cash from the trade.

For all your anti-cannabis rhetoric, you sure are giving those drug dealers you hate a boost. And I'll bet you don't know how.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Yes, poor little dope dealer and his pit bull.

Gimme a freakin' break. A dealer with a pit whose family allows his dealing in the home is likely:

a liar
with a family of liars
more likely to be violent
has the pit bull for more than simple pet companionship
is likely to sic that pit bull on officers
a criminal
guilty

Good for the police.

[spunkets]

Re: Also, I didn't say stoners were dumb.

" Yes, because being unable to "read, remember things," or "think very well" are the hallmarks of true intelligence."

I didn't make any connection to intelligence when I mentioned the effects of pot. The effects are what they are.

Thanks, I love that ride.

[stands2reason]

You are a cop.

[stands2reason]

Not all are the same.

The ones who do not wish to get busted are careful who they sell to.

[stands2reason]

Can't read????

LOL

[Scotsman will be Free]

I don't doubt that there may be an increase in teen drug use though that seems to go up and down. I do not agree with the cause and effect as you do between the war on drugs and teen use. I still think that it has more to do with the causes I stated earlier.

[pandoraou812]

Sometimes. But greed has a way of making people stupid and take chances.

[Casio]

"Police coming to the house, for them the dog is an inconvenience no question, but they don't have some automatic right to execute the family pet, so it won't be a bother, since it isn't illegal to own one. "

Evidently the boy was selling pot from the home. If the family didn't want the cops in there, they should have told the boy not to do it. The cops had a valid warrant for that house that a judge signed.

I am pro-victim, anti-criminal, thus pretty much pro-authority in general. When some cops here and there exceed their authority (even if officially not), it harms the reputation of the police. That's when the pro-criminal anti-victim layer of the society finds excuses to curb the authority of the police. Such as this case. You can be personally critical of marijuana, but let's face it, an 18 year old perhaps selling a bag or two (was not labeled a real dealer, which 18 years olds are usually not) is not the type of crime where the police have a good reason to start firing guns, and handcuffing children. If whoever was there couldn't handle the situation, should have called for backup. It is simple as that.

Protecting the police in an event like this, harms the police in the long run.

Gabor

[Casio]

If you try to keep a police dog from attacking you, the charge is resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

I have a hard time to believe that. Are you sure? Isn't it only from movies? If a police dog attacks me, am I suppose to let the animal bite me, and potentially cause grave harm? I really don't think so. And surely, if I shoot a police dog, I won't be charged with murder. So, there must be something wrong with the above statement.

When a cop kills a dog in the pursuit of their job, it is SOP.

Forgive my ignorance: what does SOP stands for?

Gabor

[pandoraou812]

Q. Is hurting a Police Dog the same as hurting a Police Officer?

A. Injuring or killing a Police Dog is a 3rd Degree Felony punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years in prison.

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/Special_Operations/K-9/K9_FAQ.asp

I know in my state (NJ) if you injure a police dog you are in big trouble. My husband once was arrested before I met him and was charged for feeding a police dog bologna.

[VRing]

"If a police dog attacks me, am I suppose to let the animal bite me, and potentially cause grave harm?"

Come on man, where have you been for the last 20 years? It is absolutely true. There are many, many cases where this very thing has happened over the years. Remember, if you are seized by a K9 officer it is no different than if you had been grabbed by a human officer. Fighting back will just get you more charges.

[spunkets]

" When some cops here and there exceed their authority (even if officially not), it harms the reputation of the police."

Yes.

"Such as this case."

No.

"let's face it, an 18 year old perhaps selling a bag or two (was not labeled a real dealer, which 18 years olds are usually not) is not the type of crime where the police have a good reason to start firing guns, and handcuffing children."

He was a dealer. It's that simple. He had sold pot to the cops, or their informant and was in the business, so the bust was legit. That's the law.

The dog posed a threat and the kids got out of hand. They were both dealed with properly under the circumstances.

[pandoraou812]

My husband just explained to me that he once grabbed a police dog by the neck after it bit his friend who was being arrested.... the police told him to unhand the dog and not harm it or he was going to be charged with assault on an officer because the dog has a badge. He still remembers the dogs name was Apache.

[spunkets]

Re: Perhaps it's, because those who smoke it can't read, remember things, think very well and their overall motivation drops.

"These statements make you look like a fool to someone who knows, the only ones buying it are those as ignorant..."

Yeah, the universities are full of math and science students that smoke pot while they study and before they take tests. It seems they're all in agreement, that smoking pot doesn't effect them at all.

" As I said, you don't appear to know anything substantiative about the topic you're discussing."

I'm not here to argue about the well known effects of pot. I've noticed you've provided nothing, but anecdotal evidence anyway.

[FreeReign]

You were the one who mentioned minors.

What a non-sequitur.

I mention the word "minors" therefore I'm making a specific accusation against an individual of selling to minors.

LOL!

[FreeReign]

Either you miss the point or you are for the sale of drugs to minors being legal.

Majors, minors or hobgoblins makes no difference. Illegal drug dealers are exactly the same as illegal booze dealers during prohibition. Prohibition creates a black market.

Are you saying that there shouldn't be a prohibition against selling marijuana to minors??

[phoenix0468]

...that or you are abusing their rights and privileges to experience life...

Experiencing life shouldn't include the illegal use of drugs, alchohol, or any other substance that will alter your personality. If you think that by giving your children free reign to "experience life" you did them any favors your wrong. Discipline and accountability are much more important for children than leniency and freedom. IMO, your parenting style is both irresponsible and unaccountable. A parent is and should always be accountable for the actions of their children. If you think otherwise, than we can end this argument, because I honestly don't agree with any other parenting style. If you want to call me too strict so be it. BTW, until children reach voting age they have no rights and privilages other than those granted them by their parents. Unfortunately some children are given more rope than they deserve and end up hanging themselves or others in the process of "experiencing life".