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If they kill power to the house then a pornographer can’t do that. Simple.

Or, in the more general case, try to find some non-life-threatening way to protect the evidence. And any home invasion is inherently life threatening - if not in the specific instance of the no-knock warrant, then in the potential for criminal home invaders to use that tactic later.

You are right. Kicking in the door is only acceptable if there are lives on the line. At the very least a cops life is worth no less.

I'm glad you think I'm right, but I'm not sure I agree with your characterization of my statement. Kicking in the door is only acceptable if there are innocents inside in immediate danger if a valid warning is given. There may be lives on the line in many circumstances. As I said above, a no-knock warrant establishes a tactic that puts the lives of others, in later situations using that tactic legally or illegally, on the line. Just as in your example of killing power to the building, the police can and should be expected to find tactics that don't put any lives on the line - including their own, unless the suspects being sought have already put innocent lives on the line in the building.

Is a cop's life worth less than that of an ordinary innocent civilian? Of course not. But a cop's tactics can and must be held to a high standard of safety for all - particularly for the safety of innocent citizens. If they can't find those tactics, then they should do nothing until they do. Just as a physician is charged, 'First, do no harm.'

To be clear, there is no justification for using no-knock warrants when the threat in the event of a warning is to 'things' (like drugs or other evidence) rather than people.

Oh I agree 100%. Raids of any sort put lives at risk. No knock ones much more so. Even if civilian lives are cheap to the establishment the life of a cop should be worth more than a small baggy of crack. Even the biggest jackbootlicker around should agree with that.

Your analogy is apt. ‘Protect and Serve’ should give someone a little hint that kicking in doors and putting guns in peoples faces needs a huge amount of justification to measure up. Protecting someone from getting high by pointing guns at them just does not add up. Protecting hostages does.