Posted on 07/08/2008 6:10:24 AM PDT by bamahead
What prompted Pembroke Pines police to conduct a dawn paramilitary raid that ended with the June 12 shooting death of homeowner Vincent Hodgkiss?
In its application for a narcotics search warrant, police cited an anonymous complaint of drug dealing, surveillance of high-turnover visitors and two searches of Hodgkiss' trash by detectives, who found scraps of paper with handwritten numbers and trace amounts of "green, leafy substance" that tested positive for marijuana.
Police conducted the raid with its Special Response Team (similar to SWAT) two days after Broward Circuit Judge Dale Cohen approved the search warrant.
As a result of the investigation, police recovered about an ounce and a half of pot — and a 46-year-old father ended up dead.
Is this what America really wants from its War on Drugs?
The totality of the evidence could add up to a small-time pot dealer. Was an early morning raid with a mini-battalion really the best way to go about serving the warrant?
This wasn't some violent gang that moved into the neighborhood three months ago. Hodgkiss spent 14 years in the house, raising his family there. He had no previous felonies or history of violence. I bet two detectives approaching him when he made a trip to the corner store might have been more effective, and certainly less confrontational.
The attorney for Officer Javier Diaz, who fatally wounded Hodgkiss, said Diaz shot Hodgkiss twice after Hodgkiss pumped his loaded shotgun and carried it into his bathroom. The attorney said Diaz fired in "justified self-defense."
I'm not saying the shooting was unjustified. I'm sure Diaz felt threatened and compelled to shoot. The bigger point: Tragic outcomes like these are inevitable given our nation's drug policies and police procedures.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
I think Sheriff Andy needs to take Barney's bullet away from him.
We got a 92 year old lady shot down in these parts by a Swat team. There was so much gunfire from the SWATs that they succeeded in wounding some of their own.
As I read it, Capone’s employees were all dressed up as cops for the St. Valentine’s day massacre. Moran’s people would have had no way to distinguish them from cops doing a “no-knock” raid.
I am saddened to hear that.
The kid shouldn’t be going to prison - he should be going to an appointment with ol’ Sparky.
Still that is the way a warrant should be served unless circumstances (lives in danger, violent offender) dictate otherwise.
Do you know any of the details of the situation I’m talking about?
On the plus side, the little ol’ lady did send a few round back at the cops before they killed her.
And the cops in question ARE going to jail. Mostly ‘cause they didn’t find any drugs..., but they are going to jail.
No. I don’t get the news from Virginia. From your response, I was assuming the cop served the warrant in a less threatening fashion and the kid shot him. If that is not the case, I apologize.
The suspect DID have a shotgun.
How were the police to know that the response to their polite query would NOT have been a 12 gauge round exploding through the front door? A reasonable question.
why not serve the warrant with a polite knock on the door and a “We have a warrant, sir, may we come in?”
A few years ago, our town did a mass bust on valentines day. The undercover cop showed up at the door carrying a bouquet of flowers, knocked and said “FTD flower delivery for [insert perp’s name].
They got everyone quite peacefully. The perps were actually eager to identify themselves and sign for their flowers. No guns were drawn and nobody got shot.
I dont know, is it really what the 46 year old Father wanted?
Then why was he engaged in criminal activity.
"Authority does not bare the sword in vain".
All stupid people; wake up.
Somone had called in a report that this kid was growing and selling pot at his house. It was a 2or3 AM raid. The kid was in bed sleeping with his tv on, his dog started barking, his door was kicked in and a guy with a gun was framed in his doorway with bright lights shining in. He shot twice, blindly, and ended up killing a LEO that was outside in the yard. There was less than an ounce of pot, no plants. He had been broken into and threatened a number of times before this by local gangs.
Maybe they thought they were going to a bachelor party.
Is everything that is illegal a criminal activity?
Read it again.
S L O W L Y
the irony is that these jackboots are addicted to adrenaline.
Sorry!
This was my daily DUH moment prior to coffee!
Feel proud to have been a part of it :)
No problem ;)
And, thanks for the CATO link.
I’ve been contriuting to CATO for years and even have several copies of their pocket Consitution.
I lost the link you posted and now I’ve got it again.
Thx.
A-a-a-w-w-w, man! Followin' a battering ram through a flattened door at 2:30am is past cool. With enough adrenalin, you don't need no steenkin' MJ.
You don’t get M4 carbines,MP-5 SMGs and flash-bangs unless you actually plan to use them.
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.