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BEWARE: No-Knock SWAT Attacks
Townhall.com ^ | March 24, 2014 | Katie Kieffer

Posted on 03/24/2014 7:43:21 AM PDT by Kaslin

Gun owners beware. Squirt gun owners, that includes you. If a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team SUSPECTS you of crime, you may receive a late-night visit from an armed SWAT team.

That’s right, an armed and militant SWAT team could trot right through your front door as you slumber this summer. No-knock warrants are increasingly used by military-style police units, like SWAT teams for drug raids. Unfortunately, SWAT teams can obtain these warrants too easily from judges and consequently do not always perform sufficient due diligence. As a result, tens of thousands of decent, law-abiding American citizens are surprised every year by a no-knock visit when the SWAT team gets it wrong.

While we do not know the exact number of wrongful No-Knock SWAT invasions, a 2006 article by Cato Institute policy analyst put the number at 40,000 a year! We must rally together and use our freedom of speech to protest such an atrocity.

Think about it: When a SWAT team invades the wrong home in the middle of the night, as happened in the case of Tracy Ingle in 2008, the results can be bloody. SWAT team members barreled through Ingle’s main door and bedroom window under the cover of darkness. Understandably, Ingle thought he was being robbed and attempted to exercise his natural right to self-defense by reaching for what The New American describes as “a non-working gun.”

Completely disregarding Ingle’s natural and constitutional rights to self-defense (2nd Amendment); private property (4th Amendment) and right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty (4th, 5th and 6th Amendments)—the SWAT team fired at Ingle over nine times—pummeling his chest, calf, arm and hip and shattering his leg bone.

It wasn’t until afterward that the SWAT team thought to verify Ingle’s identity by asking him if he was the criminal they were looking for named “Michael.” When they realized Ingle was not “Michael” but “Terry,” they rushed him to the hospital.

We certainly have many good and conscientious law enforcement officers in the United States. However, it is completely unjust and unethical for a team of law enforcement officers to storm into our homes and blast bullet holes through any moving shadow. Using this irresponsible method of “law enforcement,” a SWAT team could also accidently kill many innocent bystanders such as children, spouses or even pets who happen to live at the same house as the suspected criminal.

58 percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, according to an October 2013 Gallup report. The number of Americans who favor legalization has risen steadily as more Americans witness the failure of the “War on Drugs.” The combination of violent Mexican drug lords and unethical American drug cops (think Eric Holder) has been a recipe for disaster. Besides performing better due diligence, there’s another solution to preventing wrongful No-Knock SWAT invasions. If we were to legalize drugs, we would see a decrease in the narcotic crime rate. Legitimate business owners would eventually put the drug cartels out of business by reducing their profit margins.

How many more “Fasts and Furious” scandals are we willing to endure where we lose the lives of U.S. Border Patrol agents like Nicolas Ivie and Brian Terry? How many more chronically ill patients must be deprived of natural and effective treatment for their cancer or multiple sclerosis? How many more Terry Ingles need to wake up in the middle of the night to a spray of SWAT bullets? How many more Americans need to endure needless pain and bloodshed before we recognize the constitutional right of states to legalize drugs? One more American is one too many.

Speak up and tell your elected representatives to defend your 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Amendment rights. Say no to No-Knock SWAT Team invasions.

Gun owners beware. Squirt gun owners, that includes you. If a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team SUSPECTS you of crime, you may receive a late-night visit from an armed SWAT team.

That’s right, an armed and militant SWAT team could trot right through your front door as you slumber this summer. No-knock warrants are increasingly used by military-style police units, like SWAT teams for drug raids. Unfortunately, SWAT teams can obtain these warrants too easily from judges and consequently do not always perform sufficient due diligence. As a result, tens of thousands of decent, law-abiding American citizens are surprised every year by a no-knock visit when the SWAT team gets it wrong.

While we do not know the exact number of wrongful No-Knock SWAT invasions, a 2006 article by Cato Institute policy analyst put the number at 40,000 a year! We must rally together and use our freedom of speech to protest such an atrocity.

Think about it: When a SWAT team invades the wrong home in the middle of the night, as happened in the case of Tracy Ingle in 2008, the results can be bloody. SWAT team members barreled through Ingle’s main door and bedroom window under the cover of darkness. Understandably, Ingle thought he was being robbed and attempted to exercise his natural right to self-defense by reaching for what The New American describes as “a non-working gun.”

Completely disregarding Ingle’s natural and constitutional rights to self-defense (2nd Amendment); private property (4th Amendment) and right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty (4th, 5th and 6th Amendments)—the SWAT team fired at Ingle over nine times—pummeling his chest, calf, arm and hip and shattering his leg bone.

It wasn’t until afterward that the SWAT team thought to verify Ingle’s identity by asking him if he was the criminal they were looking for named “Michael.” When they realized Ingle was not “Michael” but “Terry,” they rushed him to the hospital.

We certainly have many good and conscientious law enforcement officers in the United States. However, it is completely unjust and unethical for a team of law enforcement officers to storm into our homes and blast bullet holes through any moving shadow. Using this irresponsible method of “law enforcement,” a SWAT team could also accidently kill many innocent bystanders such as children, spouses or even pets who happen to live at the same house as the suspected criminal.

58 percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, according to an October 2013 Gallup report. The number of Americans who favor legalization has risen steadily as more Americans witness the failure of the “War on Drugs.” The combination of violent Mexican drug lords and unethical American drug cops (think Eric Holder) has been a recipe for disaster. Besides performing better due diligence, there’s another solution to preventing wrongful No-Knock SWAT invasions. If we were to legalize drugs, we would see a decrease in the narcotic crime rate. Legitimate business owners would eventually put the drug cartels out of business by reducing their profit margins.

How many more “Fasts and Furious” scandals are we willing to endure where we lose the lives of U.S. Border Patrol agents like Nicolas Ivie and Brian Terry? How many more chronically ill patients must be deprived of natural and effective treatment for their cancer or multiple sclerosis? How many more Terry Ingles need to wake up in the middle of the night to a spray of SWAT bullets? How many more Americans need to endure needless pain and bloodshed before we recognize the constitutional right of states to legalize drugs? One more American is one too many.

Speak up and tell your elected representatives to defend your 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Amendment rights. Say no to No-Knock SWAT Team invasions.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: banglist; barf; donutwatch; druggierant; guns; leosoutofcontrol; paultards; pothead; secondamendment; swat; swatteam
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To: Kaslin

No-knock warrants are illegal in NH.

There was an incident in the early 90s when a man was killed in front of his wife and kids in the wee hours during a no knock raid for Marijuana in Nashua. The man was reaching for his glasses, and the pumped-up cops thought he was reaching for a weapon. They shot him to death in his bed with his wife right next to him.

Just a couple years back, a town constable was killed trying to serve a warrant. The man inside the house just shot him through the door with a rifle.

Works both ways, I guess.


61 posted on 03/24/2014 9:48:16 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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To: who knows what evil?

I’m very, very sorry to hear about this. Isn’t there something that can be done for you in legal terms?

My friend’s swatting caused years of fear and trauma.

Truly, I feel for you, freeper friend.


62 posted on 03/24/2014 9:55:59 AM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: miss marmelstein
I’m very, very sorry to hear about this. Isn’t there something that can be done for you in legal terms?

The informant doesn't have any money, so lawyers aren't interested. (Believe me, we've tried.)

My friend’s swatting caused years of fear and trauma.

Dealing with that right now...it's no picnic...still jump out of my chair when I hear a car door slam, and it's been four months...

Truly, I feel for you, freeper friend.

Much appreciated. :-)

I may put up a thread on this sometime...all they can do is kill us.

63 posted on 03/24/2014 10:11:53 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: who knows what evil?

The local Sheriffs can start arresting the SWAT Team members, but few will actually do it.


64 posted on 03/24/2014 10:12:42 AM PDT by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: Westbrook
No-knock warrants are illegal in NH.

The ONLY reason they didn't come thru my front door with battering rams and those hammers that look like Thor's is because my wife and I were outside at the time. The police told us that 'it couldn't have gone any better for us because they didn't have to break the doors down'. We never even SAW a warrant until I picked it up at the station a week later. They had every intention of conducting a 'no knock warrant' right here in Red Hampshire...

My wife and I won't see another good night's sleep until I get the hell out of Red Hampshire.

65 posted on 03/24/2014 10:18:40 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: Eagles6
Interactive Map on Botched Raids gives the details of each raid. Predominantly drug related.
66 posted on 03/24/2014 10:18:41 AM PDT by cornelis
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To: Kaslin
This kind of No-Knock? now that it's a reality it's not so funny anymore.
67 posted on 03/24/2014 10:24:53 AM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: Westbrook
No-knock warrants are illegal in NH.

They certainly didn't knock...they marched right by us and into the house...the only thing I said to them was 'Please don't kill my cats.'

68 posted on 03/24/2014 10:25:56 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: MasterGunner01
Say hello Mr. SWAT member to Mr. .30-06 Springfield and his brother .308 Winchester. Lights out and Big Dirt Nap.

This is a delusion. You have sleep sometime.
You will not be awake when they break down your door.
This crap will stop when at 3:00 AM the police parking lot is fire bombed.
when at 3:00 AM the swat team leaders home is fire bombed.

When the swat team is busy watching their back they don't have time to raid you or your neighbors home.

Welcome to 4 Gen warfare.

69 posted on 03/24/2014 10:38:28 AM PDT by Politically Correct (A member of the rabble in good standing)
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To: who knows what evil?

Either I’m badly mistaken, or these goons were in violation of the law.

What county?


70 posted on 03/24/2014 10:44:08 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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To: cornelis

That map is terribly inaccurate...mine didn’t make the papers; no blood was spilled; so it isn’t listed.


71 posted on 03/24/2014 10:45:31 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: Westbrook

Merrimack.


72 posted on 03/24/2014 10:45:55 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: Westbrook

I have talked to attorneys and several State Legislators; and they have all said ‘nothing much we can do’. That is why I am warning people to ‘keep an eye out’. We don’t smoke, we don’t drink, we don’t swear much, and we sure as hell don’t do drugs. Initially; my wife thought they were after her metformin.


73 posted on 03/24/2014 10:48:39 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: who knows what evil?

What was the warrant for?


74 posted on 03/24/2014 10:53:35 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: Durus
A neighbor with an ax to grind said that we were growing 'weed' in amongst the tomato plants in our garden, so they reported us to the police. Mind you, this is a garden on a busy street corner where it had been for five years, and one of my neighbors is an 'out of town' police officer.

"Nothing was seized." They said they were sorry. This was done so our apartment would be vacated (one way or another).

It worked...out we go.

75 posted on 03/24/2014 11:09:13 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: who knows what evil?

Hmmm...

Nashua is in Rockingham. Maybe it’s county-by-county. After all, warrants are most often obtained at the county level.

Maybe we need to talk to the sheriffs.


76 posted on 03/24/2014 11:11:09 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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To: Westbrook
"No-knock warrants are illegal in NH".

The most recent NH Law Enforcement Manual clearly shows provisions for no knock warrants.

77 posted on 03/24/2014 11:16:43 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: drunknsage

It’s part of a larger folly called the demonization of “things.” It used to be that if you got soused in public, no matter what from, you’d be put in the pillory or worse. What was sanctioned was the act of misuse, not the item.

It is liberal, not conservative, philosophy that brought us Prohibition and all its cousins.


78 posted on 03/24/2014 11:21:40 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: who knows what evil?

You must have an indoor garden? Unless you have very clear evidence of someone else’s involvement in “tipping the police off” I would say there are others things that could have resulted in this search. Such as buying anything from a hydroponic shop to grow tomatoes inside. An increase in your electric bill from running the system. A thermal heat signature that shows the pattern of “grow lights”. Such are the fruits of the war on (some) drugs.


79 posted on 03/24/2014 11:25:19 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: Durus

> The most recent NH Law Enforcement Manual clearly shows
> provisions for no knock warrants.

Then I’ve been badly misinformed.


80 posted on 03/24/2014 11:34:40 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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