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SWAT Team Raids Home, Kills Man Over $2 Worth of Pot – Informant Exposes Police Cover-Up
Free Thought Project ^ | Jay Syrmopoulos

Posted on 08/30/2015 3:28:02 PM PDT by Sir Gawain

Tampa Bay, FL – A Florida family seeks justice after their son Jason Westcott, was killed by members of a SWAT team, during a “drug raid” on his house which yielded only $2.00 worth of marijuana.

An ‘internal investigation’ absolved officers of any wrongdoing though police only found .02 grams of marijuana in Westcott’s home.

“They have IA, they have internal investigations but when you police yourself, you have that veil of concern by the outsider,” said attorney T.J. Grimaldi.

On Tuesday, attorney T.J. Grimaldi, representing the family of Westcott, informed the city that family would be filing a lawsuit, after finding numerous “glaring inconsistencies” in police statements in the aftermath of the killing.

“We have developed and seen what we view to be significant inconsistencies with the way that the police department portrayed this case from the get-go all the way to its conclusion,” he said. “We have put the city and the police department on notice that we are going to be filing a lawsuit,” Grimaldi said.

(Excerpt) Read more at thefreethoughtproject.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; florida; swat
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1 posted on 08/30/2015 3:28:02 PM PDT by Sir Gawain
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To: Sir Gawain

how can police brutality be dismantled thru-out the US? i’m not talking about them turning all squishy but something has to be done & reform is needed on these jerks who kill people and dogs without significant forethought-they all seem to be frikkin’ trigger happy


2 posted on 08/30/2015 3:31:21 PM PDT by thesligoduffyflynns (Shrimp Egg Foo Young- A tasty dish! gravy on the side please)
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To: Sir Gawain
a “drug raid” on his house which yielded only $2.00 worth of marijuana.

Aha! A drug fiend! Death is too good for him!

3 posted on 08/30/2015 3:31:38 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (My music: http://hopalongginsberg.com/ | Facebook: Hopalong Ginsberg | Instagram: hopalonginsberg)
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To: Sir Gawain

Lawsuit? After a guy gets killed and the thugs with badges get away?


4 posted on 08/30/2015 3:31:44 PM PDT by nomad
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To: Sir Gawain

$2.00 worth of pot? Sounds like three roaches and some seeds.


5 posted on 08/30/2015 3:32:10 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (This tagline lists all of Hilary's accomplishments............................)
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To: Sir Gawain

Hmmm. As I thought. Victim of police was white which is why no big national stories. So sharpton and jesse can stand down.


6 posted on 08/30/2015 3:34:49 PM PDT by dynachrome (We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.)
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To: Sir Gawain

If you live in Florida, sign the petitions to legalize marijuana. The police enforcement of this law has led to more arrests, SWAT raids and imprisonment for minor possession than any other laws.


7 posted on 08/30/2015 3:35:34 PM PDT by rstrahan
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To: Sir Gawain

That hooligan was smoking the pot... it sounds like he got less than he deserved

/s


8 posted on 08/30/2015 3:35:41 PM PDT by z taxman
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To: Michael.SF.

But wait! There’s more!

The informant who triggered the raid falsely told the police that the victim was a dealer. And now...
________________________________

A 50-year-old felon and drug addict, Ronnie “Bodie” Coogle, was the principal Tampa Police Department informer against at least five suspects this year. He conducted nine undercover operations. In their probable-cause affidavits, his handlers called him reliable. Even Tampa’s police chief praised his “track record.”

Coogle said they were all wrong. He said he repeatedly lied about suspects, stole drugs he bought on the public’s dime and conspired to falsify drug deals.


9 posted on 08/30/2015 3:37:06 PM PDT by sparklite2 (Voting is acting white.)
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To: Sir Gawain

This happened a year ago, a CI told the cops he was growing the stuff, and when they entered the home Jason picked up his gun before he was shot. There is always more to a story than what it seems at first blush.


10 posted on 08/30/2015 3:38:32 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: thesligoduffyflynns
how can police brutality be dismantled thru-out the US?

In many of these cases it is quite simply faulty information or sloppy research. In this case it was trusting an informant who was a liar (I guess the cops have never heard "trust but verify"). Police used to do detective work and confirm the details before acting. Now they have reversed that pattern because they are never held liable (though the taxpayers take it in the shorts).

Love your tag line. Now I'm hungry.
11 posted on 08/30/2015 3:39:28 PM PDT by LostInBayport (When there are more people riding in the cart than there are pulling it, the cart stops moving...)
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To: Sir Gawain
You can't uphold the law by breaking the law.

/johnny

12 posted on 08/30/2015 3:39:32 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: thesligoduffyflynns

End the WOD and you end the reason for much of this.


13 posted on 08/30/2015 3:40:38 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (There's a right to gay marriage in the Constitution but there is no right of an unborn baby to life.)
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To: Sir Gawain

Standard ops for Nazi Drug warriors! They didn’t arrest any SS for crystalnacht either!


14 posted on 08/30/2015 3:40:40 PM PDT by rawcatslyentist (Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed,)
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To: Sir Gawain

Holy cow. Swat teams are sometimes as dangerous as criminals.


15 posted on 08/30/2015 3:40:57 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Sir Gawain

Kind of tough to go strong and hard against pot when the GOP-e is in the back pocket of the drug lobbyist.

just saying, it depends who’s ox is being gored.


16 posted on 08/30/2015 3:43:29 PM PDT by hadaclueonce (I thought Ethanol was the devil, now i find it is America is an Oligarchy)
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To: JRandomFreeper

We are a totalitarian fascist state and the police are doing things like this to terrify the population.


17 posted on 08/30/2015 3:44:13 PM PDT by Chickensoup (We lose our freedoms one surrender at a time)
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To: Sir Gawain
Not absolving the police but I have a few questions.

Was he pointing a gun at police when he was shot?

Should not the CI bear some responsibility for this? He admitted that he lied to the police.

18 posted on 08/30/2015 3:47:40 PM PDT by Eagles6 ( Valley Forge Redux. If not now, when? If not here, where? If not us then who?)
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To: chajin
This happened a year ago, a CI told the cops he was growing the stuff, and when they entered the home Jason picked up his gun before he was shot. There is always more to a story than what it seems at first blush.

I would also pick up my gun against home invaders.

19 posted on 08/30/2015 3:49:22 PM PDT by Sir Gawain
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To: trisham

Exactly

Once upon a time they would simply get a warrant, knock on the door, talked to the guy like civilized people, and take it from there.

unless the perp is a known mad dog, why go directly to army man mode?
Modern police training is criminal.


20 posted on 08/30/2015 3:53:40 PM PDT by DanielRedfoot (Creepy Ass Cracker)
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