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The last update in the Jose Guerena case–5.2 on February 1, 2012–concluded, as have all the others, with many unanswered questions. What is known is that Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik claimed that it could take an enormous amount of time to investigate this case, and it could be a very long time before any arrests were made. This article, for those that have not been following this case closely, is a brief review of developments through Update 3 to bring you up to speed as I continue reporting and analysis. I’ll also add a bit of new information in...

Where was the Reverend Al when police killed Hispanic Iraq war vet Jose Guerena? Jay Stephenson GenerationSnooki.com March 24 2012 On May 5 last year, former Marine and Iraq war veteran Jose Guerena was just minding his business before police raided his Arizona home and opened fire, releasing more than 70 rounds in 7 seconds while his wife Vanessa and 4-year old son listened from a nearby closet. Armed with SWAT gear and an armored carrier, police no knock raided the Guerena home searching for illegal drugs that were never found. He was suspected of taking part in a marijuana...

TUCSON - The family of a Tucson man killed by a Pima County SWAT team filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Jose Guereña died May 5th, during a raid at his southwest side home, reportedly after he pointed a rifle at officers. The team fired 71-shots in all, nearly two dozen hit the former marine. Weeks later court documents tied Guereña to a drug trafficking ring; something the family's attorney said isn't true. Originally the Guerena family filed an intent to sue hoping to get a $20-million settlement. That never happened so the official lawsuit was filed by their attorney and...

Most Americans first heard of seven-term liberal Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik in the aftermath of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others in January of 2011. Dupnik immediately blamed conservative “rhetoric,” and declared Arizona a “mecca for racism and bigotry” — he was thoroughly wrong. In the Jose Guerena case, he would be wrong again. If anyone knows how the extended family of Jose Guerena, a two-combat tour Marine and father of two young children, came to the attention of drug agents in the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, they’re not telling. But members of his family by...

Jose Guerena was killed by a Pima County SWAT team back in May. His wife, Vanessa, and 4-year-old son were in the home at the time but were fortunately unharmed when police fired dozens of bullets into the home. Guerena himself did not fire on police, but police reported he was holding a rifle when they broke the door down. Follow-up investigations have shown that Guerena was related to people likely involved in criminal activity, but Guerena himself appears to have been on the sidelines. Now Vanessa Guerena is filing suit against Pima County to the tune of $20 million...

The attorney representing Vanessa Guerena filed a twenty-million dollar lawsuit today naming all of the agencies whose members participated in the SWAT raid, Pima County and the several agencies employing them and Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. See the filing PDF link at KOLD.COM for the listing of names and agencies involved in the filing. Chris Scileppi, the attorney called the raid needless and in a report shown on KOLD TV channel 13 Tucson, a tape ran showing Mrs. Guerena at the door of the home, approached by SWAT members and dragged from the doorway across the gravel front yard after tripping...

No arrests have been made in the three months since Jose Guerena was killed by a SWAT team during a raid of his home that officials said was part of a complex drug-trafficking investigation involving numerous people. Stolen cars, drugs, cash and weapons were found in another one of the four houses raided that May 5 morning, but Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said no one has been arrested because an ongoing homicide investigation tied to this case is "much bigger." "We could go out and make some arrests today, and we could've made some arrests some time ago, but we have...

Pima County Republican Party leaders voted late Thursday to take party chairman Brian Miller’s keys to the GOP headquarters away and call a special meeting to try to remove him from his post. Miller has been under fire from party stalwarts for the past month, with multiple meetings called in recent weeks after he criticized a SWAT raid in May that resulted in the shooting death of a man law enforcement officers said they suspected of involvement in drug dealing. Several elected officials and party leaders have complained that his comments pitted the party against law enforcement at a time...

Tucson Police confirm that a weapon they found in Jose Guerena's home had been stolen in 2008. SWAT officers killed Guerena in his southwest side home last month when they went to serve a search warrant. Investigators say Guerena pointed an assault rifle at officers when they went in the house.

We want to know what you think: were SWAT officers justified in shooting Guerena?

KGUN9 News viewers have been requesting more information about the scene of the May 5 SWAT shooting that killed former U.S. Marine Jose Guerena. Some have asked whether any drawings exist to show what happened in the house where the raid took place. Investigators have not released any drawings, but crime scene photographs issued late last week do give an idea of what happened. The picture gallery above provides highlights from more than a thousand photos that investigators have released to the media so far. According to the raid video and to testimony contained in various documents made public so...

The SWAT officers who shot and killed a man while serving a search warrant last month gave at least two commands for someone to open the door before knocking it open, according to documents released Friday. The officers told investigators that, upon opening the door, they saw a man appear in the hallway holding a rifle before they saw what they thought were muzzle flashes from his gun. It was later determined Jose Guerena's rifle was on safety and he didn't fire at the officers. The Pima County Sheriff's Department released hundreds of evidence photos and transcribed interviews with the...

The older brother of the man shot and killed during a SWAT raid last month was the primary focus of a long-term drug-trafficking investigation, records released Thursday show. Jose Guerena and an assortment of relatives and acquaintances are mentioned in a report that chronicles a probe that stretched over two years of a suspected drug-trafficking ring in which several people appeared to have no source of income - except for monthly welfare checks several people named in the reports received - to account for their expensive cars and properties, the records released under a court order indicate. The Pima County...

Poll asks if Pima County Sheriff's Department should reconsider using SWAT team to execute search warrants.

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) – The raid on former Marine Jose Guerena's home has garnered national and international attention, raising numerous questions about excessive force and proper SWAT protocol, with Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik at the center on an increasingly heated and political debate. The Pima County Sheriff's Department released limited information on the debate, including yielding hundreds of documents, granting an interview with a lieutenant and raw video on the raid. Meanwhile, Dupnik has refused interviews, citing the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation. However, the raw video has not quelled the debate over the SWAT raid or...

The man killed in a SWAT team raid last month had been under investigation by the Pima County Sheriff's Department for 20 months as part of a major drug and homicide investigation, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Tuesday during an editorial meeting with the Star. But details of the investigation into Jose Guerena's activities won't be released because an informant for the Sheriff's Department could be in danger, Dupnik said. "There's a chance that our informant is going to get killed," he said. Guerena was killed when SWAT officers fired 71 rounds from the front door of his home in the...

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Pima County Superior Court Judge Deborah Bernini has postponed her decision on the warrant unsealing in the fatal SWAT shooting death case that left Jose Guerena, 26, dead. Judge Bernini said during a hearing Tuesday afternoon that she needs to meet with Pima County Sheriff's Investigators to discuss why the records should remain sealed since information has already been released in the case. Mike Storie, attorney for Pima County SWAT and Christopher Scileppi, attorney representing the Guerena family have already spoken publicly about the case. Judge Bernini hopes to have her final ruling made by the end...

The man killed in a SWAT team raid last month had been under investigation by The Pima County Sheriff’s Department for 20 months as part of a major drug and homicide investigation, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Tuesday during an editorial meeting with the Star. But details of the investigation into Jose Guerena’s activities won’t be released because a criminal informant for the sheriff’s department could be in danger, Dupnik said. “There’s a chance that our informant is going to get killed,” he said. Guerena died after SWAT officers fired 71 rounds from the front door of his home in the...

TUCSON, Ariz. – The death of a former Marine near Tucson continues to stir controversy. A group spent this Memorial Day protesting the SWAT raid which led to his death. Investigation documents reveal officers seized guns, banking documents and other items from the home but did not find drugs or cash.

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) – Video of the SWAT raid and deadly shooting of former Marine Jose Guerena has raised many questions from 9 On Your Side viewers who wanted to know how much force police are legally allowed to use when serving a search warrant. 9 On Your Side Reporter Steve Nuñez sat down with Criminal Defense Attorney Michael Bloom to show him the raw footage of the raid. The Pima County Sheriff's Department released the video to the media on Thursday. "I'm sure everyone's reaction first of all, it's horrible," said Bloom as he watched SWAT officers fire 71 bullets...