Free Republic

A Jacksonville homeowner thought she may have been robbed Sunday, but realized instead her home had been altered by a SWAT team. Deborah Franz was told to leave her home by police during a standoff with her neighbor over the weekend. According to WTEV-TV, Franz overheard loud fighting next door, and then saw SWAT team members swarm the street. “The cop goes ‘You all need to leave, you can’t be in your house,’” Franz told the station.

FOREST PARK, Ga. — Officers are supposed to pull drivers over for traffic violations, but a Channel 2 Action News investigation found traffic stops leading to a violation of another kind. Driver after driver told investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer officers searched inside their pants while they were stopped for minor traffic violations. In several cases, the invasive searches targeted passengers who were riding in the car. "He was like, 'Just unbuckle all your clothes,' and put his hands down inside my pants," said Terry Phillips. Forest Park police had pulled over Phillips' wife for a suspended registration. Phillips consented to...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A Fort Worth police officer will not face charges for fatally shooting a 72-year-old Texas homeowner while investigating a burglary alarm at the wrong house, a Tarrant County jury decided Wednesday. The decision to "no-bill" R.A. "Alex" Hoeppner in the death of Jerry Waller came a week after prosecutors began presenting the case to the grand jury. Waller died May 28 after being shot multiple times by Hoeppner as the officer and a partner searched for a possible burglary suspect after being dispatched to a burglary alarm call across the street. Family members have said Waller,...

PHILADELPHIA, PA–He was the only one who didn’t run. Now Darrin Manning may never father children after his encounter with a police officer earlier this month. While on his way to a basketball game after school, the straight-A student and his teammates had an encounter with officer Thomas Purcell. Apparently one of the teammates may have said a snide remark to the officer, who then approached them. The boys ran, but Manning stopped and stayed. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said to Philly.com. What happened next is hard to believe. Darrin was handcuffed, frisked, and his genitals were pulled...

David Eckert–the man who was stopped by police, suspected of drug possession, driven to a hospital, driven to a second hospital, forced to undergo multiple invasive surgeries, and billed for the abuse after no drugs were found–has obtained a $1.6 million settlement with New Mexico local authorities.