Here We Go Again
Radley Balko | November 21, 2006, 11:47pm
Police in Altanta
have apparently shot and killed a 92-year-old woman Tuesday night during a drug raid. Details are sketchy, but unless a nonagenerian was pushing dope and using lethal force to protect her supply, the most likely explanation here is that someone sent the tactical team to kick down the wrong door after a bad tip from an informant. Again. Only this time, the spunky old broad inside met the intruders with gunfire:
The woman's niece, Sarah Dozier, says that she bought her aunt a gun to
protect herself and that her aunt had a permit for the gun. Relatives
believe Johnston was frightened by the officers and opened fire."They
kicked her door down talking about drugs, there's no drugs in that
house. And they realize now, they've got the wrong house," Dozier said.
"I'm mad as hell."
Police insist the warrant was legit, and the house was correct -- which is why I'm guessing the problem originated with the informant.
This of course is why you don't kick down doors for nonviolent offenses in the first place, especially if all you've got is a CI's tip. But you already knew that. Thing is, even if this case is every bit as egregious as it seems, it won't change much. There will be some outrage. Perhaps an apology. Maybe even a few empty promises for reform. And then, in a few months, everything will go back to the way it was before. The only certainty here is that Kathryn Johnston won't be the last person to die in one of these stupid raids. Just ask
Alberta Spruill.In the meantime, somebody wanna' hand me another
one of those red thumbtacks?
UPDATE: More from the
AJC here. Police aren't saying what they were looking for, or what they found inside. Johnston was the only person in the house at the time of the raid. Perhaps this case will prove different, but my experience in researching this stuff is that when police conduct a drug raid, they trot out
everything they found -- particularly when the raid resulted in violence. That they've yet to announce any seized contraband doesn't bode well.
Ryan Waxx | November 22, 2006, 11:07am | #
...1> Dangerous drugs are still being sold.
You can call it an 'old argument' (argument by namecalling), and you can even repeat it a few dozen MORE times. But you can't eveade the FACT that the presence of lawbreakers DOES NOT prove the law is broken. NO OTHER EXISTING LAW is held up to that standard, because if it WERE, we'd have very few left.
... 2) The selling of said drugs has been put into the hands of people who have no interest in protecting their 'customers' and often sell tainted drugs which are even more dangerous.
This much is true.
... 3) The 'customers' are forced to pay exorbitant prices for the drugs, which often forces them to commit crimes to support their habits - including the 'crime' of selling the drugs.
And the fact that people become so enslaved to the things that the need for the drugs, and ONLY the need for the drugs (according to you) causes them to commit crimes... bounces off your head, making no mental impact whatsoever.
Because of course if you bothered to THINK, you might WONDER weather something that is so controlling that it could compel people to commit crimes might be... well... a BAD thing.
... 4) Millions of people who have done no harm to others are being criminalized.
I don't necessarily like this either. But enriching a crack dealer IS a harm to society. Of course, in your worldview, ONLY the government is guilty of enriching crack dealers. Everyone else has a free pass.
... 5) The police are being turned into paramilitaries.
So enforce the drug laws WITHOUT using paramilitary police. I'll help. Problem solved.
... 6) Drug cartels are destabilizing countries in the third world.
You can only take the chain of causation so far(unless you are a fanatic). We're their biggest customer, but you seriously think we're their ONLY customer? And you also think there are no other criminal enterprises that enrich thugs? Get real.
7) Same argument, same answer as 1).
8) Same argument, same answer as 5). People accuse me of using old arguments, who wants to bet NO ONE will call you on outright recycling yours?
Dee | November 22, 2006, 12:26pm | #
Ryan Waxx - Do people have a problem getting drugs now? Nope. So what exactly would be the difference, as someone else noted its easier for kids to get drugs than liquor which your dictator freinds from last century found out they could not stop either. The fact that something is illegal does not make it unavailable, simple supply and demand.
As for having to increase the budget of cops for them to actually INVESTIGATE something is bullshit as well. Had one of the DEA agents that raided my neighbors house a few weeks ago spent an hour on the datamine of info they have on us all and another few hours staking the place out they would have seen the amount of force brought to confiscate a internet server was a bit excessive. So they come guns and vests on to serve the warrant for a computer in a residential neighborhood, all 12 of them. Now thats 12 agents times the 3 hours they were there rummaging through his house. That equals 36 man hours to pick up a server. One hour looking at data followed by a few hours of actual investigating takes us to 8 total man hours at which point they would have seen they were in no danger and only needed 2 agents at most to serve the warrant. Seems like a cost cutting measure to me not a increase in spending.
Cops these days do no investigating. The only way they catch major criminals is via traffic stops. They are usually only around after the fact to write a report of what happened. To bad those they kill in these raids can't give their side of the story.
I really think the only way to get this type of shit to stop is for people all over the country to locate relatives of judges, politicians etc and give the gung-ho cops anonomous tips that would lead to their doors being kicked in. Perhaps if a few of them needlessly lose their lives something will change.
The main issue most overlook is that if your an honest citizen with nothing to fear from illegal activities your first instinct when hearing your door smashed in is that your being robbed since there is no other reason your door should be being dehinged in the middle of the night. In my house I could not hear someone at the front door from my back room, unless they kicked the door down. At which point they would have to come down the hallway at which point they would be shot because I would have my sights lined up with the door and the first person to walk into it gets it, period! What might a home invader yell as he kicks in your door to give them that extra moment to take over and try to assure themselves no one goes on the instant defensive, POLICE perhaps so they might not get shot would be my guess.
And for you anti-gunners in the audience how do you think the country would look if all guns were outlawed the same as drugs are now? Zero tolerance has worked so well in stopping drugs I am sure it would care over to firearms as well. Then you will want to ban knives as well I suppose. But we will still be free to defend ourselves with our nail clippers I hope.
Something tells me if this woman would have been in her 70's those cops would be dead as well if she managed to hit 3 at 92 years old.
I think all drug use will stop just as soon as we pay off the national debt. *holding breath*
