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Re: asus post# 329

Thursday, 06/12/2008 8:12:36 AM

Thursday, June 12, 2008 8:12:36 AM

Post# of 1033
53 paramilitary excess raids in one story

***



Search Results

These 53 results represent
The state of: All
For the year: All
And the following type of incident: Other examples of paramilitary police excess



SWAT Team Raids Gay Gym

July 1, 2006—NM

In July 2006, police officers in flak jackets donning assault weapons and shields raid a gay gym/social club in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Patrons -- some of whom were dragged from the locker room naked -- are handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor at gunpoint for more than an hour. One man is taken into a separate room, where, he says, officers photograph him and ridicule him.

"We saw about 15 or 20 flashes coming from there and heard lots of laughter," one patron would later say. "They (the officers) were having a good old time. It was like the gay Abu Ghraib."

Police officials later said the SWAT raid was due to reports that the club was dispensing alcohol without a license.

Sources:

Maggie Shepard, "Rights groups look at raid of gay gym," Albuquerque Tribune, July 11, 2006.

Larry Buhl, "ACLU probes N.M. gay-gym raid," PlanetOut Network, July 7, 2006.

Larry Buhl, "N.M. gym-raid warrant: Officers feared 'sexual assault,'" PlanetOut Network, July 14, 2006.



Steven Blackman

June 28, 2006—TX

Acting on a tip from an informant, a SWAT team in Fort Worth, Texas fires several rounds of tear gas into the home of Steven Blackman, then forcibly and violently enters the residence. The SWAT team was excessively destructive -- they even slashed the tires to Blackman's truck. Blackman isn't home at the time, but returns to find his house in disarray, and uninhabitable due to the tear gas.

Police had the wrong address. The city of Forth Worth has since apologized for the raid, and is working with Blackman to pay for repairs.

Source:

Jay Gormley, "Did Fort Worth SWAT Raid Wrong House?" CBS 11 News, June 28 2006.

Alex Branch, "Police Say They Are Sorry For Raiding Wrong House," Star-Telegram Staff Writer, July 1, 2006.



Patricia Durr-Pojar and Curtis Pojar.

June 15, 2006—MO

Officers from the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team conduct a raid on Durr-Pojar's home on an anonymous tip that the woman and her son are running a meth lab inside. Police break out windows, tear down doors and screens, throw objects out a second story window, and throw Durr-Pojar and Pojar to the ground and handcuff them. Durr-Pojar suffers a gash beneath her eye and requires a splint and crutches for kneed injuries. Pojar gets contusions under his eye and on his back.

Police find no meth and no meth lab. They conduct a second raid on the trailer where Pojar lives in front of his mother's home and find a small amount of marijuana.

Greene County Sheriff Jack Merritt later tells a local newspaper that Durr-Pojar's injuries were her own fault, because she "shouldn't have run" when the black-clad SWAT team raided her home.

Sources:

Sarah Overstreet, "Raid on home turns up no meth lab but leaves two injured," Springfield News-Leader, June 19, 2006.

Ryan Slight, "Sheriff: Woman Shouldn't Have Run," Springfield News-Leader, June 20, 2006.



"Operation Shock and Awe."

April 19, 2006—NY

Between April 18 and 20 of 2006, SWAT teams in Buffalo, New York conduct no-knock raids on 36 homes and arrest 76 people police say are suspected of drug crimes, in a project dubbed "Operation Shock and Awe."

The raids come just days after Erie County Commissioner Joel Giambra publicly questioned the wisdom of the Drug War. Giamgra also has a long-running feud with the Buffalo Police Department.

A month later, the Buffalo News conducts an investigation, and finds that just 20 of the 76 suspects arrested still face felony drug charges. Another 36 are released within 24 hours of arrest. A local judge dismisses charges against others for lack of evidence. The paper also found that of the four pounds of marijuana police initially told the media they'd seized in the raids, 3.5 came from an unrelated, routine traffic stop.

One city councilman called the dismissal of charges due to lack of evidence, "a slap in the face to our good men in blue." City officials also told the Buffalo News they would consider conducting future raids in conjunction with housing inspectors, circumventing the need for a search warrant.

Sources:

Maki Becker, "How Effective Is the Drug War," Buffalo News, May 24, 2006.

Vanessa Thomas and T.J. Pignataro, "3 days of secret police drug raids bring 78 arrests throughout city," Buffalo News, April 21, 2006.

"Giambra Suggests Discussion On Legalizing Drugs," WBEN News, April 19, 2006.



Budhists Monks Apprehended by SWAT Team.

February 5, 2006—NE

Six Tibetan monks in the U.S. on a tour to promote world peace are apprehended by an immigration SWAT team in Omaha, Nebraska after inadvertently overstaying their visas.

Source:

"Monks arrested in SWAT team action," KETV News, Omaha, Nebraska., February 24, 2006.



Sharon Cumming.

January 10, 2006—VA

After sifting through four bags of garbage found outside Sharon Cumming's home, police in Leesburg, Virginia raid her house on a warrant for suspicion of possession of marijuana. Deputies use flashbang grenades and allegedly curse at neighbors who inquire about the noise, telling them to get back inside.

Leesburg Today reports, "deputies seized 20 items, including $8,175 in cash, $122.88 in coins, $6.59 in Barbados coins, a palm pilot, cell phone and a box of ammunition," in addition to one small bag of marijuana.

Source:

Dan Telvock, "Round Hill Drug Raid Turns Up Cash, Marijuana," Leesburg Today, January 12, 2006.



The Aspen Restaurant Raids.

December 2, 2005—CO

In December 2005, 53 federal agents raid two Aspen, Colorado restaurants during the dinner rush. The agents are dressed in full SWAT attire. Federal officials refuse to tell local authorities about the raids, because Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis is an outspoken drug war critic, and prefers a less militaristic approach to drug policing.

Several diners say police point guns at them as they storm the restaurants.

The heavily-armed raids net all of two ounces of cocaine, and eleven immigration violations. Of the ten people arrested, only two faces charges worse than a misdemeanor. Seven months later, one of the remaining two people arrested gets two years in prison for a single $40 sale of cocaine to an undercover officer during the entire six-month investigation (the sale occured before the raid).

Sources:

Rick Carroll, "Drug raid arrestee gets two years," Aspen Daily News, July 3, 2006.

Ellen Miller, "Drug raid in Aspen stirs pot," Rocky Mountain News, December 8, 2005.



Outdoor Party in Spanish Fork Canyon.

August 20, 2005—UT

More than 90 police officers from several state and local SWAT teams raid 1500 people at a peaceful, outdoor dance party in Utah. Police are armed with assault weapons, full-SWAT attire, police dogs, and tear gas.

Many in attendance say police beat, abused, and swore at partygoers. Police deny the allegations, though amateur video audio clearly captures police issuing orders laced with profanity. Police also arrest security guards on drug possession charges, though the guards had confiscated the drugs from partygoers.

Sources:

Rashae Ophus Johnson, "Witnesses say undue force used at rave," Daily Herald, August 23, 2005.

Michael N. Westley, "Police raid rave party in Spanish Fork Canyon," Salt Lake Tribune, December 14, 2005.



Easton, PA Dissolves Its SWAT Team.

July 20, 2005—PA

The small town of Easton, Pennsylvania decides to disband its SWAT team after a series of incidents, including the shooting death of one SWAT team member. An editorial in the Allentown Morning Call praises the decision, noting that the SWAT team had become "rude, arrogant, and disrespectful," and had "lost the confidence of the civilians who supervise them and sign their paychecks."

The decision is also based on a $2.5 million court settlement from a police brutality lawsuit.

Source:

"Easton SWAT team's behavior: Further evidence it deserved dismantling," editorial, Allentown Morning Call, July 29, 2005, p. A10.



Manassas Shopping Center Shootout.

May 27, 2005—VA

After informant tells them that drug suspect Erving Eugene Jenkins is carrying narcotics, undercover police decide to apprehend Mr. Jenkins in a Manassas Park, Virginia shopping mall.

As police in masks and unmarked vehicles surround Mr. Jenkins' car, Mr. Jenkins attempts to escape the SUVs that have surrounded him by ramming them with his truck. Police open fire in a public parking lot where civilians continue to go about their shopping.

Prosecutors would later drop drug charges against Mr. Jenkins due to lack of evidence.

Sources:

Keith Walker, "Police shoot suspect at drug bust," Potomac News, May 28, 2005.

Research and investigation by Radley Balko.



Ronnie Goodwin.

May 26, 2005—NY

A SWAT team conducts a raid on the Syracuse, New York home of Sonya Goodwin, looking for drug suspect Angelo Jenkins. Ronnie Goodwin, 13, is handcuffed on the living room floor at gunpoint when a deputy on the SWAT team fires off several shots at the Goodwin's dog. One of the bullets ricochets, and strikes the boy in the leg.

According to a lawsuit filed by Mrs. Goodwin, her son suffered "severe and debilitating" injuries as a result of the bullet.

Source:

Elizabeth Doran, "Mother files claim notice in shooting of her son," Syracuse Post-Standard, July 1, 2005, p. B1.



Rhiannon Kephart.

January 25, 2005—NY

Eighteen-year-old Rhiannon Kephart is hospitalized and in serious condition after she receives severe burns during a pre-dawn paramilitary raid on a Niagara Falls apartment.

Kephardt--who wasn't the target of the raid--suffered second- and third-degree burns on her chest and stomach after the flashbang grenade tossed through a window by the raiding officers landed on the bed where she was sleeping. The grenade ignited the bedsheets, setting off a fire in the apartment.

Source:

Dan Herbeck, "Woman Hurt in Drug Raid Still 'Serious,'" Buffalo News, January 24, 2005, p. B3.



Linda Florek.

December 7, 2004—IL

Police in Mundelien, Illinois break down he door to the home of 48-year-old Linda Florek. Florek and her son are ordered to the floor and handcuffed. Shortly into the raid, Florek--who has a cardiac condition--tells police she is having chest pains, and possibly a heart attack.

According to a lawsuit later filed by Florek, police refused to let her take an aspirin, or to call an ambulance. Ninety minutes after the raid, police finally relented. Florek was eventually admitted to a hospital, where doctors determined she'd had a heart attack and needed emergency surgery.

Florek was issued a ticket and fined for possession of less than 2.5 grams of marijuana.

Source:

Sara Faiwell, "Woman accuses Mundelein police of neglect in suit," Chicago Daily Herald, November 11, 2005.



The Rack n' Roll Billiards Raid.

June 2, 2004—VA

Between 70-90 officers, including a narcotics task force in SWAT gear, raid a bar in Manassas Park, Virginia on Ladies Night. Though primarly a drug raid, police conduct the raid under the guise of an Alcoholic Beverage Control inspection, allowing them cirumvent a conventional search warrant.

Police found only minor alcohol control violations. They did arrest three patrons on drug charges, though one turned out to be an undercover police officer, one a paid police informant, and evidence thus far indicates the third may also have been working for the police.

Since the raid, the local police department has conducted numerous sting and entrapment operations aimed at the bar's co-owner and manager, David Ruttenberg. Mr. Ruttenberg has no prior criminal record, and prior to the June 2004 raid, his bar had a perfect, 18-year record with the Alcoholic Beverage Control agency.

He has never been charged with a crime.

See video of the raid here.

Source:

Investigation and research by Radley Balko.



Angela King.

May 17, 2004—KY

Perry County, Kentucky police raid the home of Dennis Ray and Angela King on suspicion of marijuana distribution. In the course of the raid, deputy Sheriff John Couch shoots Angela King twice, including once in the head.

Police say King fired a weapon at them first, though the couple's 14-year-old son -- also in the home at the time of the raid, and who was subdued with a policeman's foot on his back -- says he heard only two shots. Police were cleared of all wrongdoing in the shooting. Dennis Ray was arrested on charges of distributing marijuana.

Source:

"Wound listed as serious; Police say she fired first," Lexington Herald-Leader, May 19, 2004.



Donald and Amber Mundy.

February 12, 2004—CA

In February 2004, police in San Bernardino, California looking for cocaine break open the door to an apartment occupied by Donald Mundy and his twin sister, Amber. When officers realize they have raided apartment 204 instead of apartment 214, as specified by the warrant, they conduct a search anyway, and arrest Amber Mundy on charges of marijuana possession.

Source:

"Man says police raided wrong apartment," Ventura County Star, February 13, 2004.



James Hoskins.

February 6, 2004—PA

Middletown, Pennsylvania police storm the home of James Hoskins on a drug warrant. They are looking for Hoskins' brother Jim, whom they eventually arrest for possessing "a small amount of marijuana, a glass pipe, and about $622," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

From his bed, Hoskins hears the loud thud of police breaking into his home. Naked and unarmed, he gets up to investigate. As he approaches the door, a Middletown detective pushes his way into Hoskins' bedroom. Hoskins and his girlfriend say the detective never identified himself.

The detective fires, and later explains that he mistook the t-shirt Hoskins was using to cover his genitals for a gun. The bullet enters Hoskins' abdomen, and rips through his stomach, small intestine, and colon. It eventually lodges in his leg, which must later be amputated.

It isn't until weeks later, after he emerges from a coma, that Hoskins learns the man who shot him is a police officer, and not a criminal intruder.

Remarkably, the Middletown Township police department saw no need to conduct an internal investigation of the shooting until prodded by the district attorney. The district attorney's own investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the shooting officer.

Hoskins settled a lawsuit with the city of Middletown in 2005 for an undisclosed amount of money. He settled with Bristol Township for $250,000.

Sources:

Larry King, "Man shot in apartment by police hopes for justice," Philadelphia Inquirer, April 7, 2004.

"Pennsylvania Police Fail To Investigate Shooting of Unarmed Man," Associated Press, September 3, 2004.

Laurie Mason and Harry Yanoshak, "Cop cleared in shooting of unarmed man," Bucks County Courier Times, April 23, 2004.

Larry King, "Middletown settles police shooting; A Bristol Twp. Man had sued after a Feb. raid targeting his brother left him without his left leg," Philadelphia Inquirer, January 16, 2005, p. B8.



Stratford High School.

November 5, 2003—SC

Police conduct a blanket commando-style raid on Stratford High School in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Students are ordered at gunpoint to lie face-down on the floor while police search their lockers and persons for drugs. Some are handcuffed, while K-9 units deploy dogs to search students, lockers, and backpacks.

The incident is captured on videotape by the school's security cameras and makes national news. Media outlets report that the school has one of the best academic reputations in the state. A class-action lawsuit is pending and the principal of the Stratford school who helped organize the raid has since resigned.

Sources:

"Drug Raid at S.C. High School," CBSNews.com, November 7, 2003.

"Principal at Drug Raid School Resigns," CNN.com, January 5, 2004, http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/01/05/school.drug.raid.ap/.



The Gulfport Kenaf Plant Raid.

September 8, 2003—MS

In September 2003, an informant's tip led police in Gulfport, Mississippi to raid land leased by Marion Waltman. Waltman was growing kenaf plants, which are commonly used for deer food. Police raided the property and mistakenly destroyed more than 500 plants, believing they were marijuana.

A judge later ruled that the city wasn't obligated to compensate Waltman for the destruction of his property because the sheriff's department made an "honest mistake."

Source:

"Judge tosses out lawsuit over destroyed deer food mistaken for pot," Associated Press, August 10, 2005.



The Sutton Family.

August 28, 2003—NY

On August 28, 2003, U.S. Border Control agents teamed up with local law enforcement to conduct a warrantless raid on the Sutton home in Alexandria, New York. The raid commenced after a police helicopter spotted marijuana plants growing in a back pasture.

Ten agents storm the house where Krystal Sutton, who is pregnant at the time, and her eight-year-old daughter Brittany are preparing for a bike ride. Agents then tear through the Sutton's home and belongings, eventually finding some marijuana seeds, and the plants spotted by the helicopter.

Because they had no search warrant, the officers had entered the home illegally. So at the scene, a police detective drew up a search warrant on a laptop computer, and sent it off for a judge's signature. The warrant came back more than two hours after the raid had begun.

A county court judge later dismissed all charges against the Suttons, and excoriated the police tactics used in the raid.

Judge Kim H. Martusewicz wrote, "The methodical, deliberate, and coordinated lawless entry and subsequent warrantless search and seizure at the Sutton home . . . shocks the conscience of this court. The blatant and overwhelming violations of the applicable federal and state constitutional provisions involved and the misleading and false testimony of the government's witnesses in this case are inexcusable."

Martusewicz added, "There was absolutely no evidence of any threat to the safety or the welfare of anyone."

Source:

Ed Perkins, "Dismissing Pot Case, Judge Blasts Searchers," Watertown daily Times, September 17, 2004.



Bob Lazar and Joy White.

June 7, 2003—NM

In 2003, federal agents donning camouglage, M16s, and a battering ram storm the New Mexico home of Lazar and White. Lazar is handcuffed in his underwear at gunpoint. Agents then search the couple's home. Lazar later told Wired magazine, "If they were expecting to find Osama bin Laden, they brought along enough guys."

Lazar and White run United Nuclear, a mail-order chemical supply company. The raid on their home came at the behest of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. The federal agency suspected Lazar and White of selling raw materials that could be used to make illegal firecrackers (such as cherry bombs) over the Internet.

CPSC spokesperson Scott Wolfson told Wired, "We are not just a recall agency. We have turned our attention to the chemical components used in the manufacture of illegal fireworks, which can cause amputations and death."

In Spring 2006, Lazar and White were charged with shipping restricted chemicals across state lines. They face 270 days in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Source:

Steve Silberman, "Don't Try This at Home," Wired, June 2006.



Shay Neace.

March 22, 2003—OH

Police in SWAT attire raid a home in Canton, Ohio on a marijuana warrant. They are looking for Nicholas Estep, a man with a history of marijuana distribution.

On the night of the raid, there's a party taking place inside the home. As the raid commences, Officer William Watson of the Perry Township Police Department makes his way to the home's second floor, and pulls open the door to a bathroom. Inside, 24-year-old Shay Neace and his brother Seth are smoking marijuana. Watson pushes a gun through the door and orders everyone in the bathroom to the floor.

Neace and his brother say Watson never announced himself, and that they thought they were being attacked. Shay Neace grabbed Watson's gun and pushed it away. He then pushed the gunman -- Watson -- out into the hall. At that point Watson fired, hitting Neace in the shoulder and in the back. The second shot left Neace permanently paralyzed.

Officer Watson was cleared of all charges by a grand jury. Neace was indicted by a separate grand jury, then acquitted in a criminal trial of obstructing an investigation and resisting arrest. Neace's civil suit against Watson is still pending.

Sources:

"Jury clears man left paralyzed in shooting," Associated Press, October 22, 2004.

Ed Pritchard, "Brothers thought raid was a robbery," Canton Repository, October 21, 2004.

Malcolm Hall, "Paralyzed man sues police over shooting," Canton Repository, March 23, 2004.



The Nation Family.

December 3, 2002—LA

40 police officers form more than ten different agencies conduct a pre-dawn raid on a suspected drug hub in what one local sheriff calls, "a dream come true." The Farmerville, Louisiana raid leads officers to force entry into several homes and yields ten arrests, but the violent tactics enrage the local community.

Around one hundred people march through the small town the next day to protest the operation. "They could have arrested them any time and any day," protest organizer Sheila Lewis told the Associated Press. "They are not violent, they are just normal people...it was like a war zone. People were scared to death. One woman who lived a couple of houses down still hasn't been back. She's too scared."

Sources:

"Neighbors protest late-night drug raid by FBI," Baton Rouge Advocate, December 23, 2002

John Colvin, "Drug raid nets arrests of 10," Monroe News-Star, December 4, 2002, p. A1.

"Neighbors protest late-night drug raid by FBI; Marchers say tactics excessive, frightening," Baton Rouge Advocate, December 23, 2002, p. B5.



"Rave" dance party in Racine.

November 3, 2002—WI

Police conduct an early-morning raid on a rave dance party, kicking in doors, dragging young people from bathroom stalls, throwing others to the floor, and holding them all at gunpoint.

Partygoers receive more than 450 citations for merely attending a party where some drugs are present. Only three arrests are made. The city of Racine later dismisses nearly all the charges, but still faces a civil lawsuit.

Source:

Rob Golub, "City, police go on trial for response at 2002 rave party," Racine Journal Times, January 10, 2005.



The Cheek Road Raids.

February 15, 2002—NC

In February 2002, 100 Durham police officers, two National Guard helicopters and 10 State Bureau of Investigation agents seize an entire neighborhood, then embark on a series of forced-entry raids. The exercise is dubbed "Operation TIPS," short for "The Aggressive Police Strategy."

Police arrest 35 people and sieze an "undisclosed" amount of drugs. They also find two pistols. Residence say police were "brutal" in the raids, including one incident of attacking a 13-year-old boy and holding a gun to his head.

A judge would later throw out all the arrests and evidence, delcaring the entire operation to be unconstitutional and "partially illegal." Superior Court Judge Orlando H. Hudson concluded that some of the officer behavior amounted to "criminal conduct."

A police attorney who viewed a videotape of the raid disagreed, finding that the officer involved concucted themselves in a "very fine and upstanding manner."

Source:

John Stevenson, "All Cheek Road Drug Raid Charges Dropped," Durham Herald-Sun, July 13, 2002.



William E. Plemons.

December 13, 2001—TX

Plemons is patronizing an Amarillo furniture store when a SWAT team from the Texas Panhandle Regional Narcotics Trafficking Task Force storms the store in a drug raid. According to a subsequent lawsuit, Plemons, who has a medical condition, is handcuffed and thrown to the ground, after which officers begin "stepping on his ankles" and "stomping on his back."

Plemons is later released when police determine he has no connection with the owner of the furniture store, the suspect in the raid.

The same task force had been implicated in the infamous Tulia, Texas drug raids several years earlier.

Source:

Greg Cunningham, "New Suit Filed Against Task Force," Amarillo Globe-News, June 11, 2004.



Julius Powell.

August 22, 2001—MN

On August 22, 2001, police conduct a paramilitary marijuana raid on the Powell family home in North Minneapolis, Minnesota. As they approach the house to conduct the raid, police shoot and kill a pit bull a man was walking just outside the house. One of the bullets ricochets, and strikes the forearm of 11-year-old Julius Powell, who at the time was taking out the family trash. Police found several packages of marijuana in the target's home.

The raid was the latest in a series of police shootings in Minneapolis, and sparked riots and protests.

Sources: Lisa Donovan, Judith Yates Borger, Amy Mayron, and Phillip Pina, "Melee breaks out after police shooting," Saint Paul Pioneer Press, August 23, 2003, p. A1.



Scott Wardlow.

August 17, 2001—MI

Police from the narcotics task force in Linvingston, Michigan spot what appear to be marijuana plants growing behind the home of 27-year-old Scott Wardlow's parents while searching the area with a helicopter. Shortly thereafter, a raid team descends on the home and confiscates the contraband -- three marijuana plants.

A judge would later throw out the charges against Wardlow, including a felony charge for marijuana manufacture, because police entered the home without a search warrant.

Source:

Steve Pardo, "No-warrant drug raid thrown out," Detroit News, July 15, 2002.



The Hearne Raids.

November 12, 2000—TX

In November 2000, nearly 15% of Hearne, Texas' black male population is arrested in a series of SWAT -style drug raids on the Columbus Village apartment complex. Police arrest 28 people, 27 of them black, based on the word of a single confidential informant. In April 2001, prosecutors are forced to drop all charges when the informant is revealed to have tampered with evidence, and subsequently fails a polygraph test. One of those arrested was at a hospital giving birth when she allegedly engaged in a cocaine transaction.

District Attorney John Paschall insists that the raids had nothing to do with race. He adds, "They will likely re-offend. We won't worry about it too much."

At the civil trial, the informant testified that Paschall gave him a list of 20 black men and promised leniency for a buglary charge if he helped collect evidence against them. The informant also testified he was promised $100 for every suspect beyond the 20 he helped incriminate.

In 2005, the Texas ACLU announced a settlement with the town of Hearne over the raids and the narcotics task force. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the suit's original intent was not only to compensate victims of the Hearne raids, but to put a check on the authority of narcotics task forces across the state.

Sources:

Jay Jorden, "Seventeen Drug Cases Dismissed," Associated Press, April 4, 2001.

"In Wake of ACLU Civil Rights Lawsuit Settlement, African Americans Affected by Texas Drug Task Force Scandal Call for Reconciliation at Town Meeting," American Civil Liberties Union, press release, June 2, 2005.

Nathan Levy, "Bringing Justice to Hearne," Texas Observer, April 29, 2005.



The White Plume Hemp Raids

August 28, 2000—SD

In August 2000, police in flak jackets and armed with assault weapons bring a convoy of trucks, planes, and helicopters to raid a hemp farm on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The White Plume tiospaye, a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, was growing hemp as a cash crop on the theory that the reservation is a sovereign nation, and that hemp is legal for import in the United States (it's illegal to grow). Federal drug police disagree, and sent an armed paramilitary unit to destroy the family's 35,000 plants.

Federal agents would repeat the raid the next year. The White Plume family would never face criminal charges for attempting to grow the crop.

Sources:

Larua M. Dellinger, "Hemp Raid Stuns Family," Lakota Nation Journal, September 4, 2000.

Heidi Bell Gease, "Manderson area family harvests hemp crop," Rapid City Journal, August 2, 2002.

John Bonne, "Sioux fight Feds, this time over hemp," MSNBC, December 30, 2003.



The Elian Gonzalez raid.

April 21, 2000—FL

More than 150 SWAT officers from several federal agencies converge on a home in Miami, force open the door with a battering ram, and seize six-year-old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez from his family and repatriate him to Cuba.

The family is unarmed. Protestors surrounding the house are hit with pepper spray and tear gas.

Officers shout at the boy's cousin, "Where the fuck is the damn boy?" She answers, "I will give you the boy; just put the guns down!" Agents topple a statue of the Virgin Mary and a large picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus before kicking their way to the bedroom, where they break the door in half.

An Associated Press photographer snaps a now-famous picture of an INS agent pointing an assault weapon at the boy and his uncle.

Sources:

Nancy Gibbs and Micahel Duffy, "The Elian Grab," Time, May 1, 2000, p. 24.

Pete Williams, "Investigation into government's increasing number of SWAT teams," NBC Nightly News, April 25, 2000.



Jacqueline Paasch.

April 7, 2000—WI

A SWAT team from the Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Sheriff's Department breaks into the home of Jacqueline Paasch and her two brothers on a no-knock drug warrant for suspicion of marijuana possession.

Paasch says she heard footsteps rumbling up the stairs, but before she could figure out what was happening, her door was kicked in, a gun went off, and she was on the floor, bleeding.

Paasch was hit in the leg, incurred $19,000 in medical expenses, endured a year of rehabilitation, and was told by doctors that she'll always walk with a limp. Police found a "very small amount of marijuana and a pipe" in the house, according to local news reports, though not enough to press charges against anyone in the house.

In 2000, Paasch settled with the Village of West Milwaukee for $700,000. "The fact that this can happen to me and my family has made me realize that it can happen to anyone," Paasch told one newspaper, "And that's really frightening because the police are the ones you're supposed to count on to protect you."

Source:

Kevin Nelson, "Domestic Terrorism," reprinted from the Milwaukee Shepherd's Express, Alternet.



The Colorado-Colorado State Football Game.

September 4, 1999—CO

A SWAT team takes the field after rowdy fans attempt to tear down the goalposts -- a tradition in college football -- after a Colorado State-Colorado football game.

Armed with weapons, tear gas, and mace, police rough-up dozens of fans for 30 minutes, including Colorado State student Britney Michalski, who nearly dies after an allergic reaction to the mace. When one of Michalski's friends attempts to get aid for her from one of the police, she too is maced.

Police lob tear gas cannisters into the crowded bleachers, and end up setting the football field on fire.

Sources:

Mark Kiszla, "Penalize the police; Unnecessary roughness hurts coeds," Denver Post, September 7, 1999, p. D1.

Bill Gallo, "The Crying Game," Westword, September 9, 1999.



The Tulia Raids.

July 23, 1999—TX

On the morning of July 23, 1999, police execute SWAT-style raids all over the small town of Tulia, Texas. In all, they arrest 46 people, 40 of whom are black, representing about half of the town's adult black population. Of the 40, 19 would later be sentenced to prison, with sentences of up to 99 years. The next day, the town's newspaper ran the front page headline, "Tulia's Streets Cleared of Garbage."

Police found no drugs or weapons in the raid. Instead, the entire operation and ensuing convictions were the result of testimony from Tom Coleman, an undercover operative who had spent 18 months infiltrating the town's black community. Coleman had no witnesses for the drug deals he says went down, nor did he wear a wire or provide for video surveilance. For his work in Tulia, he was named "Texas Lawman of the Year."

Coleman's testimony began to fall apart when some of the accused began to produce records proving they were miles away from Tulian when Coleman says they engaged in drug activity. As more and more witnesses came forward, Coleman grew less and less credibile. One judge said Coleman had committed "blatant perjury," and declared him to be "the most devious, nonresponsive law enforcement witness this court has witnessed in 25 years on the bench in Texas."

In August 2003, Texas Governor Rick Perry pardoned 35 defendants convicted or charged in the Tulia raids. In March 2004, the city of Amarillo -- which helped run the narcotics drug task force responsible for the raids -- paid a $5 million settlement to those arrested in the raids. The settlement included disbanding the task force. In January 2005, Tom Coleman was convicted of perjury, and sentenced to probation.

Sources:

Jennifer Gonnerman, "Tulia Blues," Village Voice, August 1, 2001.

D. Lance Lunsford, "Coleman Convicted of Perjury," Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, January 15, 2005.

Adam Liptak, "$5 Million Settlement Ends Case of Texas Drug Sting," New York Times, March 11, 2004.

Betsy Blaney, "Perry Pardons 35 Convicted in Tulia Case," Abilene Reporter-News, August 23, 2003.

Jessica Raynor, "Newly Uncovered Evidence Frees Defendant in Tulia Drug Sting," Amarillo Globe-News, April 10, 2002.



Thomas Edwards, Jr.

April 13, 1999—NC

In 1999, police in Concord, North Carolina shoot 15-year-old Thomas Edwards, Jr. during a drug raid. Edwards is on his hands and knees, per police orders, when he's shot.

Edwards and five other children, all aged 13-17, are at the house playing video games when police conduct the raid. Edwards is shot below the hip by Officer Lennie Rivera when, according to an internal police investigation, "a sudden movement jolted his gun, causing him to tighten his grip on it and pull the trigger." Police find a small amount of marijuana and cocaine at the home.

Police Chief Robert E. Cansler said his officers had done surveillance on the home an hour or two prior to the raid and that "At that time there were no indications of a group of children present." Officer Rivera was found to have improperly held his finger on the gun's trigger, and was assigned to more training with the Heckler and Koch weapon. It's the third of three botched raids in four years in the small town of Concord.

Source:

Emily Bliss, "Police note officer's mistake in shooting," Charlotte Observer, June 30, 1999, p. C6.



Barnum, Denver.

February 28, 1999—CO

Based solely on the word of a single confidential informant, police raid the home of a 46-year-old resident of Barnum, a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.

The informant told police the resident was operating a "crack house," though police were aware that the informant was in a personal dispute with the individual over money.

After the raid, police discovered that the suspect was merely a recreational marijuana user. The suspect plead to a misdemeanor charge.

Source:

Kevin Flynn and Lou Kilzer, "No-knocks net little jail time," Rocky Mountain News, March 12, 2000.



SWAT Deployment to Chester High School.

January 14, 1999—PA

A SWAT team raises concerns in the community after it conducts a raid in full tactical gear at Chester High School.

The SWAT team was called to break up a half dozen students who were loitering outside the school.

Source:

Jack Brown, "Paramilitary Groups Are Cropping Up, Even Where They're Not Often Needed," Philadelphia Inquirer, April 16, 1999.



The MLK-Marcus Garvey Housing Co-Op Raid.

October 30, 1998—CA

Over 90 police officers in full SWAT attire raid 13 apartments in San Francisco's resident-owned Martin Luther King and Marcus Garvey housing co-op. Police blow doors off their hinges, deploy flashbang grenades, and allegedly slap and beat residents awakened by the raids. Police also put gun muzzles against the heads of the homes' occupants and handcuff children as young as six.

Police also shoot one family's pet dog, then drag the dog outside and shoot it again. One resident is hospitalized after several seizures. Many are unable to return to work for several days due to injuries and trauma related to the incident.

The raid was apparently conducted to scare and intimidate a local gang.

Source:

Christian Parenti, "SWAT Nation," The Nation, May 31, 1999, p. 16



David Doran.

August 11, 1998—MO

Police in Kansas City, Missouri conduct a no-knock raid on the home of David Doran on an anonymous tip, together with evidence they found in his trash that he may have been dealing marijuana and methamphetamine.

Doran says he was asleep when police entered, thought he was being robbed, and came out of his bedroom holding a gun. Police say Doran didn't comply with orders to get down, while Doran says he attempted to surrender. Raiding officers subsequently shot Doran twice, inflicting injuries that required a two-week hospital stay and the loss of his only functioning kidney.

Police found no methamphetamine, nor did they find any evidence that Doran had ever operated a methamphetamine lab. They did find a small amount of marijuana.

A federal jury eventually awarded Doran $2 million, finding individual liability among the raiding officers as well as improper training from senior officers. The jury also found that the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners was "deliberately indifferent" in preventing officers from illegally entering private homes.

But in June 2005 the Eigth Circuit Federal Appeals Court dismissed the award. The Court concluded that police were justified in conducting a no-knock raid on Doran's home.

Source:

Mark Morris, "Jury Awards More Than $2 Million to Man Wounded in '98," Kansas City Star, October 25, 2002.

"Man Shot by Mo. Police Loses $2M Judgment," Associated Press, June 7, 2005.



"Operation Jump Start"

October 6, 1997—CT

A multitude of police officers from three separate SWAT teams conduct a massive raid on multiple low-income neighborhoods in New Britain, Connecticut. The teams ride inside trucks with battering rams on the front--wearing fatigues, Kevlar helmets, and masks--while a small aircraft flies above, keeping in radio contact with SWAT teams on the ground. The raid nets 49 arrests.

Source:

Paul Bass, "Commando Cops; Thanks to the drug war, SWAT teams sweep into small communities," New Haven Advocate, October 1997.



Leonard Robinson.

June 18, 1997—CA

Leonard Robinson, a retired ironworker, is shot in the hands after a no-knock raid on his rented room. An informant had told L.A. police that Robinson was selling crack cocaine.

Since Robinson worked security for the inn where he was staying, the informant told police he'd be armed. After police broke into Robinson's room, Robinson fled, and police chased him down a hallway. According to police, once confronted, Robinson raised a shotgun at the officer who'd run him down, at which point the officer shot him in the hands to dislodge the weapon.

In a civil rights suit later filed by Robinson, a different version of the story emerged. Though Robinson's hands were both significantly damaged from the shooting, the weapon itself was unscathed. There was also no blood or tissue on the weapon, despite the fact that the officer's fire had blown off parts of Robinson's hands.

A federal jury later awarded Robinson $1 million. A federal appeals court found the police officers' story unfathomable. One judge challenged a lawyer for the city of Los Angeles to show how the evidence in the case supported the story offered up by police. She responded, "I don't think you can, your honor."

Source:

Matt Lait and Scott Glover, "Investigating Their Own; The LAPD has often led its civilian overseers astray about key facts on officers' use of deadly force," Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2004, p. A1.



Donald MacKay.

March 18, 1997—FL

On March 18, 1997, a SWAT team in Apopka, Florida raids the home of Donald MacKay. Police announce, "Orange County Sheriff's Department! Search Warrant!" a split second before obliterating his front door.

MacKay and his roommate are pulled from their beds, naked, and taken to the living room at gunpoint. Police scour the residence, and confiscate a bag of flour, a flowerpot and a marigold starter kit they list as "cultivation equipment," and half a joint found under the couch.

For the joint, MacKay and his roommate are taken to jail.

Lt. Mike Miller would later say of the raid, "I'm sorry Mr. MacKay feels violated... I'm a little jaded to the idea that people are innocent." Miller added, "We always have probable cause, but there's not a lot of investigative -- how can I word this? -- many times these warrants are based on citizen's complaints, trash pulls. Things aren't as sure-fire as wiretaps...Our experience is that drug dealers, couriers, will hide their dope in other people's houses."

MacKay spent a night in jail, suffered a black eye, and had to pay for hundreds of dollars of damage to his apartment. He was never charged.

Source:

Edward Ericson Jr., "Commando cops," Orlando Weekly, May 7, 1998.



The Fitchburg Apartment Fire Raid.

December 6, 1996—MA

A SWAT team in this small town (population 39,102) deploys flashbang grenades in a no-knock raid on a suspected drug dealer, causing the entire apartment complex to burn down. Six police officers are injured and 24 people are left homeless. Still, several officers are cited for bravery the night of the raid.

On the way back from the Fitchburg apartment fire, the SWAT team is deployed to apprehend a group of nine unarmed, mostly-minority men for "lingering on the sidewalk and blocking the public way." The team is later accused of kicking and cursing the men after arresting them. The men later sue for civil rights violations.

There are several other incidents within a few years in which the Fitchburg SWAT team faces allegations of recklessness or excessive force.

Source:

Ric Kahn and Zachary R. Dowdy, "'Iron fist' of police; SWAT team use questioned," Boston Globe, May 11, 1998, p. A1.



Tonie and Samuel Heflin, the Holland Family.

April 16, 1996—CO

In 1996, a SWAT team in La Plata County, Colorado dressed in black hoods and camouflage descends on a ranch owned by Samuel Heflin. They're looking for evidence -- a cowboy hat, shirt, and a pack of cigarettes -- related to a bar brawl.

On the way into Heflin's home, police force an eight-year-old and a 14-year-old to the ground at gunpoint. They then train a laser-sighted assault weapon on Heflin's four-year-old daughter as she runs screaming into the house. Upon asking to see a search warrant, Heflin is told by SWAT officers to "shut the fuck up."

Heflin would later be acquitted of misdemeanor charges related to the bar brawl.

Source:

Peter G. Chronis, "La Plata County Family says SWAT team pointed guns at children," Denver Post, February 5, 1998, p. B6.



Doug Carpenter and Carlos LeBron.

January 11, 1996—FL

In December 1995, police visit the two men at their new apartment as part of Maitland, Florida's "New Resident Visitation Program." While there, police find evidence that Carpenter and LeBron may be recreational marijuana users.

A month later, a SWAT team broke down the mens' door with a 60-pound battering ram and stormed inside. Police handcuffed the men and embarked on a three-hour search of their apartment. At first, they found nothing. Finally, LeBron pointed them to his personal stash of marijuana, where they found one cigarette, and 5.3 grams of marijuana.

The men were each given a $150 fine.

Police concede that neither man was suspected of selling drugs, and they had no complaints from neighbors, or previous criminal records. The Orlando Weekly reports that police say the two were targeted because they were new to the area, and were renters, both apparently warning signs to Maitland police of possible drug activity. Town police chief Ed Doyle said of the raid, "It's not one we're going to put on the mantle."

Source:

Edward Ericson, Jr., "Commando cops," Orlando Weekly,, May 7, 1998.



Andre Madison.

November 7, 1995—MN

On November 7, 1995, police in North Minneapolis, Minnesota raid the home of Andre Madison. After local media merely rehashes the police version of events, the City Pages, a Minneapolis alternative weekly, conducts its own in-depth investigation.

According to the paper's stunning account of the raid, police obtained a no-knock warrant on Madison's home after a confidential informant allegedly purchased some marijuana at the residence. At about 8 p.m., the Minneapolis paramilitary police unit, called ERU, deployed flashbang grenades at the front of Madison's home. At the same time, police from the city's housing unit were entering the home from the rear. Reports at the time say police began firing when Madison fired his shotgun at them. But a forensics team later determined that Madison's gun was never fired the night of the raid. Instead, an investigation conducted by the police chief from a nearby county concluded that the housing unit officers mistook the flashbang grenades deployed by the ERU unit for gunfire from the suspect, and so opened fire themselves.

The two police units then mistook one another for assailants, and began to fire upon one another. When Officer Mark Lanasa went down, shot in the neck by a colleague, the commanding officer called for "suppressive fire," giving officers carte blanche to shoot at will.

Upon hearing that a fellow officer had gone down, more police soon arrived at the scene. They too joined in the shooting. Hundreds of rounds were fired into the building. There were bullet holes found in neighboring buildings a half-block away.

Madison, the suspect, was shot in the neck and the arm. Miraculously, no one was killed.

Police found only a small amount of marijuana in Madison's home. He was never charged with a drug crime. He was charged with four felony counts of second-degree assault with a firearm: Not for shooting, but for pointing his shotgun at police. He could have been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Madison insists he thought the police were intruders.

But prosecutors then offered to let Madison plea to a misdemeanor count of reckless use of a firearm, which carries a sentence of just 90 days. The hitch was that a guilty plea to the lesser charge would prevent Madison from suing the city for the botched raid.

The subsequent investigation and report from the outside police chief also concluded that Minneapolis's ERU unit "executes too many warrants and relies too heavily on dynamic (door-ramming) raids," explaining that "There are other alternative tactics that ERU is aware of. However when so many raids are conducted using dynamic entry, other tactics may be forgotten."

Source:

Britt Robson, "Friendly Fire," Minneapolis City Pages, September 17, 1997.



Rodney Bryant and Jermaine Moore.

October 8, 1995—SC

Police in Aiken, South Caroina execute a warrant on a house occupied by Rodney Bryant, 18, and Jermaine Moore, a minor. The house is a small residence located just behind the home of Bryant and Moore's parents.

When police arrive, they peer through a cracked door to see several teenagers watching television. Police deploy a flashbang grenade, and storm the residence in full SWAT attire, including assault weapons and handguns.

After a thorough search, police find a small amount of marijuana, a homemade pipe, and a broken BB gun.

Source:

SeeJohnson v. City of Aiken, 2000 WL 263823 (4th Cir. 2000).



National Guard Marijuana Raids in Oklahoma.

September 3, 1992—OK

The Drug Enforcement Administration sends military-style helicopters into McCurtain County on a drug raid. Drug officers and National Guard agents in battle fatigues slide down ropes from the helicopters, into the purported marijuana fields below.

Agents later concede they'd been told to exaggerate the number of marijuana plants they found in order to secure more federal anti-drug dollars for the state. A former agent recalls a DEA class on cultivated marijuana in which the instructor "told the whole class, 'Stats. We need stats for you guys to get money. Without stats, no money. Stats mean money.'"

Sources:

Kevin Johnson, "Across the USA, drug enforcers uproot a bumper marijuana crop," USA Today, October 8, 1992, p. 12A.

Paul English, "Agents Say Drug Reports Exaggerated," The Saturday Oklahoman, December 7, 1991, p. 01.



"Operation Ready-Rock."

November 2, 1990—NC

Officers from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and 45 local police conduct "Operation Ready-Rock," essentially a massive paramilitary drug raid on entire street in one predominantly black Chapel Hill neighborhood.

Police armed with assault weapons and dressed in camouflage and black hoods kick down doors and enter homes unannounced. Police block off the area shortly before the raid begins, and allow white citizens to vacate the area.

The four-hour raid yields 13 arrests for minor drug offenses, but no one is ever formally charged. The remarkable warrant indicts an entire street of people, and even predicts the future, stating, "there are no 'innocent' people at this place. Only drug sellers and drug buyers are on the described premises."

A court would later find the warrant unconstitutional. In 1996, the participating jurisdictions would pay $200,000 to settle lawsuits associated with the raid.

Sources:

Christian Parenti, "SWAT Nation," The Nation, May 31, 1999, p. 16.

"Lessons of Graham Street," staff editorial, Chapel Hill Herald, February 25, 1996, p. 4.

Joyce Clark, "Suit over drug raid settled for $200,000," Raleigh News and Observer, February 22, 1996, p. B1.



Juan Garcia and Kristi Valencia.

January 10, 1990—TX

On January 10, 1990, police in Dallas, Texas conduct a no-knock raid on the home of Juan Garcia, where he and his pregnant wife Kristi Valencia are babysitting two small children. The stun grenade police deploy before conducting the raid actually lands in an empty baby stroller, where a baby had laid just minutes before the raid.

The grenade shatters and burns the stroller, breaks all the plates in a nearby china cabinet, pulls sheetrock out of the ceiling, and burns holes in the home's sofa and carpeting.

Kristi Valencia would begin to bleed the night of the raid, and suffered a miscarriage four days later. Police say they had no idea a pregnant woman and two small children were in the apartment at the time of the raid.

Sources:

Garcia v. Texas, 829 S.W.2d 830 (1992).



The 39th and Dalton Raids.

August 1, 1988—CA

About 80 LAPD officers raid four apartments at 39th and Dalton. Officers are later accused of 127 acts of vandalism in connection with the raids, including smashed doors, walls and cabinets. Even a small piggy bank and goldfish bowl are found destroyed. One officer swings an ax so recklessly, his fellow officers fear for thier own safety. Dozens of civilians are injured after allegedly being kicked, slapped and beaten by officers, some after being handcuffed. One woman reports having a flashlight dropped on her head, then hearing an officer casually respond, "oops."

Police arrest only 7 of the 37 detainees. The city later spends more than $3 million settling civil claims in connection with the raids.

Sources:

Richard A. Serrano, "Reports Tell of Frenzy and Zeal in Police Raid," Los Angeles Times, November 26, 1990.

James Bovard, "Police Brutality: A License to Maul," Freedom Daily, Future of Freedom Foundation, April 1997, Link.



"Operation Caribbean Cruise."

February 22, 1986—DC

More than 500 officers and backup personnel representing 12 percent of the Washington, DC police department conduct a massive pre-dawn sweep on 69 spots in the city, looking for Jamaican drug dealers.

The massive raid results in several "wrong door" searches, including forced entry searches at the homes of a Washington Post employee, a senior officer in the State Department, and a retired police lieutenant from D.C.'s own police department.

The raid nets 27 arrests, fewer people than the police department had assigned to do paperwork for the raid.

The Washington Post wrote of two officers' reaction to the outcome of the raid, "Two plainclothes officers looked up in disbelief when photographers enthusiastically descended upon them. Told they had the first arrest to be found, one officer turned to the other and said, 'If this is the best you've got, we're all in trouble.'"

Source:

"Grand-Scale DC Police Raid Achieves Small-Scale Results," Washington Post, February 23, 1986, p.A01.



The Jerome, Arizona Raid.

October 15, 1985—AZ

In October 1985, a massive team of nearly 100 federal narcotics agents storm a town of just 460 people on a predawn massive marijuana sweep. According to residents, women and children are dragged out of their beds as police break down doors to search homes.

Police seize dozens of pounds of marijuana from the town many describes as an outpost for "hippies."

Source:

Robert Lindsey, "Ghost town that was restored to life is now in uproar over raid for drugs," New York Times, January 21, 1986.



Map Credits:

Research and concept by Radley Balko

Programming by Lee Laslo.

Additional research and editing by Victoria Kurzweg and Killian Lapeyre.

http://www.cato.org/raidmap/


Quote 03-19-08

"Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." ~Benjamin Franklin to John Hancock

Quote 03-19-08

"Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." ~Benjamin Franklin to John Hancock

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