Brickbats

At Least They Knocked

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Rodolfo Celis answered a knock at his door one night and found himself staring at the business end of a gun. Six Murrieta, California, police officers forced Celis and five family members into their living room while they searched their house and garage. When family members asked what they were looking for, they were just told to shut up. Celis says police didn't even show him a warrant or ask permission. Police officers say they didn't need either because they were searching for a parolee they believed was armed. They didn't find the man they were looking for, but as they were leaving, the police did realize they were at the wrong house. The house the parolee allegedly lived at is the one next door to the Celis home. "We are all human and are going to err on occasion," said Lt. Bob Davenport. The darkness may have made it difficult to see the numbers on the houses, he adds. "They couldn't light it up with a flashlight to verify the numbers, because that would put them at a tactical disadvantage," Davenport said.