(Yet) Another Isolated Incident
Since my colleague Jacob Sullum beat me by a day to the botched Indianapolis raid, here's one from Montgomery County, Maryland:
Kenyan immigrant Nancy Njoroge had been living in the United States for a year when a Montgomery County SWAT team burst into her Gaithersburg apartment at 4 a.m., handcuffed her and her two teenage daughters, and searched her apartment, court records show.
Police found nothing.
The reason: Njoroge lived in No. 202 of her apartment complex. The police had a search warrant for apartment 201.
After rejecting an offer from the county's claims adjuster of a "couple of movie passes," the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the county on the family's behalf for unspecified damages, according to ACLU records filed in court.
The ACLU said the purpose of the lawsuit was to hold the police department accountable for its mistake.
"Officers had but one apartment to locate, in a quiet and well-lit hallway in the dead of night, without distraction and with clearly marked doors and numbers," ACLU lawyer Fritz Mulhauser said in a letter to the county…
Court records don't give a clear reason why the police raided the wrong apartment, and the county attorney assigned to the case did not respond to inquiries for the story. But in court records, a SWAT team leader indicated that it was an isolated incident.
The movie passes were a nice touch. The raid actually happened in 2005, but after negotiations with the county failed, the family filed its federal civil rights suit this month.
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Movie passes?
What, no gift certificate to TGI Fridays?
Are these officers in these botched raids taking Sotomayer approved tests? Are numbers racist?
Montgomery County has a three billion dollar budget. They are the thievingist rat bastards on the planet. But they can’t offer a fair settlement to these people. The entire state and county governments in Maryland need to be shot.
I have suffered thru countless cases of
abuse by the Montgomery County Law Enf-
orcement Agencies. My Ex-wife’s brother
is on the SWAT team for Montgomery Cou-
nty and a Sargeant for the Sheriff’s
Department, who heads up the Domestic
Violence Unit. The whole system is a
fucking joke! Right – Mike.
Balko, it’s not a contest. Just ’cause Sullum beat you to an “isolated incident” once doesn’t mean you have to try to be even MORE depressing.
As I said yesterday, numbers are just too difficult for cops. We can’t expect them to understand subtle differences in numbers like that between “201” and “202”. I mean, its not like they’ve got the superhuman computing ability of say a second or third grader.
Dueling blogging. Who can produce the most egregious police violations in a week.
I have an offer for the SWAT team violating my property. It’s not quite as much fun as two movie tickets. Sooner or later the after the fact courts are not going to be enough.
There’s no counting in SWAT, fire till it goes click drop the mag, pop the mag, and keep firing!!! Counting is for the coroner. I guess that isn’t entirely fair the do qualify, of course a shaved chimp can meet most qualifications.
I can top any police violation and or
case of abuse you have.
How about cutting the officers some slack. It was very overcast in that apartment hallway…
The offer of movie passes, ie roughly USD $10 per person in compensation, trivializes this beyond belief. Glad they made the offer, though, because it shows how very out of touch Montgomery county is with reality.
I hope the final settlement ends up costing each and every Montgomery County taxpayer the amount of a movie pass, and that this fact is hugely publicized at tax time.
BTW, Montgomery County must have caught whatever is afflicting Prince George’s County next door to them – that’s the county with all the recent shootings of citizens by police officers. When I lived in the area, Montgomery was always the “nice” county, and PG the ghetto/rural county. Arrrgh.
Free passes to *which* movie?
Reno 911: Miami?
Mall Cop?
Important detail…
Curse you, Solanum! You beat me to it!
Here’s what amazes me: beyond the fact that cops can’t seem to read, when they bust into a place that has only a woman and two children or two old people who can barely move, why don’t they immediately think “oh shit, I think we’re in the wrong place” and immediately double-check the number on the door?
Oh wait, I know: because the “regular citizens” are all subhumans to be treated as criminals.
This is a good opportunity for the Obama administration to step up to the plate and use the DOJ to start investigating widespread abuses of police powers…
[crickets chirp]
Oh, well.
C’mon, Epi, these guys work themselves into adrenaline frenzies and you want them to stand down when all they see is a couple of geezers? Not a chance.
The cops are apes. But the county’s refusal to even try to make these people whole again is fucking outragous. It is bad enough that this shit happens. But what makes it worse is that once it does happen no one in government finds anything wrong with it. They just say “mistakes were made now go fuck yourself”.
Montgomery County is filled with well meaning and mostly harmless liberals. If the general pulbic knew that the country was screwing over some immigrant housewife there would be an uproar. If we had a media, maybe people would know. But we don’t have a media. We just have professional Obama cocksuckers. Reporting on things like this would take away from the all important job of being a propeganda organ for the government.
I forgot to say screw the PC argument that not all cops are bad. I used to believe that bullshit. The fact is everyone of them takes and oath to protect and serve me and every other citizen. The minute a LEO does something that is contrary to their oath to protect and serve every officer for 100 square miles should be pointing a finger and screaming at the top of their lungs. They don’t. They faithfully toe the thin blue line and keep their mouth shut or back their brethren. The few that do raise questions are driven out. Fuck each and every one of them for their direct offenses or their silence and not holding up to their oath.
Maybe since they want to play Army they should be held to something similar to the UMCJ and as soon as they violate it they can sit in Leavenworth like those that violate the rules in the military.
Police later served the search warrant on the correct apartment, where they found 600 grams of cocaine and $27,820 in cash,
After she turned down the movie passes, they offered her the coke and cash.
Fucking shaved chimps with guns.
Dude, that’s harsh… to chimps.
hmm, i think you meant “faithfully tow the thin blue lion.”
Epi
These are the same people who see Jack Russell Terriers as threats to their lives…
Have you noticed how the cops are starting to get cool cars, like Mustangs, Camaro’s and Chargers?
What they should do is every cop who makes one of these mistakes should have to trade his cool car for a pink PT Cruiser…
Welcome to America, African immigrant single(?) mother of two!
“What they should do is every cop who makes one of these mistakes should have to trade his cool car for a pink PT Cruiser…”
No. Smart cars and Segways. And horses. Most cops should be out walking the beat in pairs or on horses. Make them walk the neighborhoods they patrol and learn to be human beings. An no cop should be armed with anything beyond a badge, knight stick and .38 revolver.
hmmm
Good one.
Reported to SWAT for craftiness!!!
Hey, i’m just trying to enforce this community’s standards. But you had to call out SWAT. Now they’re going to break into my neighbors’ house and shoot their dog. Great.
From today’s Minneapolis paper:
Minneapolis family is taking Strike Force to court
The federal lawsuit is over the damage to its home, property seized and distress inflicted in a raid by officers working with the Metro Gang Strike Force. No arrests were made.
By RANDY FURST, Star Tribune
Shelly Blas, 17, was in her bedroom in her south Minneapolis home when she heard glass shatter and her aunt scream. Then five police officers burst into her room and at gunpoint ordered her down on the floor, where she was handcuffed.
“Shut up,” they were yelling. “Shut up.”
Her father, Felix Blas, drove up in a car 45 minutes later and was greeted by two officers pointing guns at him.
The Feb. 6 raid on the Blas residence, launched by the Metro Gang Strike Force with the help of Minneapolis SWAT team officers, resulted in more than $3,000 in damage and the seizure of property, including a computer and camera, the family says. It also subjected the Blases to emotional distress, they say. And to date, it has produced no arrests.
On Monday, Shelly and Felix Blas and Shelly’s aunt, Vitalina Bautista, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis against the Strike Force and officers in the raid.
While the Strike Force had a search warrant signed by Hennepin District Judge Patricia Belois, the target of the warrant, Joe Barrera, 18, a nephew of homeowner Felix Blas, was not at home and has not been arrested. After interviews with family members and other inquiries, the Star Tribune can find no record of an arrest warrant for Barrera.
More at:
http://www.startribune.com/local/48815907.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU
Smart cars and Segways.
Here in downtown Norfolk the beat cops are all on Segways. The metermaids get the smart cars.
In Seattle the metermaids get Segways and the beat cops ride bicycles. Therefore, our cops are in great shape for running people down and kicking their ass.
Here in downtown Norfolk the beat cops are all on Segways. The metermaids get the smart cars.
Just what the majority of cops need. Less walking at the expense of tax payers.
Check out these comments from the twin cities article above.
SAME HERE
MY HOUSE WAS RAIDED BY THE DRUG TASK FORCE, THEY BROKE WINDOWS, TRASHED ALL THE ROOMS, TOOK ID’S-CHECK BOOKS-HUNTING RIFLE-MONEY & AFTER THAT IT COST MY FAMILY-$2000.00 AND WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING OR HEARD ANY THING. SO ONE TEAM IS LEARNING FROM ANOTHER.
You can’t fight city hall.
I had a similar incident happen to me with the St Paul police department. The police thought that I was part of a large theft ring. I had nothing to do with the break ins that had occurred. No charges were ever filed. So far the “investigation” has cost me about 1500. Damage to my home, impound fees for my car, storage for the car including 5 days when the investigator was on vacation, and more to come I am sure. They took a bunch of stuff from my house and I have found that it is almost impossible to get it back. I can’t get anyone to return my calls much less my property. Last week I actually received a bill because they called someone out to secure the door that the kicked down. Ironically one of the things they took from me were the keys to my house and car. I was suppressed to find out how much power the police have. Prior to my experience I had nothing but respect for the Saint Paul police department. That respect has been reduced to zero. The police that I worked with were a combination of arrogant and incompetent. I was also suppressed to find that the police are basically immune from paying damages. You can hire a lawyer to try but the lawyer will cost more than the damage. Good luck to the Blas’s F. Jackson Saint Paul MN
posted by freddyjack on Jun. 23, 09 at 7:47 AM |
18 of 21 people liked this comment.
These Cops Have Records…
This is not new for several of these officers. My husband sued (and won) one of the cops that was involved with this raid for doing the same thing to him 13 years ago.
posted by murjovb on Jun. 23, 09 at 6:47 AM |
Maybe those folks are all lying but I doubt it. As you would expect, people don’t just become depraved. This kind of things seems to be a bit common.
In Seattle the metermaids get Segways and the beat cops ride bicycles. Therefore, our cops are in great shape for running people down and kicking their ass.
We’ve got a few bike cops too. For some reason they’re always riding through the mall like it weren’t a thing. Probably ’cause Norfolk’s not too friendly to bikes — there are almost no paths, the roads are shit, and nobody knows how to drive.
I prefer the Segway cops, because they’re ridiculous. I once saw a squadron of them in vee formation booking down Main Street, all electric motors whining and bellies jiggling when they hit potholes. Hilarious!
I was suppressed to find out how much power the police have.
A very telling, and accurate, slip.
You know the score, pal. You’re not cop, you’re little people!
FEAR THE SEGWAY COPPERS
image leeched may not work, I’m lazy.
My carpenter Dad taught me: Check warrant twice; kick down door once. I just do not understand how this stuff happens.
Rich,
When there is a union that will ensure that no one is ever held responsible for any of their fuckups, people tend not to give a shit. These cops just didn’t care to check twice. What is the old Lilly Tomlin line about the phone company “we don’t care because we don’t have to”. That can be applied to pretty much any law enforcement agency.
I still fail to understand why a warrant gives them the right to trash your property. Wouldn’t a search be more effective if they carefully and methodically went through everything instead of smashing shit and making a big mess?
Wouldn’t a search be more effective if they carefully and methodically went through everything instead of smashing shit and making a big mess?
How would that help them project their power and instill fear in a cowed populace? What, you think cops should treat “civilians” like people?
Thanks, John — that seems about right. Also, you reminded me of the old “Kung Fu Christmas” song: “He don’t care, he don’t live there.”
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2722379822_1c5cdcaba4.jpg
That would be a nice punishment for any cops who bust into innocent people’s homes and kidnap innocent citizens.
Actually, a nice punishment would be immediate unpaid suspension pending an investigation via an independent watchdog group, with all findings being turned over to a prosecutor who is not part of the DA. Sentences would be far harsher then what an average civilian would get for the same crime, and all testimony given by the officer in question to remove the money or freedom of others would be called into question and investigated.
Then we can all ride our gumdrop unicorns to the marshmallow kingdom.
“How would that help them project their power and instill fear in a cowed populace? What, you think cops should treat “civilians” like people?”
Exactly. These tiny-dicked buffoons with badges have to do something to enhance their sense of manhood, and what better way than smashing your stuff and making you cower in fear?
No. Smart cars and Segways. And horses.
Cops in Chicago already have Segways. And we have mounted police that patrol downtown. (you can see them on Michigan Ave daily) And ATVs. (in and around Grant park)
Your snark can’t keep up with reality 🙂
> Smart cars and Segways. And horses.
Do any cops use dirt bikes or skateboards? That would probably help with community relations.
“Cops in Chicago already have Segways. And we have mounted police that patrol downtown. (you can see them on Michigan Ave daily) And ATVs. (in and around Grant park)
Your snark can’t keep up with reality :-)”
A lot of cities do and it is a good idea. A cop walking the beat or riding a horse does more to deter and stop crime than one in a car waiting at a speed trap does.
Fuck horses and bicycles, cops should have to walk their beats and, you know, get to know the people THEY WORK FOR. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt if they got Irish accents and grew big red moustaches.
The Feb. 6 raid on the Blas residence, launched by the Metro Gang Strike Force with the help of Minneapolis SWAT team officers, resulted in more than $3,000 in damage and the seizure of property, including a computer and camera, the family says. It also subjected the Blases to emotional distress, they say. And to date, it has produced no arrests.
Who the fuck names these departments? Were they looking for Cobra Commander?
Michael – look at the Indy one, where the sheriff’s office apparently has a major on staff.
whenever I see a comissioner of a big city on television with four fucking stars across his shoulders like he’s David Petraeus, it makes me want to punch cop “officers” in the throat.
you’re not in the military, and you sure didn’t do the time that a General in the Armed Services did, so take that shit off your uniform.
“””I once saw a squadron of them in vee formation booking down Main Street, all electric motors whining and bellies jiggling when they hit potholes. Hilarious!”””
Right out of a Polica Academy movie?
We laugh at them, they beat us up, that just the realtionship we have.
“””When there is a union that will ensure that no one is ever held responsible for any of their fuckups, people tend not to give a shit.”””
It’s not an union issue. Even in court, cops are rarely found guilty when charged as long as their actions were on duty.
Cops get away with this crap because most of the citiznery doesn’t have a problem with it.
What beats me is how some people can think that cops who can’t read house numbers are the only ones who should have guns. “But they’re trained professionals!” Pfah.
“”””What beats me is how some people can think that cops who can’t read house numbers are the only ones who should have guns.””””
No kidding.
Who the fuck names these departments? Were they looking for Cobra Commander?
I saw “Strike Force” and immediately thought of the Strike Team and Vic Mackey on The Shield. I’m starting to think The Shield isn’t very realistic, seeing how evilly competent Vic, Ronnie, and Shane are.
Make them walk the neighborhoods they patrol and learn to be human beings.
You sound white.
I’d rather have an hourly drug-gang shootout in my front yard than see cop walking by. Less dangerous.
The entire state and county governments in Maryland need to be shot.
Preferably in a wrong-door raid.
I don’t think they can take Cobra Commander. They could probably own the old lady that lives next door to him, and her fucking poodle!
The cops with a shit ton of ribbons and stars look like Costa Rican Generals. Lil’ tin pot fucktards with pretty ribbons and badges.
The phrase “Strike Force” is hard to work into a kool acronym. They should consider changing the name.
“What is the old Lilly Tomlin line about the phone company “we don’t care because we don’t have to”. That can be applied to pretty much any law enforcement agency.”
I’d say government as a whole.
You know what I’d like to see? I’d like to see one PD say, “this was an isolated incident, and to make sure it stays that way, we’re going to (a) fire the dumbfucks who screwed up, (b) put everyone on the force into remedial reading and civil rights classes and (c) pay the family $5 million from our operating budget – skimmed from our salaries.”
Be easier to just let people shoot police when they threaten your life and violate your property without a warrant or one hell of a warrant exception.
Talk about one steep and expensive learning curve.
Police later served the search warrant on the correct apartment, where they found 600 grams of cocaine and $27,820 in cash,
How stupid is that? The apartment next door gets raided, so the guy just shrugged and left his stash lying around? The only reason criminals ever get caught is because they are dumber than the cops.
Cops get away with this crap because most of the citiznery doesn’t have a problem with it.
Not quite
“They are trained how to enforce a statute, what the statute is verbatim, and how to get a case to court without jeopardizing the case.”
They are not even familiar with the state laws in most instances only the ones they deal with directly like vice and narcotics etc.
Here in La. we have the right to open carry firearms. Yet the cops don’t seem to be able to wrap their tiny little minds around the concept. It is simple, a person in the state of La. may openly carry a firearm so long as that person is legally able to own said firearm. Slowly but surely they are learning as they harrass and try arresting people for nothing but flexing their rights to carry. One guy even won enough from being arrested to buy two nice BMW motorcycles. We are trying to get more people to pass on the concealed carry license and just carry openly as you sign away sme of your rights to conceal carry you do not have to when openly carrying.
A right unused is a right lost.
Oh and F**K the POLICE and their Isolated incidents. Wonder how they would feel if they had more isolated incidents of cops being randomly shot at while on patrol. Just an isolated incident right, nothing to worry about.
And here.
Key West? Whatever.
radley, seriously, are you automatically forwarding these stories to scalia? because if not, you should be.
Wiggum: All right shows over folks! Nothing to see he—OH MY GOD! A HORRIBLE PLANE CRASH! C’mon everybody! Get a load of this flaming wreckage! C’mon don’t be shy, crowd around!
“””They barely know their local statutes. They have no clue about recent major supreme court decisions.”””
Cops don’t want to be lawyers and they have no problem saying so. An ex-cop friend of mine was always on top of SCOTUS rulings and would apply them, he caught shit for it all the time. He would tell them where they were wrong and he would get yelled at for acting like a lawyer and not a cop. For the most part, cops are not interested in law, as odd as that sounds.
Police State?
Homeland Gestapo?
oil
spy
leak
theft
aipac
dance
goyim
opium
profits
the fed
mossad
neocons
911 liars
art students
whistleblowers
moving company
propaganda media
The chosen the superior
Extortion blackmail bribery
By deception ye shall wage war
AIPAC’s Israel-first dual-nationals
2-3% of the U.S. population controls
For-profit NotFederal NoReserve scam
Far fewer of these abuses would be occuring if we replaced unionized government employees with private security firms like Pinkerton’s and Xe. And if an abuse did somehow occur, you can bet they’d gladly admit wrongdoing and make up for it without having to be dragged into court. And if even if it did somehow end up in court, the Roberts wing of SCOTUS has a much better record of taking the little guy’s side against corporations than against cops.
After one of these wrong door raids up here in Canada recently (in which two men were attacked and injured by the police dog), the cop said later the officers can’t be expected to think once the raid starts….. and even if the people inside aren’t who they’re expecting, well, these criminals can be pretty wiley when they’re trying to avoid being arrested.
Something very like this happened to me. I live at 1998 “Our Street”.
That’s 1998.
The neighborhood batscat-crazy drug dealer lived at 1988 Our Street.
That’s 1988.
So — 8AM on a Sunday morning, I’m reading the paper in my living room when suddenly there’s pounding on my door, and somebody screaming “JACOB, GIMME MY MONEY *NOW*!!” As I run to the door, the guy tries to open it. I’m screaming and holding the door closed and telling him that Jacob lives two doors down, you know, at the obvious Drug House. My husband wakes up and helps me hold the door while I run to call the police.
By the time the cops show up, my husband has threatened the guy enough that he’s just wandering around in the middle of the street screaming, “GIMME MY MONEY, JACOB!”
I see the cops talking to the guy and taking a paper from him and reading it. Then a ladycop comes up to our door and rings the bell. I answer, assuming she’s going to ask me what happened and tell me they’re taking him in.
Nope. She demands to speak to Jacob, and asks me why we’re not giving this guy his money. I tell her he has the wrong address; Jacob lives a couple doors down.
She says, “This man has *YOUR* address written down here!” and smugly and triumphantly produces a crumpled piece of paper with the house number “1988 Our Street”.
I tell her, “We’re 1998!” She snarls, “That’s what this *SAYS*!” I had to tell her 3 times to look more carefully. I had to point out my house number on the wall 18 inches from her face. Even then, first time, she looked at the paper saying “1988”, and the wall saying “1998”, and tried to tell me they were the same. (BTW, the Drug House has “1988” hand-painted on the wall in crooked red letters 3 feet high, facing the street.)
I shudder to think what would have happened if either the guy or the cops thought they had some reason to come in shootin’.
They grow the cops awfully damned dumb around here, too. Interesting that she and some crackhead drug dealer had exactly the same problem recognizing a sequence of numbers.
They should be happy they don’t have dogs, else they’d have been shot (even the Pekinese), just like that mayor in PG County, whose dogs were shot while running away inside their home.
Ed