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I do not know whether the guy was innocent or guilty of drug trafficking, but I do see a real downside to the use of no-knock warrants.

May the fallen officer rest in peace, and no disrespect is intended towards him, but I really wish he hadn't become another example of the problems created by no-knock warrants.

http://www.thedailysheeple.com/this-is- ... aid_052014" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On Friday May 9, 2014, just after 5:30am, members of the Killeen Police Department Tactical Response Unit and the Bell Organized Crime Unit were attempting to serve a narcotics search warrant. The TRU was beginning to breach the window when the 49 year old male inside, opened fire striking four officers.

Multiple officers were hit. Detective Charles Dinwiddie later died from his injuries.

Documents Detail Crime Scene Search After Killeen Officers Shot

A “no knock” warrant, authorizing the officers to enter the apartment without providing prior notification to the residents, was issued on May 8 after an investigation that started in March in response to a tip from an informant ... “The informant has reported that Guy is frequently armed with a handgun...affiant (asks) that this warrant be issued authorizing a ‘No Knock’ entry for the suspected place,” the affidavit said.

An inventory of evidence collected over the course of about 12 hours as the crime scene was processed through the afternoon on May 9 and into the early morning hours on May 10 lists dozens of shell casings, projectiles, projectile fragments among more than 150 items gathered and documented.

Investigators also seized a glass pipe identified as drug paraphernalia, a safe, a grinder, a laptop computer, two walkie-talkies, a 9-mm pistol, and three cellphones from inside the apartment.

The evidence return does not list any drugs.

On a different note, thank God for protective gear:

Four officers were hit by bullets, but two were protected by safety equipment. The other two were taken to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and were then transferred to Scott & White.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/05/ ... 399753946/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No knock warrants need to go the way of high speed chases.

I think no knock warrants are way over used and I might add are woefully over approved by judges.

In this case I'm not sure I see a reason to believe that the shooting was caused by the no knock service. Unless the guy claims he didn't know they were cops, which since he started shooting whole they were still outside I doubt, there is every reason to believe that he would of started shooting if they just knocked on the door.

EEllis wrote:I think no knock warrants are way over used and I might add are woefully over approved by judges.

In this case I'm not sure I see a reason to believe that the shooting was caused by the no knock service. Unless the guy claims he didn't know they were cops, which since he started shooting whole they were still outside I doubt, there is every reason to believe that he would of started shooting if they just knocked on the door.

I would be very tempted to start shooting if I looked out my window and saw several guys running around on my porch in dark clothes with guns. The last thing I'm going to do is stick my head out and ask who they are.

jmra wrote:

EEllis wrote:I think no knock warrants are way over used and I might add are woefully over approved by judges.

In this case I'm not sure I see a reason to believe that the shooting was caused by the no knock service. Unless the guy claims he didn't know they were cops, which since he started shooting whole they were still outside I doubt, there is every reason to believe that he would of started shooting if they just knocked on the door.

I would be very tempted to start shooting if I looked out my window and saw several guys running around on my porch in dark clothes with guns. The last thing I'm going to do is stick my head out and ask who they are.

But if you were a criminal would you believe the guys in full tac gear, including helmets, are police or some random home invaders? I wont argue that such things can lead to misidentification, but there has been no information that should lead anyone to draw that conclusion in this case. That also fails to address that the police may of asked for a no knock warrant because they had some belief that the suspect would shoot if given time to respond. It could be the guy will say he didn't know it was the cops but right now? Who knows.

Once the police cross a threshold they identify themselves. For many deptments this applies to every room of the house.

I see nothing to indicate he would have started shooting if they would have just knocked. I also didn't see anywhere that he saw people running around in full tac gear outside. I did just skim the story so I may have missed some details.

If they did indeed execute a no knock entry, he could have thought it was a home invasion.

nightmare69 wrote:Once the police cross a threshold they identify themselves. For many deptments this applies to every room of the house.

They were coming through the window. Also, we hear of criminals impersonating cops fairly often. Who thinks a gang of thugs can't holler P O L I C E as they are breaking in to your house?

No knock warrants, bad as they are, are just a symptom of the Unconstitutional "war on (some) drugs." The real stupidity and tragedy here is the willingness to kill, cage, and die in order to prevent people from ingesting some chemical or plant. It's tragic that so many lives are ruined in the futile attempt to stop people from consuming non government authorized intoxicants. A drug ban has no more chance of succeeding than a gun ban. When you can't stop people in prison from getting drugs there is no way you can stop everyone on the outside from getting them. The "war on (some) drugs" has been the single greatest influence in the destruction of the rule of law and our Constitution.

As the first link indicates, they didn't need to conduct a SWAT raid, they could have arrested the guy on his way to the grocery store. But that's not as much fun as a SWAT raid.

And they didn't even find any drugs.

Did they find anything illegal? Ten pounds of Cocaine? or just one 9mm pistol. Is the resident of the home alive?

Drugs were not illegal before 1906.

RIP to the fallen officer.

No knock warrants are in themselves dangerous to the person inside as well as the LEO. There have been instances where LEO's were at the wrong house, served a no knock warrant and shot the homeowner who was defending his home from intruders. In some of tyhese cases, there were LEO's shot as well.

I think this is a very astute observation.

When you can't stop people in prison from getting drugs there is no way you can stop everyone on the outside from getting them.

I haven't quite thought of it in these terms and it hit home as I read it.

I would suspect it is dependent upon the court and judge. If they can convince the judge it will improve "officer safety" and preservation of evidence to not knock, I can see a judge granting it. Whether or not he/she should is another discussion in my opinion.

I think "officer safety" can be used to justify just about any level of action one wants to justify.

VMI77's post is spot on.

Prohibition simply doesn't work.

It didn't work for alcohol and it darn sure isn't working for drugs.