MikeK
Gold Member
#5
Just two days before the Spruill raid, police from NYPD and agents of the BATF displayed extraordinary ineptitude in executing another botched no-knock raid, this time on the home of former Marine Timothy Brockman. Acting on a tip from a confused anonymous informant, police stormed the public housing apartment of the 61 year-old Brockman who used a walker to get around.
Police deployed a flash-bang grenade, setting Brockman's carpets on fire, then handcuffed the man and threw him to the floor while they searched his home for drugs. They had the wrong address.
#6
The article began with a description of a botched no-knock raid on the home of Cornelius and Mary Jefferson, a couple in their 60s, in which police used a battering ram to obliterate the front door of an apartment where plastic slipcovers protect the furniture and diplomas and awards line the walls. Cornelius told the New York Times, "I thought they were coming to rob us -- coming to kills us."
They had the wrong address.
#7
On February 27, 1998, police (mistakenly) conducted a no-knock raid on the Bronx home of Ellis Elliot, on the basis of information they later determined to be "miscommunication with an informant." As police attempted to break down his door, Elliott feared he was being attacked and fired a shot through the door. Police responded with a barrage of 26 bullets, all of which miraculously missed Elliott. Elliott was then dragged out of his home, naked, peppered with racial epithets, then arrested on charges of possessing an unlicensed weapon. Police later admitted their error and paid $1,000 to have Elliott's door repaired. No police officers were charged or disciplined for the error.
#8
On June 5, 1997, police carried out a no-knock raid based on information from an anonymous informant in the East New York area of Brooklyn. The warrant instructed them to raid a gray door marked "2-M." Finding no such door they simply broke down the nearest door, which was red and marked "2-L." Inside they found a woman, Sandra Soto, and her two children. But no drugs.
#9
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert reported that on the same day as the raid on Elliott Ellis' home New York City police raided the Bronx apartment of Shaunia Patterson and her two children, ages three and two. Patterson was eight months pregnant. Police first grabbed Patterson's sister, Misty, 15, who was also in the room, and threw her to the floor. They then confronted Patterson, who was sitting on her bed. One officer pushed Patterson onto her back. Another jumped on top of her. Patterson was eventually pushed to the floor and handcuffed while, in Patterson's words, "One of the cops stepped on the side of my face and pressed my face into the floor." When Patterson asked what the police wanted, she says she was told to "Shut the fuck up!"
Police handcuffed Patterson while she wore only her underwear. Officers then screamed expletives at the two women while they scoured the apartment for drugs, demolishing furniture, kitched and floor in the process. The raid so frightened Patterson she urinated on herself. The police refused to allow her to change. Police also refused to show her a warrant. Hours later an officer told her, "We got the wrong apartment!" and released from from the handcuffs. One confidential police source told New York Times reporter Bob Herbert, referring to the Patterson and Elliott raids, "Two in one day -- that's bad. But I'll tell you what I honestly believe -- I don't think this happens that often."
#10
On May 7, 1998, police broke down the door and deployed a flashbang grenade in the home of Jeanine Jean. Frightened, Jean ran into a closet with her six year-old son and called 911. Police pulled Jean from the closet, handcuffed her, handcuffed her and questioned her at gunpoint in front of her son. Jean, whod had surgery the day before, began bleeding when her surgical wound ruptured during the raid. After 90 minutes, police realized they had the wrong apartment and left without any explanation, leaving Jean's door hanging off its hinges.
#11
On July 9, 1997, police conducted a 6AM no-knock raid at the East Harlem home of Atlee Swanson. Police broke into Swanson's home and demanded to know where "Joey, Jason and Sean" were. Swanson said she knew no one by those names. The officers refused to show Swanson a search warrant, they handcuffed her and told her she faced 7 to 15 years in prison for selling drugs from her home. Police then put her in a holding cell for 31 hours. She returned home to find her apartment "trashed and vandalized." Swanson got a copy of the search warrant in the mail -- three years later. Police had entered the wrong apartment building.
#12
Cynthia Chapman was in the shower at about 6AM on April 2, 2003, when police broke open her door and deployed a flashbang grenade. The grenade struck Chapman's son, Bobby, 15, on the foot. Police found Chapman in the bathroom, forced her to the ground and put a gun to her head. According to Chapman, one officer asked, "Where is it?" and when Chapman responded that she didn't know what he was talking about he replied, "Don't get smart with me or I'll kill you!" Chapman and her son were handcuffed, taken to a police station and released hours later when police discovered they'd raided the wrong home. In 2004, Chapman settled with the City of New York for $100,000.
To read many more similar (and worse) examples, and to learn more about this significantly negative development in American law enforcement, visit the following website to read an exceptional piece of investigative journalism:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/balko_whitepaper_2006.pdf
Additional information on the rapidly increasing number of "botched" SWA\T raids, go here:
Botched Paramilitary Police Raids
Just two days before the Spruill raid, police from NYPD and agents of the BATF displayed extraordinary ineptitude in executing another botched no-knock raid, this time on the home of former Marine Timothy Brockman. Acting on a tip from a confused anonymous informant, police stormed the public housing apartment of the 61 year-old Brockman who used a walker to get around.
Police deployed a flash-bang grenade, setting Brockman's carpets on fire, then handcuffed the man and threw him to the floor while they searched his home for drugs. They had the wrong address.
#6
The article began with a description of a botched no-knock raid on the home of Cornelius and Mary Jefferson, a couple in their 60s, in which police used a battering ram to obliterate the front door of an apartment where plastic slipcovers protect the furniture and diplomas and awards line the walls. Cornelius told the New York Times, "I thought they were coming to rob us -- coming to kills us."
They had the wrong address.
#7
On February 27, 1998, police (mistakenly) conducted a no-knock raid on the Bronx home of Ellis Elliot, on the basis of information they later determined to be "miscommunication with an informant." As police attempted to break down his door, Elliott feared he was being attacked and fired a shot through the door. Police responded with a barrage of 26 bullets, all of which miraculously missed Elliott. Elliott was then dragged out of his home, naked, peppered with racial epithets, then arrested on charges of possessing an unlicensed weapon. Police later admitted their error and paid $1,000 to have Elliott's door repaired. No police officers were charged or disciplined for the error.
#8
On June 5, 1997, police carried out a no-knock raid based on information from an anonymous informant in the East New York area of Brooklyn. The warrant instructed them to raid a gray door marked "2-M." Finding no such door they simply broke down the nearest door, which was red and marked "2-L." Inside they found a woman, Sandra Soto, and her two children. But no drugs.
#9
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert reported that on the same day as the raid on Elliott Ellis' home New York City police raided the Bronx apartment of Shaunia Patterson and her two children, ages three and two. Patterson was eight months pregnant. Police first grabbed Patterson's sister, Misty, 15, who was also in the room, and threw her to the floor. They then confronted Patterson, who was sitting on her bed. One officer pushed Patterson onto her back. Another jumped on top of her. Patterson was eventually pushed to the floor and handcuffed while, in Patterson's words, "One of the cops stepped on the side of my face and pressed my face into the floor." When Patterson asked what the police wanted, she says she was told to "Shut the fuck up!"
Police handcuffed Patterson while she wore only her underwear. Officers then screamed expletives at the two women while they scoured the apartment for drugs, demolishing furniture, kitched and floor in the process. The raid so frightened Patterson she urinated on herself. The police refused to allow her to change. Police also refused to show her a warrant. Hours later an officer told her, "We got the wrong apartment!" and released from from the handcuffs. One confidential police source told New York Times reporter Bob Herbert, referring to the Patterson and Elliott raids, "Two in one day -- that's bad. But I'll tell you what I honestly believe -- I don't think this happens that often."
#10
On May 7, 1998, police broke down the door and deployed a flashbang grenade in the home of Jeanine Jean. Frightened, Jean ran into a closet with her six year-old son and called 911. Police pulled Jean from the closet, handcuffed her, handcuffed her and questioned her at gunpoint in front of her son. Jean, whod had surgery the day before, began bleeding when her surgical wound ruptured during the raid. After 90 minutes, police realized they had the wrong apartment and left without any explanation, leaving Jean's door hanging off its hinges.
#11
On July 9, 1997, police conducted a 6AM no-knock raid at the East Harlem home of Atlee Swanson. Police broke into Swanson's home and demanded to know where "Joey, Jason and Sean" were. Swanson said she knew no one by those names. The officers refused to show Swanson a search warrant, they handcuffed her and told her she faced 7 to 15 years in prison for selling drugs from her home. Police then put her in a holding cell for 31 hours. She returned home to find her apartment "trashed and vandalized." Swanson got a copy of the search warrant in the mail -- three years later. Police had entered the wrong apartment building.
#12
Cynthia Chapman was in the shower at about 6AM on April 2, 2003, when police broke open her door and deployed a flashbang grenade. The grenade struck Chapman's son, Bobby, 15, on the foot. Police found Chapman in the bathroom, forced her to the ground and put a gun to her head. According to Chapman, one officer asked, "Where is it?" and when Chapman responded that she didn't know what he was talking about he replied, "Don't get smart with me or I'll kill you!" Chapman and her son were handcuffed, taken to a police station and released hours later when police discovered they'd raided the wrong home. In 2004, Chapman settled with the City of New York for $100,000.
To read many more similar (and worse) examples, and to learn more about this significantly negative development in American law enforcement, visit the following website to read an exceptional piece of investigative journalism:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/balko_whitepaper_2006.pdf
Additional information on the rapidly increasing number of "botched" SWA\T raids, go here:
Botched Paramilitary Police Raids
