SWAT team raids mayor's house, kills dogs

[Atash Hagmahani]

Eventually this had to happen to insiders too:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/07/mayor.warrant/index.html

 

The raid last week was led by the Prince George's County Police Department, with the sheriff's special operations team assisting, after a package of marijuana was sent to Calvo's home.

Authorities say the package was part of a scheme in which drugs are mailed to unknowing recipients and then intercepted.

Calvo said he had just returned home from walking his two Labrador retrievers, Chase and Payton, when his mother-in-law told him a package had arrived for his wife, Trinity Tomsic.

Moments later, Calvo was in his room changing for a meeting when he heard commotion downstairs.

"The door flew open," he said. "I heard gunfire shoot off. There was a brief pause and more gunfire."

Calvo said he was brought downstairs at gunpoint in his boxer shorts, handcuffed and forced onto the floor with his mother-in-law near his dead dog's carcass. Video Watch Calvo describe the raid »

"I noticed my two dead dogs lying in pools of their own blood," Calvo said.

Calvo said his mother-in-law is still recovering from the incident.

"She got the worst of it," Calvo said. "She was literally in the kitchen, cooking a lovely pasta dish, and they brought down the door and shot our dogs."

While he was being held, Calvo said, he told police he is the town's mayor, but they didn't believe him.

Berwyn Heights has its own police force, he said, but Prince George's County police did not notify the municipal authorities of their interest in his home or the package.

I think it is fairly routine to kill the dogs.

The interesting thing is that the way this scheme apparently works, there was no reason to suspect that the recipients of the package were in on it. For that matter, the report does not mention any drugs on the premises, other than the package. So they made a knock-down raid with drawn guns, and assaulted innocent people in full knowledge that they were attacking probably innocent people.

[opsec]

This is a common tactic. The only legal defense I have heard of is when Patty Hearst called the police and reported the contents of the package to the police before the raid started. I don't know how this stands up in court. My solution is to receive all mail at a commercial mail box address only.

[Kitteh]

Yeah, but from what I gathered he didn't even OPEN the package. 

And this is why I am a libertarian.  I don't do drugs.  It's not even a temptation with me, and the fact that my life could be irrevocable harmed because I was associated with drugs by COINCIDENCE horrifies me. 

They killed the family pets!  Yes, I understand many drug lords have attack dogs, but these were labra-freekin'-door retrievers!  They make horrible attack dogs. Growing up, our "Beware of Dog" sign was ironic because we knew anyone breaking into the house was at risk of being licked to death.  Sure, they bark and bluster, but there is nothing to be afraid of.  At very least they should have tranquilizers on these raids.

And it was Pot!  Not exactly the drug of mental giants, but it's not like you have to be afraid of someone all hyped up on pot!  Drunks are more dangerous than people on Pot. 

I love how the police didn't even appologize for murdering the family dog.  "Well we've gotten a lot of drugs off the street this way. . ."

I know what's next!  We'll go around and break into houses without a warrant!  That'll make us even safer!

*mutters angrily*