Remember the story of the Maryland police officers executing a no-knock, SWAT-style drug raid on a mayor’s house, leading to the cops shooting two black labrador retrievers, one in the back after they chased it when it ran away?
Turns out, they really didn’t have a “no-knock” warrant.
Pr. George’s Officers Lacked ‘No-Knock’ Warrant in Raid – washingtonpost.com
Prince George’s County authorities did not have a “no-knock” warrant when they burst into the home of a mayor July 29, shooting and killing his two dogs — contrary to what police said after the incident.Judges in Maryland can grant police the right to enter a building and serve a search warrant without knocking if the judge finds there is reasonable suspicion to think evidence might be destroyed or the officers’ safety might be endangered in announcing themselves.
A Prince George’s police spokesman said last week that a Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and county police narcotics officers were operating under such a warrant when they broke down the door of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, shooting and killing his black Labrador retrievers.
But a review of the warrant indicates that police neither sought nor received permission from Circuit Court Judge Albert W. Northrup to enter without knocking. Northrup found probable cause to suspect that drugs might be in the house and granted police a standard search warrant.
After the raid, police found the unopened package, containing 32 pounds of marijuana, in the house.
Calvo has said that sheriff’s deputies entered without knocking and began shooting immediately, killing 7-year-old Payton first, then shooting 4-year-old Chase as he ran to another room.
The warrant issue will probably only heighten anger in the community over the incident. Even when a search warrant has been issued, courts have held that police must generally knock to announce their presence, preserve the privacy of a homeowner and let occupants know they are not experiencing an illegal home invasion.
Police officers are sometimes allowed to search without knocking, even without getting authority in advance, but courts have ruled they can do so only if there are specific circumstances at the time of the search that lead officers to conclude evidence might be destroyed or law enforcement could be endangered, said lawyer William C. Brennan, who is not involved with the case.
I don’t really see how a man who received a 32 lb. package could take that into his home, hear police knock and say “open up, we have a warrant,” and be able to destroy all 32 lbs. of evidence (and the box) before they could take him into custody.
Cops are cowards without their firearms and 15 member backup crews. They shoot dogs all the time. Google it. Oh and they all lie to CYA. No surprise the facts of the warrant are contrary to the police version. In Montgomery County a cop committed perjury 11 times and is still on the job with full pay and police powers. Like the vast majority of cops that “retire” in Montgomery County she’ll probably do so on disability. The paperwork may be in motion that is why she has not been fired on the spot.
Shit, I would love mail order pot.
Not to mention the fact in another article I read, this could have been a mistake as possibly the delivery person, had it not been intercepted, been the one who should have reciepiant of the package.
This would have been a stupid move on a mayors part to have 32 pounds mailed to his home.