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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Skeletor on May 16, 2010, 03:53:06 PM
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7-year-old girl killed in Detroit police raid
(CNN) -- Police in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday expressed "profound sorrow" at the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old girl in a police raid.
Aiyana Jones was shot and killed by police executing a search warrant as part of a homicide investigation, Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said in a statement.
"This is any parent's worst nightmare," Godbee said. "It also is any police officer's worst nightmare. And today, it is all too real."
The warrant was executed about 12:40 a.m. ET Sunday at a home on the city's east side, Godbee said. Authorities believed the suspect in the Friday shooting death of 17-year-old high school student Jarean Blake was hiding out at the home. Blake was gunned down in front of a store as his girlfriend watched, Godbee said.
Preliminary information indicates that members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team approached the house and announced themselves as police, Godbee said, citing the officers and at least one independent witness.
"As is common in these types of situations, the officers deployed a distractionary device commonly known as a flash bang," he said in the statement. "The purpose of the device is to temporarily disorient occupants of the house to make it easier for officers to safely gain control of anyone inside and secure the premise."
Upon entering the home, the officer encountered a 46-year-old female inside the front room, Godbee said. "Exactly what happened next is a matter still under investigation, but it appears the officer and the woman had some level of physical contact.
"At about this time, the officer's weapon discharged one round which, tragically, struck 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley Jones in the neck/head area."
The girl was immediately transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Godbee said he and other officers went to the hospital while others stayed at the home to execute the warrant.
Aiyana's father, Charles Jones, told CNN affiliate WDIV, "She was sleeping and they came in the door shooting and throwing flash grenades ... burned my baby up and shot her, killed her."
Jones claimed the officers had the wrong house, but Godbee said in the statement the 34-year-old suspect in Blake's death was found and arrested at the home. In addition, a vehicle and a moped matching the descriptions of those involved in Blake's shooting were also found, he said.
The suspect's name was not released.
Godbee said he wished to "express to the family of Aiyana Jones the profound sorrow that we feel within the Detroit Police Department and throughout this community. We know that no words can do anything to take away the pain you are feeling at this time."
Police obtained the "high-risk search warrant" based on intelligence, and it was approved by the prosecutor and a magistrate, Godbee said. "Because of the ruthless and violent nature of the suspect in this case, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of public safety to execute the search warrant as soon as possible and detain the suspect ... while we sought a murder warrant," he said.
The police statement said Chief Warren Evans is out of town and could not be present "to personally address this tragedy," but "his thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Aiyana Jones."
The officer's weapon was secured, and an investigation is under way, Godbee said, emphasizing the information gained so far is preliminary.
"This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude to Aiyana's parents, family and all those who loved her," Godbee said. "... It is a tragedy we also feel very deeply throughout the ranks of the Detroit Police Department.
"We cannot undo what occurred this morning," he said. "All we can do is pledge an open and full investigation and to support Aiyana's family in whatever way they may be willing to accept from us at this time. I understand that they may not be open to such a gesture at this time, but we do stand ready to do anything we can to support them."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/16/michigan.police.child/index.html?hpt=T2 (http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/16/michigan.police.child/index.html?hpt=T2)
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Aiyana's father, Charles Jones, told CNN affiliate WDIV, "She was sleeping and they came in the door shooting and throwing flash grenades ... burned my baby up and shot her, killed her."
________________________ ____________
Speechless. Absolutely fucking speechless.
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sad sad stuff...
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oh Im sure more will come out about this story.
May the innocent child RIP.
Sad story indeed
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Usually in such cases the internal investigation concludes that officers just followed the proper procedure. I hope this case is examined very closely.
I'm tired of hearing "the officer's weapon discharged one round".
Sounds like an argument for those who oppose guns and also sounds as if the "gun" was acting independently. The cop was holding the gun and pulled the trigger.
I read some comments on this issue and it's sad how a number of people said that the girl was just collateral damage because she was in the way of the police and a felon. Sick.
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Whats with the damn flash bangs at 12 am?
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333 - I can't believe you haven't found a way to blame Obama for this yet
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"As is common in these types of situations, the officers deployed a distractionary device commonly known as a flash bang," he said in the statement. "The purpose of the device is to temporarily disorient occupants of the house to make it easier for officers to safely gain control of anyone inside and secure the premise."
Police obtained the "high-risk search warrant" based on intelligence, and it was approved by the prosecutor and a magistrate, Godbee said. "Because of the ruthless and violent nature of the suspect in this case, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of public safety to execute the search warrant as soon as possible and detain the suspect ... while we sought a murder warrant," he said.
All part of the "proper procedure"..
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333 - I can't believe you haven't found a way to blame Obama for this yet
I'm sure I'll find a way.
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I'm sure I'll find a way.
If anyone can do it it's you
even Beck is not that much of a nut
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"As is common in these types of situations, the officers deployed a distractionary device commonly known as a flash bang," he said in the statement. "The purpose of the device is to temporarily disorient occupants of the house to make it easier for officers to safely gain control of anyone inside and secure the premise."
I remember some years ago this same thing being done to a woman in New York. She was a senior citizen who had just had heart surgery and ws home asleep. THe police broke into her home at 5 or 6 in the morning threw one of these bombs into her home and went charging in like the savages they are. The woman was so frightened that she suffered cardiac arrest and died. After extensive lying by the cops it was found that the supposed person they were looking for did not live at that address. Left behind was this woman's grieving children and grand children in a senseless brutal murder and not one of these cops was fired or faced any criminal charges.
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lets not condemn the police just yet, supposedly there was an altercation that resulted in the discharge
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lets not condemn the police just yet, supposedly there was an altercation that resulted in the discharge
Yeah, why bother condemning them when castration, drawn and quartering are more in order...
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Yeah, why bother condemning them when castration, drawn and quartering are more in order...
yes b/c if there was an altercation that led to the discharge its still all the polices fault right? ::)
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yes b/c if there was an altercation that led to the discharge its still all the polices fault right? ::)
It is for this impoverished, racist, Muslim scumbag. :-\
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yes b/c if there was an altercation that led to the discharge its still all the polices fault right? ::)
Would there be an altercation in your home if a bomb was exploded in your house at nearly 1 AM, cops burst in the door with guns drawn and your wife and children are in a panic over what is happening? what would you say after one of the cops put a bullet in the head of one of your kids? Would you ignorantly say oh its alright mr asshole officer I am sure killing my kid make the world spin faster and better
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Would there be an altercation in your home if a bomb was exploded in your house at nearly 1 AM, cops burst in the door with guns drawn and your wife and children are in a panic over what is happening? what would you say after one of the cops put a bullet in the head of one of your kids? Would you ignorantly say oh its alright mr asshole officer I am sure killing my kid make the world spin faster and better
LOL well you see the cops wouldnt be busting in my house b/c i wouldnt be harboring a suspected murderer!!! ::)
if you read the article the police announced themselves as the always do when entering a house, I suppose you would have like it better if the police had strolled up to the door politely asked and one of them had gotten killed b/c the murder suspect felt like he didnt want to go to jail?
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I have a Glock pistol on or near me most times. If I'm in bed at 1 am and I head explosions and doors banging, I'm pulling this shit on those fuckers, whoever they are.
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LOL well you see the cops wouldnt be busting in my house b/c i wouldnt be harboring a suspected murderer!!! ::)
if you read the article the police announced themselves as the always do when entering a house, I suppose you would have like it better if the police had strolled up to the door politely asked and one of them had gotten killed b/c the murder suspect felt like he didnt want to go to jail?
You are either a cop or the son of one to be this stupid. If someone comes to someone door at 1 AM and throws a bomb in, they certainly DID NOT ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES. If you announced yourself why throw a bomb in? Why come at 1 AM? Since they obviously had the WRONG HOUSE there obviously was not the supposed murderer inside...and if teh person was inside why not just wait until they come out? It is not like the cops have anything else to do except sleep in patrol cars, eat donuts and play tic tc toe as that is the extent of their mentality. Try reading the article again in regards to the wrong house and lack of supposed perpetrator?
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I have a Glock pistol on or near me most times. If I'm in bed at 1 am and I head explosions and doors banging, I'm pulling this shit on those fuckers, whoever they are.
Damn straight
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Whats with the damn flash bangs at 12 am?
Is there a better time of day to use flash bangs?
If you disagree with it, why don't us offer to raid the home of a person that murdered a 17 year old in cold blood a day before the raid. You can offer to raid the residence of murderers around the country without the use of any disorienting aids.
It is beyond horrible that an innocent child was murdered, but think a second before you throw full blame on the police.
I have children. If police raided my home, a few things would definitely NOT happen.
First, I wouldn't kill a 17 year old boy.
Second, if someone else killed a 17 year old boy the day before, I wouldn't house them in my home.
Third, my children would not be anywhere near the front door at 12 am.
Fourth, if my children happened to wake up because of the noise, I would not let them come downstairs and hang out where all the commotion was (the would listen because they've learned to respect authority and listen to the rules they're given. They're welcome to complain at a later time if they think the rules are unfair and unjust, but they listen to what their parents say first, and complain later....because they've learned to respect what we say and understand the difference between authoritative and authoritarian statements)
Fifth, my wife would most definitely NOT enter into a conflict/altercation with the police officers.
If it turns out that the residents followed this same pattern, remained perfectly calm until the police were able to explain the entire situation, didn't enter into an altercation with the police, and the police raced up to the sleeping child's room (it was midnight...) to shoot her for no reason, then I'll call for their heads immediately.
But....however unfortunate and terrible the end result was, I feel fairly confident that cooler heads would have prevailed in my home....and my children would still be alive.
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You are either a cop or the son of one to be this stupid. If someone comes to someone door at 1 AM and throws a bomb in, they certainly DID NOT ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES. If you announced yourself why throw a bomb in? Why come at 1 AM? Since they obviously had the WRONG HOUSE there obviously was not the supposed murderer inside...and if teh person was inside why not just wait until they come out? It is not like the cops have anything else to do except sleep in patrol cars, eat donuts and play tic tc toe as that is the extent of their mentality. Try reading the article again in regards to the wrong house and lack of supposed perpetrator?
nope but youre either a dip shit or the son of a dip shit...the suspect was apprehended in the house, READ IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
by announce themselves i mean as they make entry... ::) you know yelling "POLICE, GET ON THE GROUND" dip shit ::)
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Is there a better time of day to use flash bangs?
If you disagree with it, why don't us offer to raid the home of a person that murdered a 17 year old in cold blood a day before the raid. You can offer to raid the residence of murderers around the country without the use of any disorienting aids.
It is beyond horrible that an innocent child was murdered, but think a second before you throw full blame on the police.
I have children. If police raided my home, a few things would definitely NOT happen.
First, I wouldn't kill a 17 year old boy.
Second, if someone else killed a 17 year old boy the day before, I wouldn't house them in my home.
Third, my children would not be anywhere near the front door at 12 am.
Fourth, if my children happened to wake up because of the noise, I would not let them come downstairs and hang out where all the commotion was (the would listen because they've learned to respect authority and listen to the rules they're given. They're welcome to complain at a later time if they think the rules are unfair and unjust, but they listen to what their parents say first, and complain later....because they've learned to respect what we say and understand the difference between authoritative and authoritarian statements)
Fifth, my wife would most definitely NOT enter into a conflict/altercation with the police officers.
If it turns out that the residents followed this same pattern, remained perfectly calm until the police were able to explain the entire situation, didn't enter into an altercation with the police, and the police raced up to the sleeping child's room (it was midnight...) to shoot her for no reason, then I'll call for their heads immediately.
But....however unfortunate and terrible the end result was, I feel fairly confident that cooler heads would have prevailed in my home....and my children would still be alive.
Are you in some dream world or something? A bomb goes off in your home at 1 AM...there is immediate panicking as everyone is trying to figure out what is going on. You are all in the dark, kids are in one room you are in another.. doors fly open with imbecilic cops screaming all manner of nonsense...you have no clue hat is going on since everything is happening so fast, you odn't know whether your house is being burglarized or if some other event is happening. You wife and children are screaming and running through the house trying to find one another and in the midst of all of this are a bunch of inbred low brain cell count cops waving guns and firing at family members. There is no way in hell you are going to remain calm, controlled in that situation and just like this family, someone(s) will end up shot for no reason
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Here is an article from the Detroit News that has more details.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100516/UPDATE/5160325/Detroit-police-fatally-shoot-girl--7
It appears that the family wasn't "harboring" a criminal as people said, the place was a duplex and the suspect was in the lower appartment, the family was in the upper one which was raided.
Look at what the article says:
Godbee would not comment on reports that neighbors told officers kids were in the house, and pointed out toys in the front yard.
When asked about the possibility that the suspect lived in the lower unit, not the upper flat which was raided, Godbee said, "the suspect was within the scope of our search warrant." He added that the warrant allowed police to search both units.
So there you go, "we followed procedure, no harm done".
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Here is an article from the Detroit News that has more details.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100516/UPDATE/5160325/Detroit-police-fatally-shoot-girl--7
It appears that the family wasn't "harboring" a criminal as people said, the place was a duplex and the suspect was in the lower appartment, the family was in the upper one which was raided.
Look at what the article says:
Godbee would not comment on reports that neighbors told officers kids were in the house, and pointed out toys in the front yard.
When asked about the possibility that the suspect lived in the lower unit, not the upper flat which was raided, Godbee said, "the suspect was within the scope of our search warrant." He added that the warrant allowed police to search both units.
So there you go, "we followed procedure, no harm done".
Finally the truth surfaces so fucking idiot Tony two toes can now shut the fuck up. Sadly a person ends up dead over asshole cops as I said earlier. The entire of these so called testimonies were ALL LIES AS USUAL FROM THESE COPS.
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During a struggle between an officer and the 46-year-old woman who lived in the upper unit, the policeman's gun discharged, and a single bullet struck 7-year-old Ayanna Jones, who lay on a nearby couch, in the neck.
Officers used a flash grenade and then entered the upper unit. Godbee said little girl's 46-year-old grandmother and a police officer grappled. [/b]
"According to our officers and at least one independent witness, the officers announced themselves as police officers before going in," [/glow]
poldaktalos you shouldnt put the "we followed procedure, no harm done" in quotes like these police officers said that ::)
facts look like they raided they house announced themselves before going in and then got in an altercation with someone...
sad sad story man
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what exactly did they do wrong jag?
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The "we followed procedure" is usually the conclusion of most internal investigations and used quite often by the cops themselves. So far their statements seem to support this attitude though i never quoted it as being part of the article, just what their statements seemed to imply.
Nevertheless i can understand the mother/grandmother/father/parent trying to defend their children against a night raid with flash bangs and gun wielding cops.
I don't want to go into assumptions on what happened but I think any parent would be concerned for the safety of their child and even get physical against anyone that breaks into their house at night, cop or not.
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The "we followed procedure" is usually the conclusion of most internal investigations and used quite often by the cops themselves. So far their statements seem to support this attitude though i never quoted it as being part of the article, just what their statements seemed to imply.
Nevertheless i can understand the mother/grandmother/father/parent trying to defend their children against a night raid with flash bangs and gun wielding cops.
I don't want to go into assumptions on what happened but I think any parent would be concerned for the safety of their child and even get physical against anyone that breaks into their house at night, cop or not.
actually if you read the article with an objective view its obvious thats not what they where trying to imply ::)
I agree with you if it was me id protect my child until i realized it was the police and as the police said and an independent witness confirmed they announced themselves before making entry...
this is a tragic situation but not one in which you should condemnt the cops for with the facts we have at hand it jus seems like a sad sad story.
not the cops fault though...
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Are you in some dream world or something? A bomb goes off in your home at 1 AM...there is immediate panicking as everyone is trying to figure out what is going on. You are all in the dark, kids are in one room you are in another.. doors fly open with imbecilic cops screaming all manner of nonsense...you have no clue hat is going on since everything is happening so fast, you odn't know whether your house is being burglarized or if some other event is happening. You wife and children are screaming and running through the house trying to find one another and in the midst of all of this are a bunch of inbred low brain cell count cops waving guns and firing at family members. There is no way in hell you are going to remain calm, controlled in that situation and just like this family, someone(s) will end up shot for no reason
You sound like just the person to help out in a "crisis situation."
I bet you scream at the top of your lungs and start firing pistols anytime someone taps the breaks while you're in the car.
And seriously, if you just killed a high school kid the day before, would you really not know whether it was the cops coming to arrest you for murder or the local gang that goes around breaking into murder suspects homes while screaming "POLICE! POLICE" and throwing flash grenades?
Seriously, what are the probabilities on that?
"In local news, another rash of burglaries have been reported. The bandits break into the homes of murder suspects and come running in with full police SWAT uniforms, yelling "POLICE! THIS IS A POLICE RAID!" and throwing flash grenades. So if you've recently murdered someone and a group of people come storming in dressed as police officers and announcing that they're the police, don't believe them. They're just part of the pandemic of people breaking into the homes of murder suspects, the day after they commit murder, and pretend to be the police"
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Whats with the damn flash bangs at 12 am?
because people who are running from the police tend to stay awake to avoid the police...
seriously though....flash bangs on a search warrant with known children in the home? thats a little much. i would never allow any team i was in command of do that shit...
they might say they didnt know of any children, but if they watched the fucking house like they are suppose to they would have known that...
as far as the child getting shot...i would like to see the official statements on this one....accidents happen all the time in raids, most of them are understandable, but always avoidable...
bench
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because people who are running from the police tend to stay awake to avoid the police...
seriously though....flash bangs on a search warrant with known children in the home? thats a little much. i would never allow any team i was in command of do that shit...
they might say they didnt know of any children, but if they watched the fucking house like they are suppose to they would have known that...
as far as the child getting shot...i would like to see the official statements on this one....accidents happen all the time in raids, most of them are understandable, but always avoidable...
bench
Id agree that this could have been avoided a number of ways not simply by the police either but going on the facts we have I dont think ppl should be condemning the cops over this one.
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During a struggle between an officer and the 46-year-old woman who lived in the upper unit, the policeman's gun discharged, and a single bullet struck 7-year-old Ayanna Jones, who lay on a nearby couch, in the neck.
Officers used a flash grenade and then entered the upper unit. Godbee said little girl's 46-year-old grandmother and a police officer grappled. [/b]
"According to our officers and at least one independent witness, the officers announced themselves as police officers before going in," [/glow]
poldaktalos you shouldnt put the "we followed procedure, no harm done" in quotes like these police officers said that ::)
facts look like they raided they house announced themselves before going in and then got in an altercation with someone...
sad sad story man
thats my problem....i dont know about yall, but when i got hit with a flashbang i couldnt hear, or see shit for about 30 seconds.....who knows if the grandmother even knew who she was fighting.....my judgement on this one would come down to a timing issue involving entry to the home,flash bag usage, and altercation timing...
time will tell on this one...
bench
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Id agree that this could have been avoided a number of ways not simply by the police either but going on the facts we have I dont think ppl should be condemning the cops over this one.
i dont think anyone should be blamed...yet...to many variables as of yet.....shit, sometimes accidents just happen....nothing they can do now except live with it...
bench
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i dont think anyone should be blamed...yet...to many variables as of yet.....shit, sometimes accidents just happen....nothing they can do now except live with it...
bench
sorry but as a parent, an accident which results in the death of your child is something else
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sorry but as a parent, an accident which results in the death of your child is something else
it all depends who fault that accident was....what if the officer who was holding the gun that killed the little girls finger was pushed by the grandmother pressing the trigger during the altercation? he still has to live with that...
regardless of what happened it was the officer fault, because everybody raises their kids to hate police officers.....i guess the world needs somebody to demonize...
bench
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thats my problem....i dont know about yall, but when i got hit with a flashbang i couldnt hear, or see shit for about 30 seconds.....who knows if the grandmother even knew who she was fighting.....my judgement on this one would come down to a timing issue involving entry to the home,flash bag usage, and altercation timing...
time will tell on this one...
bench
I can agree with that, I think that they could have like you said staked out the duplex and choosen a better time but then again they didnt know if he was in there or not so I guess they had to act on the info they had iono...
Like I said I probably would have done the same thing until I realized I was fighting with the police. I mean if you sat there and it wasnt the cops chances are your ass is dead.
just a sad sad situation...
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sorry but as a parent, an accident which results in the death of your child is something else
mom if you knowingly house a murder suspect youre just as responsible for putting your child at risk as the police are for coming in your house...
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mom if you knowingly house a murder suspect youre just as responsible for putting your child at risk as the police are for coming in your house...
bro, dont even argue it.....people dont care about the truth, all they hear is 7 year old girl...
bench
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mom if you knowingly house a murder suspect youre just as responsible for putting your child at risk as the police are for coming in your house...
Well perhaps but no I wouldnt house a murder suspect. I care more about my kid and myself than that and dont associate with that
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regardless of what happened it was the officer fault, because everybody raises their kids to hate police officers.....i guess the world needs somebody to demonize...
bench
Not of all us parents do that. I always wanted to be a cop, thats why I got a degree in criminal justice. Ask my daughter what she wants to be when she grows up is a police girl as she says. Anytime she sees a police officer, she always wants to talk to them.
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Well perhaps but no I wouldnt house a murder suspect. I care more about my kid and myself than that and dont associate with that
i wasnt saying that "you" dont care about the thruth.....i was just talking about people in general dont care about what happened when children are involved...they just want to blame somebody...
bench
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The family wasn't harboring the suspected murderer. The place was a duplex and the guy was living in the lower apartment, the police raided the upper apartment where the family was living.
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Well perhaps but no I wouldnt house a murder suspect. I care more about my kid and myself than that and dont associate with that
exactly b/c you can imagine what kind of stuff comes along with housing them and police busting in your door is a logical reality in doing so, so if you do so knowing that police raiding your house is a possibility then you hold some accountability in the outcome.
I always watch the first 48 and I cant stand how they never charge anybody with aiding and abeding or obstruction...I dont know the standards of what needs to be established to be able to press charges for those but man if I was an investigator I would be charging ppl with that every chance I got.
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Is there a better time of day to use flash bangs?
If you disagree with it, why don't us offer to raid the home of a person that murdered a 17 year old in cold blood a day before the raid. You can offer to raid the residence of murderers around the country without the use of any disorienting aids.
It is beyond horrible that an innocent child was murdered, but think a second before you throw full blame on the police.
I have children. If police raided my home, a few things would definitely NOT happen.
First, I wouldn't kill a 17 year old boy.
Second, if someone else killed a 17 year old boy the day before, I wouldn't house them in my home.
Third, my children would not be anywhere near the front door at 12 am.
Fourth, if my children happened to wake up because of the noise, I would not let them come downstairs and hang out where all the commotion was (the would listen because they've learned to respect authority and listen to the rules they're given. They're welcome to complain at a later time if they think the rules are unfair and unjust, but they listen to what their parents say first, and complain later....because they've learned to respect what we say and understand the difference between authoritative and authoritarian statements)
Fifth, my wife would most definitely NOT enter into a conflict/altercation with the police officers.
If it turns out that the residents followed this same pattern, remained perfectly calm until the police were able to explain the entire situation, didn't enter into an altercation with the police, and the police raced up to the sleeping child's room (it was midnight...) to shoot her for no reason, then I'll call for their heads immediately.
But....however unfortunate and terrible the end result was, I feel fairly confident that cooler heads would have prevailed in my home....and my children would still be alive.
Good post
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The family wasn't harboring the suspected murderer. The place was a duplex and the guy was living in the lower apartment, the police raided the upper apartment where the family was living.
the search warrant allowed them to search both units
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the search warrant allowed them to search both units
i got a search warrant for a whole apartment complex one time...it was a very small complex, but it was still for the whole damn thing...
bench
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They might escape criminal punishment, but the psychological sentence is for life.
RIP, child.
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Woman Hospitalized Following Botched Raid
http://wsbradio.com ^
Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 12:46:48 AM by Chet 99
Woman Hospitalized Following Botched Raid
By Jon Lewis @ May 13, 2010 6:52 AM Permalink | Comments (32)
(WSB Radio) An elderly Polk County woman is hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a heart attack when drug agents swarm the wrong house. Machelle Holl tells WSB her 76-year-old mother, Helen Pruett, who lives alone, was at home when nearly a dozen local and federal agents swarmed her house, thinking they were about to arrest suspected drug dealers.
"She was at home and a bang came on the back door and she went to the door and by the time she got to the back door, someone was banging on the front door and then they were banging on her kitchen window saying police, police," said Holl.
Holl says her house was surrounded and she was scared to open the door. When the Polk County Police Chief finally convinced her she was safe, she let them in.
"They never served her with a warrant. At that point, she said the phones were ringing with the other men that were in the yard and they realized that it was the wrong address," said Holl.
Chief Kenny Dodd says they realized the subject they were looking for was not there.
"She made us aware that she was having chest pains and we got her medical attention. I stayed with her and kept her calm and talked with her, monitored her vital signs until the ambulance arrived," said Dodd.
"My mother has had a heart attack. She has had congestive heart failure and she is in ICU at the moment. She is not good condition and her heart is working only 35 percent," said Holl.
Holl admits that her mother has had three heart attacks but has been doing well for the past couple of years. "She was traumatized. Even the doctor said this is what happens when something traumatic happens. He said it's usually like a death in the family or something like that just absolutely scares them half to death, and that is what has happened," said Holl.
Police say they have had her mother's home under surveillance for two years.
Holl says if that's true, how could police get the wrong address?
"We have just found out from a neighbor that they (police) went into some other elderly woman's home who was on oxygen and took her oxygen off of her and scared her half to death," said Holl.
Holl remembers the Kathyrn Johnston, the elderly woman shot to death in a botched drug raid in Atlanta, and thinks thinks this kind of thing happens too often. "They have totally made a really bad mistake. You would think that with the officers and the SWAT team and the DEA they would make sure that all of their I's are dotted, all of their T's are crossed before they go bursting into someone's home like that," said Holl.
Dodd says he has gone to the hospital to check on Pruett and apologize to the family for what has happened.
Police did end up making seven drug arrests relating to the two year investigation, but the DEA is investigating to see how this mix-up happened.
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Aiyana Jones case, attorney says Video shows police fired into Detroit home
By COREY WILLIAMS and ED WHITE
The Associated Press
Monday, May 17, 2010; 5:01 PM
DETROIT -- An attorney for the family of a 7-year-old girl who was killed by a police officer's bullet during a weekend raid at their home said Monday that he saw video of the raid that contradicts the police department's version of what happened.
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger said he watched three or four minutes of video that showed police fired into the home after lobbing a flash grenade through the window. He said this contradicts the police department's story, which was that the officer's gun discharged during a struggle or collision inside the home with the girl's grandmother.
"There is no question about what happened because it's in the videotape," Fieger said. "It's not an accident. It's not a mistake. There was no altercation.
"The gun was fired before anyone goes through the door. There are lights all over, like it's a television set."
A camera crew for the cable television crime-reality series "The First 48" was at the raid, although Fieger declined to say whether the video he watched was shot by the crew.
A&E spokesman Dan Silberman said neither he nor anyone else from the network would comment about the case.
Fieger said more than one camera was recording at the scene.
"It demonstrates conclusively, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what happened in this case," the attorney said. "The pictures don't lie. It's got sound and everything."
Michigan State Police detectives have taken charge of the investigation.
Detroit police were trying to obtain any footage of the raid captured by the film crew, which had been shadowing city homicide investigators almost daily since early this year, Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said Monday.
Godbee said Detroit police would not be commenting on the tactics they employed during the raid, but that the department was not concerned that the film crew had any affect on how it was conducted.
The target of the search, a 34-year-old man suspected of killing a 17-year-old boy, was arrested in the upstairs unit at the two-family home. Police had warrants to search both units, and relatives of the girl were seen Monday going in and out of both.
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what the fuuuck... that cop belongs in prison, if that video is correct. what, he got rattled and just fired? Does hs have a history of this shit??
Damn
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that cop is in trouble if its true...that article says that the suspect was apprehended in the upstairs apartment :-\ so they had a murder suspect in their house...
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There were more articles concerning the case but some people seem to have made up their minds about it.
Still many new facts surfacing (and many others that we'll never learn).
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Last Updated: May 17. 2010 8:02PM
Fieger: Video challenges police account in fatal shooting
Francis X. Donnelly / The Detroit News
A video account of the police raid that ended in the slaying of a 7-year-old Detroit girl shows that the deadly gunshot was fired while officers were still outside the home, said lawyer Geoffrey Fieger, who represents the girl's family.
Fieger said the video, the source of which he would not identify, contradicts police accounts of the raid in which the girl was killed by a bullet from an officer's gun. He said he plans to file wrongful death lawsuits against the police in federal and state courts on Tuesday.
The Detroit Police Department confirmed that a film crew for the Arts & Entertainment network reality TV show "The First 48" accompanied police on the raid. Fieger would not comment on whether that was the source of the video, but an earlier legal representative of the family said that the presence of the crew influenced the police execution of the raid.
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Fieger's assertions, made in a press conference, came on a day of rapid-fire developments in the death early Sunday morning of Aiyana Jones, 7. As Mayor Dave Bing urged residents to "pull together" to deter crime in the wake of a violent spree, the Wayne County prosecutor said she's asked the State Police to investigate the fatal shooting at the request of the Police Department.
Fieger said the video shows the shot that killed Aiyana Jones, 7, was fired within a "millisecond" of police tossing a flash grenade into the home. The device is sometimes used to momentarily distract or disorient potential targets of a raid. The grenade became the subject of criticism from some in the community today.
Police originally said the shooting occurred while an officer and Jones' grandmother were wrestling over the weapon, then said it might have occurred when the two collided inside the home.
"That's a complete and utter falsehood," Fieger said. "It's not an accident. It's not a mistake. There was no altercation."
In viewing the video, which lasts 3 1/2 minutes, Fieger said he could hear the shot being fired but couldn't see it.
"The pictures don't lie," he said. "It demonstrates conclusively, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what happened in this case."
Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee said the attorney should share whatever evidence he has with police.
Godbee said police would eventually investigate the tactics it used during the raid, but first wanted to focus on learning exactly what occurred during the shooting.
"We understand there are community confidence concerns surrounding an incident of this magnitude," he said during a press conference. "This is not about egos. This is about getting to the veracity of the truth, finding out what happened."
Fieger criticized other parts of the raid, saying police had a search warrant for the wrong home. He claimed the police didn't receive a warrant for the upper-level apartment, where the target of the raid resided, until after the incident.
He said the victim and her grandmother were sleeping on the same couch, with their heads resting on different ends. The flash grenade landed on the little girl, he said.
Police had been seeking a 34-year-old suspect in Friday's slaying of 17-year-old Southeastern High School student Jerean Blake, who was gunned down outside a liquor store near the corner of Mack Avenue and St. Jean. Police said they made an arrest, but have not said if he was arrested in the raid on the downstairs or upstairs apartment.
An Oak Park attorney who earlier had said he was representing the Jones' family was surprised to learn about Fieger's involvement.
Karri Mitchell, who had spent much of Sunday with the family, also was surprised by how quickly the lawsuit was being filed. He said earlier today that the family wasn't thinking about taking legal action.
"The baby hasn't even been buried yet," he said.
He declined further comment.
"It's Fieger's case now," he said.
Aiyana Jones was sleeping on a couch when she was struck in the neck/head area during the police raid at about 12:40 a.m. Sunday at a two-story duplex in the 4000 block of Lillibridge on the city's east side.
Both the Detroit police and the Michigan State Police are now investigating Sunday's shooting.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100517/METRO/5170374/Fieger--Video-challenges-police-account-in-fatal-shooting
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If what Fieger said about the warrant is true then the situation would get very complicated for the police.
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In viewing the video, which lasts 3 1/2 minutes, Fieger said he could hear the shot being fired but couldn't see it.
"The pictures don't lie," he said. "It demonstrates conclusively, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what happened in this case."
what??? so he the video doesnt show it?
to many opposing statements coming out...they had a search warrant for both apts/they didnt, the suspect was apprehended in the families apt/he wasnt, there was an altercation/there wasnt...I think we need to wait until the facts come to the surface...
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Family of Michigan child killed in raid sues police
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 18, 2010 1:45 p.m. EDT
(CNN) -- Calling law enforcement accounts "absurd," a Michigan attorney sued police Tuesday in the death of 7-year-old girl killed during a raid in Detroit.
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger said members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team acted out of line when they conducted a raid on the family home of Aiyana Jones, who was severely burned and then killed by an officer's bullet. She died Sunday.
"This type of activity by a police force is unacceptable in America," Fieger said at a news conference in his office. "What is equally unacceptable is the cover-up that has occurred."
Fieger filed both state and federal lawsuits alleging gross negligence, a violation of civil rights and a conspiracy to cover up the violation of civil rights.
Detroit Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee has said that preliminary information indicated that officers approached the house with a search warrant for the girl's uncle in connection with the shooting of a high school student Friday.
Godbee said the officer's gun discharged accidentally inside the home after an altercation and physical contact with the girl's grandmother, Mertilla Jones.
Jones denied such an altercation Tuesday. Fieger said he plans to file another lawsuit for false arrest and accused the police of covering up their own mistakes by blaming the family.
Fieger said videotape of the incident shows that the shooting was not accidental. In an interview Monday, he told CNN affiliate WDIV that a crew was filming the raid for the A&E network's show, "The First 48." The program documents police investigations in the first 48 hours after a homicide.
Tuesday, Fieger recounted the events shown on the video that he said led to the girl's death. At times, he had to pause, his voice drowned out by sobbing family members.
Fieger said officers tossed a smoke bomb -- described by police as a "flash bang device" to distract occupants -- into the house, severely burning Aiyana, who was on the couch in the front room with her grandmother. She was then struck in the neck by a bullet fired from outside the house, he said.
Godbee has said he doesn't know how Fieger saw the video, according to WDIV.
"If Mr. Fieger has access to anything that would be evidence in this case, he should, as an officer of the court, get it immediately to the Michigan State Police, which will be investigating," he said in a statement.
Fieger said the police and the city owe apologies to the family, especially to Mertilla Jones for trying to blame her for her granddaughter's death. He said officers need to be held to account just as anyone else would.
"The people of the city of Detroit have got to believe the police will protect them, and not kill them," Fieger said.
"This is an opportunity to come together, not to tear us apart," he said. "Apologize now and we can start the road to healing."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/18/detroit.police.shooting/index.html?hpt=T2