Police Raid My House Searching For Roomate

[Cooter]

This happened to me a few months ago, but I thought I'd share the story with you.
I live in a duplex with a roomate who has been a good friend for years. My mom lost her apt, so she's staying with us as well as my 10 yr old brother. My roomate, Daniel, is on probation, and is not around firearms (making it stressful for both of us, living with me.) He had just broke up with his wife of 7 yrs, and was staying at someone elses house to get away for a while. He finally had it with staying there after about a week, so he left a note saying he was leaving.
His ex-wifes sister somehow got a hold of that letter, and called the police, saying he left a suicide note (get it, 'I am leaving.' Yeah, pretty stupid.) Anyway, I was watching TV and I got a phone call in the afternoon from a lady with the sheriff's office. She said I need to come outside with my hands up.
I looked out my window, and there were 3 cops using my truck as cover with thier guns drawn, and 4 more surrounding my house. Daniel wasn't there at the time. So I came outside, and they handcuffed me and my mom. They put us on the sidewalk as they ran through my house with AR's. That's when I noticed, across the street in a gas station parking lot, was about 25-30 people watching this happen.
When I questioned an LEO if this was necessary or not, he said, "With who we're dealing with, yes." I laughed at him for that. Daniel is the goofiest guy I've met. He isn't a threat to anyone, and deffinetly not to me or my family.
So, the sheriffs dept dragged my family to the sidewalk in handcuffs, embarrased us in front of half the town, and raided my house to find a guy who left a note saying he was leaving the person's house he was staying at.
Thank you Lane County, great work.

[The Gunny]

I find these "GESTAPO" tactics extremely distastful and downright UN-American.

It seems in recent years more and more Police have felt Justified in this tactic. I suppose you could say just be grateful they did not bust down the door and come in like that. However I think this is now becoming the SOP for many COPS. If there was some evidence they were dealing with a drug dealer or murderer or kidnapper etc. this might be justified. I don't feel like this is how we lawful citizens ought to be treated by our government employees. Perhaps it is just a sign of the times. I think our LEO's do a hard job and sometimes this tactic is warranted however it is being used far too frequently in my opinion. I feel at the very least a public printed announcement of apology is in order. I would feel extremely violated and harrassed and publicly disgraced to be treated like a criminal in front of my neighbors, which is what it sounds like they did to you. I would demand that they make ammends somehow for this action to let your neighbors know you did nothing wrong. It galls me to no end how we accept this type of behavior in th ename of law ans order. Hello illegal search and seizure? How about a warrant? I assume the lease to this property is in your name? Were you served a warrant prior to the search? If not you may want to start asking to see such a document if there is ever a next time. This sounds like BS to me.

[stumpjumper101]

those kind of tacttics got a chesapeake Va police officer killed about 6 weeks ago. swarmed at the front door around 1130 at night and began to beat in the door. occupant in which they were trying to serve the warrant on shot through the door killing the officer. I believe the warrant was for suspicion of drug trafficing. However all they found was a very small amount of marijuana. ended up with a dead officer/husband/father and this guys life ruined because he shot through the door.

Now take one step back and look into chesapeakes recent past crimes and you will see that they have had multiple swat raid type robberies with people murdered in the process, the rest zip tied and scared to death of what their fate was going to be while the perps stole items from their house. Should i have been living in his town with this criminal past in the city and reconized something was about to happen , i dont think i would have shot through the door but as soon as the door swung open a gunfight would begin.

These no knock warrants and announce and bust down door warrants should only be issued for the most hardened criminals who have already proven they are a threat to society. They could have got this guy when he went to get his mail, went to work, or just went to the store and the officer would still be alive and he wouldnt be spending the next 20 years in prison or sitting on death row for capital murder

[kwo51]

I liked the first post. We will kill you if you try to committ suside. DUH

[timf343]

We will kill you AND put innocent lives in jeopardy AND put the lives of our officers in jeopardy AND scare the neighbors AND waste untold amounts of money.

[Ektarr]

This may be part of what my wife refers to as the "Dumbing Down" of America. She see it in the Medical field (among Medical Assistants, for example) and in the retail industry...people who don't actually know what the hell they're doing, but get to do it anyway. She feels it's a deliberate effort to make the 'lowest common denominator' feel valued whether they actually have any value in this regard or not. In this case we have cops who assume everyone is worthy of a SWAT-type approach even if they're not known to be. I guess there's something to be said for protecting yourself, but not at the cost of putting everyone at risk...good-guys, 'bad'-guys and everyone in between...without some sort of reason.

[NDS]

Ektarr. you just might appreciate reading this:

http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html

Is that really what such people want?

Originally Posted by Ektarr

This may be part of what my wife refers to as the "Dumbing Down" of America. She see it in the Medical field (among Medical Assistants, for example) and in the retail industry...people who don't actually know what the hell they're doing, but get to do it anyway. She feels it's a deliberate effort to make the 'lowest common denominator' feel valued whether they actually have any value in this regard or not. In this case we have cops who assume everyone is worthy of a SWAT-type approach even if they're not known to be. I guess there's something to be said for protecting yourself, but not at the cost of putting everyone at risk...good-guys, 'bad'-guys and everyone in between...without some sort of reason.

[toreskha]

Originally Posted by Cooter

So, the sheriffs dept dragged my family to the sidewalk in handcuffs, embarrased us in front of half the town, and raided my house to find a guy who left a note saying he was leaving the person's house he was staying at. Thank you Lane County, great work.

Have you tried litigation? Lately, that seems to be the only way to let people know that they have acted illegally. Don't let this issue rest. Commit to pursuing it until they are long sick of hearing about it, and they'll eventually roll over.

[rdoggsilva]

Can we say shades of Waco and Ruby Ridge!!! If you let them get away with it this time what will happen next time. I have seen our rights go down the tube while we set around and take it. I know LOE has a hard job but this type of abuse is uncalled for.

[tattedupboy]

UNBELIEVABLE! It just amazes me that LE is able to get away with using tactics like this. Whoever gave the order to send in the SWAT team for a "suicide note" for a person who was not even there needs to be dismissed. Clearly an overreaction.