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you’ve been just fine without me, haven’t you?

No.

In my absence, you appear to have been able to maintain the necessary sustenance and Internet capabilities required to post the word “No.”

Thus, you’re fine.

OK, I give.

one in which the robbing crew kicks down the door while shouting “POLICE! SEARCH WARRANT!� Why? Because they know anyone on the other side of that door will flash for an instant

a related thought:

I saw a TV show the other night, where two guys in black trenchcoats from INS showed up at a guy’s house and said he was under arrest. “Please come with us, sir.”

At that point, knowing that Habeas is gone, and knowing that a non-citizen has no rights to anything, what do you do?

This goes the same for you and me. For example, I’m a full-blooded native-born U.S. citizen. But how do I prove that if I don’t have a right to trial?

If those guys showed up at my door, no way I’d go without a large amount of violence. And knowing that, there’s also no way I’d take a job serving warrants for a federal agency.

.

.

oh, and let’s just pretend there were no football games played this weekend. Which would make us just like the Atlanta Falcons and Reggie Ball.

“If those guys showed up at my door, no way I’d go without a large amount of violence”

You know, I believe in the theory you have to fight for your rights (to party, and those others, too). And you’re certainly not alone in those sentiments. But I have to apply that theory to the reality of my specific circumstances.

I live in a third floor walkup, at the top of 42 steps, in the very back building of a ten building condo complex (i.e., you’ve got to pass about 90 other homes before you get to my steps). If some out of breath souls have made it all the way to the top of my steps and proceed to try and bust my door down, I figure either [1] they’re a completely crazy robbin’ crew and the best thing I can do is just feign a heart attack, or [2] it’s the cops. And if it is the cops, given my usual position in relation to our front door (i.e., not near enough to do squat quickly), my best bet is to probably to quickly reach down to my right and tip the back of my chair all the way down, then roll over to my right straight onto the floor and into a prone spread eagle position with my fingers interlocked behind my head.

And then feign a heart attack. Maybe I’ll only get tazed then.

Just wondering, Reid, what got you going on the whole rant about ‘no knock’ raids, when the incident in Atlanta wasn’t one? From the article you linked:

Dreher, the assistant police chief, said that as far as he knew the narcotics officers did “everything by the book. They had a search warrant, they announced themselves and knocked first.”

I’d be mighty surprised if this old lady was always so prepared to shoot intruders that she’d have time to arm herself and manage to perforate three police officers in a no-knock raid. Most 92 year olds aren’t spry enough to dive over the couch to reach the hidden handgun. However, if they knock first, she’s got time to get the walker and roll over to the desk drawer.

I’m also generally amused by the folks who put forth the notion that if we’d just stop enforcing the laws against drugs, the world would settle into a peaceful co-existence. Even with the ‘war on drugs’ in full swing, there are more people killed by the drug dealers side than there are by the cops, by a a wide margin. The only upside is the most are other drug dealers, so it’s hopefully self-limiting.

“Just wondering, Reid, what got you going on the whole rant about ‘no knock’ raids, when the incident in Atlanta wasn’t one?”

You read one short quote in the newspaper. I saw the entire press conference from which the quote came.

At the press conference that Asst. Chief Dreyer gave he explained in detail, including the fact that a no knock warrant was obtained. He then specified how it was served. The cops first had to forcibly pry open the woman’s burglar door. The one at the top of her wheelchair ramp. This took some time and made a lot of noise…

“I’d be mighty surprised if this old lady was always so prepared to shoot intruders that she’d have time to arm herself and manage to perforate three police officers in a no-knock raid.”

...during which time, even a 92 year old woman woould have time to grab a nearby gun when she heard unknown people tearing down her burglar door.

Asst. Chief Dreyer said they then knocked down the interior door. Yes, they “announced” themselves, shouting “Police” as they were tearing down the door. That’s what a no knock warrant is ... you’re knocking/pounding, you’re shouting “POLICE”, but you don’t pause an instant for anyone to answer, you just go in.

A regular search warrant dictates you knock … and then stand there waiting for someone to answer, like a human normally expects.

“However, if they knock first, she’s got time to get the walker and roll over to the desk drawer.”

Or, if they tear down the exterior burglar door, she’s got time to think she’s being robbed and grab her gun. You did read the part about her 72 year old neighbor who was raped two weeks before? She probably had that gun real close. She fired six shots and five of them hit someone coming through her door.

So you tell me, Todd. You’ve got a gun by your chair due to recent break ins in the neighborhood. Or simply because you think you have a right to defend your home from intruders. There’s a sudden pounding and shouting at your door, and you draw your gun on the closed door. It bursts in with men shouting they are the police.

Whatchya gonna do … other than probably bleed a lot? Because even if you decide in that instant “these guys are cops,” you’ve already drawn a bead on law enforcement officers, and they are highly likely to open fire before you can drop that weapon. Or TV Remote. Or t-shirt. Or blue cup. Or anything else that has gotten citizens killed because in that split second when the door was broken down, the cop thought the object was a gun … and opened fire.

Do I have a problem with the idea that police get make a violent paramilitary entry into a home due to suspicion of a non-violent crime? Yes, I certainly do. It makes people dead. Including cops.

The Atlanta Police are now saying off the record that they found a very small quantity of marijuana in the home. And the policy trade-off for that piece of drug enforcement is that three cops got shot and a 92 year old woman is dead.

No one will ever be able to satisfactorily explain to me how that kind of drug enforcement policy results in any form of balanced justice for anyone involved.

Chief Pennington confirms some details. It wasn’t an undercover cop who made the initial alleged buy, it was a “confidential informant.” So add another variable for potential error. It was indeed a “no knock” drug search warrant, and the policy for those is now under review. The chief said they found a “small amount of marijuana” inside the home. And the medical examiner says Ms. Johnson was actually 88, not 92.

And among other things, Radley Balko asks: “We were first told that an undercover officer made the buy. Now we learn it was an informant. We were first told that Johnston began firing before police entered. We were then told police knocked and announced before entering. Then that they announced, but didn’t knock. Then that they announced as they were entering. Why does the police account of events keep changing?”

Why does the police account of events keep changing?

(raises hand) ooh ooh! I know! I know!

Well, the story has changed some more, as the dominoes have been tipping over today. First Chief Pennington said it was an “informant,” not an undercover officer, who made the buy. Then they finally released the search warrant which revealed an alleged $50 purchase of drugs (big bust!).

Then the informant, probably having heard he was now publicly on the button, came forward to Fox 5 News claiming he never bought drugs in that house, and was told to lie about it by some police officer(s). Pennington just had a press conference confirming these allegations (but luckily had the sense not to say “you know, you can’t be sure this guy is telling the truth” ... since the cops allegedly got a warrant based on his word), and that the FBI has taken over the investigation.

He also said that department policy on using informants to obtain warrants is for an undercover cop to observe the informant going into the house having been searched for drugs beforehand, and then witness the informant coming out of the house after allegedly making the buy. He said that policy had been violated.

I’m sure I’ll have another article about this later, with all the links and details. As they are known today.