...Mas has taken up his readers' challenge to discuss the Jose Guerena killing.
He just published the post, so no comments up yet (I've already sent in a comment, it's awaiting moderation), but it should be an interesting discussion.
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4 comments:
Robert, your comment has been posted over there. I'm no expert on guns or police tactics, but I've watched the video clip several times, and it looks to me like the cop coming in from the left pauses in the doorway before shooting--a pause that could be consistent with spotting the guy holding a gun and possibly raising it. Given that Massad Ayoob's analysis of the tape makes it clear that plenty of warning was given, if the guy is still holding a gun when they enter the house, he assumes a certain amount of risk. I think you're holding on to this one a little too long.
@wally: I'm just offended that a gainfully employed military veteran with no criminal record was gunned down in such a manner in his own home. If it was the first such incident of SWAT teams gunning down people in such circumstances it might be different, but I've read lots of such dubious cases. I just think that, absent clear evidence that wrongdoing is occurring, search warrants should be served by ordinary cops with their pistols holstered, rather than a SWAT team in house-clearing mode.
Massad seemed to be implying that there was such evidence. Otherwise, why would they send in a SWAT team? Is it your contention that police have it in for veterans? I'm not sure what you think is going on.
@wally: I'm saying that, lacking any evidence of history of violence on Guerena's part, or any criminal history, that the Pima County Sheriff's office was not justified in sending in SWAT to serve a search warrant. Hold the SWAT team in reserve in case the service of warrant goes south, fine; but don't use SWAT to do the job that regular uniformed sheriff's deputies should be doing, and behave as if there is still a 4th Amendment to the US Constitution, and abide by the presumption of innocence, rather than presumption of guilt.
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