Good
A group of lawmakers wants to make it harder for police to use “no-knock” warrants in the wake of a shootout that left an elderly woman dead after plainclothes officers stormed her home unannounced in a search for drugs.
The measure would allow judges to grant the warrants only if officers can prove a “significant and imminent danger to human life.”
The measure was prompted by the Nov. 21 shootout between Kathryn Johnston and three police officers during a no-knock search of her Atlanta home. When the officers entered without warning, police say that Johnston, 92, fired a handgun at them and that the officers returned fire, killing her. An autopsy concluded she was shot five or six times.
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:17 am
Sounds like a reasonable and needed law. I’d make the police and the judge liable for some fairly swift kick if things weren’t as described while we are at it.
Law enforcement isn’t about public safety anymore, it’s about budgets and money. Make these dang “public servants” accountable.
I can’t imagine any LEO who really believes in their sworn mission that would have a problem with this. They can’t kill old ladies and lie about it.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:14 am
‘The measure would allow judges to grant the warrants only if officers can prove a “significant and imminent danger to human life.”’
Seems to me that “no knock” warrents _are_ a “significant and imminent danger to human life.”
How about not having “no knock” warrents unless the continued existance of the person (people) on the other side of the door represent “significant and imminent danger to human life.” If knocking is enough to allow someone to “destroy” evidence then I cannot get too worked up about what they are attemping to arrest them for; if knocking will enable someone to “get away” then maybe the police should just bring along enough people to cover the exits.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:15 am
[…] Tip to Say Uncle for this […]
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:16 pm
B-but laws don’t fix anything! I read that in my libertarian handbook!
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Considering how much the police lied about to obtain the warrant in the mentioned case, is requiring them to lie about one more thing really going to have much of an effect?
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:00 pm
The cops in this case belong in prison.