Drug Raid Update
Ryan Frederick said Thursday he’s not the “drug lord” some people might make him out to be, but a scared, 100-pound man who thought someone was breaking into his home.
Frederick said he was sleeping in a back bedroom because his job as a soft drink merchandiser required him to get up early. His dogs, Dora and Bud, were in the house. He woke up because his dogs “were barking like crazy. They’re going like really crazy, so I grab my gun. As I’m walking through the hall, someone comes busting through my door.”
In tears at times, Frederick said he doesn’t grow or sell marijuana. He had a smoking bong and a small bag of marijuana, he said.
Frederick said if police found drugs, it was a small amount of marijuana he had for personal use.
“They made a mistake,’’ he said. “It’s a damn shame, too, because someone had to lose their life over it and I’m in jail about to lose my life over it.”
January 25th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
This story is really frightening, Uncle.
We need to end this bullshit War On Drugs now. And the police in Chesapeake need to seriously re-evaluate their procedures. Don’t knock someone’s door down/break into their house unless they are obviously causing an imminent threat to someone.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
he contradicted earlier statements. First interview said he shot through a door, now says the cops came bursting through the door.
Sounds like a situation where both parties messed up. Unfortunately in this case, I think Frederick made enough bad decisions to preclude any chance of pressuring the police into changing their policies.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
He may have contridicted earlier statements; I suppose the police know whether or not they busted down the door.
I would think the death of the officer would cause the police to take a look at procedure. They are the public servants, and they have the high standard to maintain.
Of course, (and it’s not up to me), but I don’t care if the guy has a literal ton of cocaine in his house, the police should have a better way to serve warrants. They could monitor the house and catch him as he leaves, it just seems as though that would be the safer method.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
“Of course, (and it’s not up to me), but I don’t care if the guy has a literal ton of cocaine in his house, the police should have a better way to serve warrants. They could monitor the house and catch him as he leaves, it just seems as though that would be the safer method.”
But that would make sense. Also the cops would’nt be able to wear their cool ninja gear…
BTW, what you described is how cops USED to do it. Bust the suspect on his way to the store or whatever and search the home afterward. But I guess that’s too dull for our modern wannabe street “warriors”. Hell, I dont think they even do surveillence of a suspect’s home to confirm a “informant’s” claim anymore. The incident in Minneapolis a few weeks ago shows that.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
“He said intruders were pushing through the bottom panels of the four-panel door, he said.” I’m not sure if that is a contradiction of his earlier statement. Sounds like they were half way in.
I’d like to see the warrant and the who, what and where of it. This is sounding more and more like they had the wrong address or something.
This whole thing sucks for everyone involved.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Perhaps a citizen’s board (like the MPAA Ratings Board) ought to be on hand, like a grand jury, to determine if a SWAT raid or no-knock warrant ought to be allowed, on a case-by-case basis.
January 26th, 2008 at 7:29 am
what this tells me is that it is important not to have any illegal drugs in your house when you shoot what you think is an intruder nor have sold anybody any illegal drugs in the recent past, recent past being probably the last year.
January 26th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
As sad as this natural consequence of The War on Citizens Drugs is, worse is that the commentary from cops (such as at Policelink) call for increased ninjafication rather than a critical rethinking of these militaristic policies.
If (as a cop) you lament officer Shivers death, please question the horrific policies that caused it (and the many many others like it). Don’t support a doubling-down.
January 26th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
……consequence of The War on
CitizensDrugs…