Balko: More On The Columbia, MO Marijuana/Dog Murder Raid
Two updates from Radley Balko on this story; read them in order:
A Drug Raid Goes Viral
Columbia, Missouri Police Chief: “I Hate the Internet”
Also, in a developing facet of the story, there is discussion amongst local freedom activists about a possible rally to be held at noon on May 22nd on the road in front of Columbia PD police official Thomas Dresner's residence. The goal of the rally is to insist that Dresner and his boss, Chief Ken Burton, release the names of the officers involved in the raid. The source indicated that Dresner's house had been located through public record searches, and the residence's owners had been confirmed via telephone calls to family members. Similar efforts are underway, according to the source, to locate the home of Chief Burton for the same kind of public demonstration.
You can keep track of local print media coverage here; anyone local with more information about the raid or the May 22nd demonstrations should drop a comment below.
UPDATE 13 MAY 2010 0925 EDT: From a comment at Jennifer's place:
Got this from my cousin. Spread the word:
Saturday at noon on May 22nd, there will be a citizens’ protest on the road in front of Columbia PD Chief Thomas Dresner’s house at 8220 S Tomlin Hill Rd in Columbia.
The protestors will demand that Chief Dresner name all of the police personnel involved in this marijuana serch warrant raid.
Pass this information to all freedom-minded sites and email lists.
Stefan
III
Stefan, if you give more details re this protest, we will post them here.
posted by Concerned American | 4:14 AM
12 Comments:
Great post, and links.
From article:
"According to Montgomery, there are now bullet holes in the walls of the house. There were other people in that house who weren’t suspects, people the cops weren’t aware of before they started firing their guns, including a child. That seems like a pretty reckless disregard for human life."
including a child?!?? The danger of something really, really bad happening with this stuff cannot be overestimated.
I would hope that, were a child killed in this incident, a respectable portion of the american gun owners would regnize the situation for what it was and immediately retaliate with deadly force against those responsible and against those responsible for covering it up. I would hope. Are we at that state of mental readiness, gun owners? I can't say for sure.
http://itakeliberty.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/from-yahoo-questions/
"Why do roaches scatter when you turn on a light? and do they have eyes?"
“They do have eyes, yes! But, more importantly they are noctural pests. They do most of their scavenging at night and prefer moist areas, such as around kitchen sinks and bathrooms. When cockroach populations are thought to be really high, you will find them out and about during the day – this is typical most generally of high infestations.”
Bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit! This wasn't Colombia, S.A., it was Columbia MO. Not exactly in the midst of the drug-trafficking heart of America. If the cops had recovered proof that a major meth lab was in operation, or that surveillance had shown heavy traffic in and out of the home at all hours, or a lot of other suspicious activity conducive to a large illegal operation, they MIGHT have had a reason to use a heavy SWAT force brutalizing the house.
But none of that was evident. I think the cops were telling a half-truth: they used this small family residence, with no threat of resistance, as a nice little practice raid for their Storm Troopers. Sent in a small army to stop a guy who smokes dope recreationally, and they get the added target practice of shooting a dog to death.
And they didn't even know that a small child was inside? You mean, with all the surveillance they had prior to the raid (they DID have correct intelligence, didn't they?), they didn't know the following: a small child was present, two dogs (one a pit bull) were present, there was no marijuana present at all, and the guy wasn't anywhere near being a dealer with hundreds of pounds of weed in his house?
Another thing is right about this - it happens every day all across this country. And it goes unreported. Thank God these morons made the mistake of recording their assault, and then made another mistake in releasing it to the press (apparently with the idea of showing everyone that they had better not mess with the Columbia PD).
Check out http://www.cato.org/raidmap/ for an eye-opener on nationwide police brutality.
Maybe while the protestors are in front of Chief Dresner's house they should ask him if he would bring his pets outside so that they could be executed in front of him.
People who show up in front of the Chief's house need to spell out in clear, easy to grasp English that as of today this bullshit stops. People need to be precise and clear that our homes will be protected at all costs!!
Doug
Newark, Ohio
About 6 or 7 months ago I posted a comment about how my local PD's officer's email list was found on the web. Using (redacted-www.Zabasearch.com) ..search engine I was able to locate the home addresses of those local PD officers. Perhaps the citizens of Columbia, MO need to check to see if a similar list is floating around for their local goon squad. Never can tell when such a list might come in handy, maybe even for sending "Christmas Cards" when the need arises. Last time I was called a "Fed Troll" perhaps this info is worth far more than a bit of name calling deserves.
This is Tom Dresner. If you're really planning to come by my house, fine.
I hear it's because you want to demand the release of the names of the officers involved in the Feb 11 warrant service.
They've already been released.
Now what?
Tom Dresner
Invasion of real property and capture of persons are overt acts of war. Levying war is U.S. Constitution Article III Treason. Such Treason is investigated by a self-starting Presentment Grand Jury. If necessary, the Militia will enforce the American Law of Treason against renegade law officers.
Hey Tom,
Word to the wise....if you insist on behaving like any occupying army, don't act suprised when people start treating you like one.
Molon Labe, you brownshirt
Sorry, as much as I reject the SWAT teams actions I cannot condone protesting in front of Tom Dresner's home (OR publishing his address). DO NOTHING TO OTHERS YOU WOULD NOT WANT DONE TO YOU! Would those who seek to protest the police actions want to have people who disagree with them gathering to protest outside THEIR home? The whole issue in this controversy is the sanctity of one's home and safety of one's family. In this case the suspect's home was violated without probable cause - it serves NO purpose to subject Mr. Dresner and his family to the same type of abuse! Two wrongs do not make a right and will only serve to entrench hatred and fear. Better to gather in some public place and seek reconciliation. In fact the city council might want to hire a mediator to facilitate just such a conclusion to this sad state of affairs.
Wrong, Anonymous 1:43PM.
Protesting is NOT the same type of abuse that man inflicted on the other family. It is called holding a corrupted government official accountable. And it is a deterrent for others in his position, hopefully helping them to see the light.
You're "Do nothing..." mantra is right. If we acted like this guy we should expect to be protested, at the very least. He raided a man's home, put his family in danger, and killed his house pet. He is getting off lightly if a protest in front of his home is all he gets.
Two wrongs?? Since when is protesting an abusive law enforcement officer thought to be wrong?
The sad state of affairs is that too many citizens in this country think like you do on this subject.
To those of us "people" who view the Constitution as the moral backbone of this nation, the protesting of the immoral action's by the Columbia MO. SWAT force engaged in military like tactics, use of excessive force and endangerment of innocent by-standers should be appluaded by every thinking American. These protestor's are engaged in the legal exercise of their 1st amendment right's and that right must be acknowledged and protected by every member of government including the Police Chief whose home is now the target of the protestor's. We can only hope that the Chief will through this protest learn the meaning of property rights and the sanctity of one's home.
Unless the American people become interested in safeguarding their rights and stopping the bit by bit dismantling of their constitution by the very people elected to uphold and protect those rights, then this country will cease being a Republic and instead is on the way to becoming another socialist/democratic state similiar to the failed states of europe.
Police like all members of the armed service's, elected official's and legal profession's take an Oath to uphold the constitution of the United States and protect it from all of its enemies both domestic and foreign. Its time for the American people to start using the ballot box and holding these very official's responsible for their action's and in some instance's in-action's.
The action's of the Columbia MO. police departments use of military style force against it's own citizenry is another example of misguided idealism by the very people sworn to protect and serve.
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