Residents Rallying Around SWAT Raid Target Ryan Frederick
residents of Chesapeake rallying behind Ryan Frederick
Recently we reported on a tragic case in Chesapeake, Virginia, in which a forced-entry (e.g. "SWAT") raid on an extremely low-level drug suspect (he had just a few joints as it turned) ended with the resident, Ryan Frederick, fatally shooting police officer Jarrod Shivers out of fear for his life. It later came out -- at least as claimed by Frederick -- that the anonymous informant police relied upon before battering open Frederick's door had probably mistaken the Japanese maple trees he grew as a hobby for marijuana. Yet Frederick is in jail facing first-degree murder charges
The Agitator reports that residents are rallying around Frederick, and that friends of his have created a Myspace page for him that links to a form to donate to his legal defense.
Good for them. It's tragic that officer Shivers lost his life -- Frederick's supporters have said so themselves -- but at the end of the day there was no rational basis for police to enter his home in the terrifying manner that they did. To be clear, it is a pretty common way of doing things at this point in time -- roughly 40,000 SWAT raids are conducted every year, according to some estimates, and the vast majority are not for emergency or otherwise high-intensity situations -- but that doesn't make it a good idea and it doesn't make it right. Every time a raid is done, the people inside are subjected to a pretty significant psychological trauma, whether or not anyone gets hurt physically. And one only needs to watch the news to know that needless injury and death is bound to be the result sometimes, again and again.
Police need to start taking responsibility for their actions. That means not blaming the victims of botched raids, like Ryan Frederick, for the predictable consequences reckless police tactics. And it means not using such reckless tactics to begin with.
Since the nation's police are not about to do so willingly, the rest of us need to organize to force them to. If you haven't already, please sign our petition to limit the use of SWAT teams, and send it to your friends. And visit Ryan Frederick's Myspace page (linked above) to show your support. (Important: Please don't tear down Officer Shivers or say anything suggesting that he deserved what he got. Shivers was misled into what he did by a bigger problem existing in police culture, or at least that is what happened so far as I can tell. And negative comments about him won't help our cause, but could alienate people who might otherwise listen to what we have to say.)
Location:
Chesapeake, VA
United States
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A Man of Valor and a Man of Circumstance. A day in a life.
It is a shame indeed that Officer Shivers lost his life while performing his sworn duty. However, it is my opinion that One must look at the big picture. In twenty-eight States the people have spoken and legally voted for their right to use Medical Cannabis. The Federal Justice Department has decided "they" know what is best for us and has decided to ignore the people and pursue and prosecute people such as Ryan Frederick. Pursue based on a "motivated informant". Why not prosecute the "Snitch" for giving bad intel.? How does One know whether or not the "Snitch" had a grudge against Ryan Fredrick?
Officer Shivers became another statistic added to the "War on Drugs". A "Knock" on Mr. Fredrick's door would have sufficed, perhaps Officer Shivers would still be alive.
I believe that Mr. Frederick would have opened the door once a "Warrant" was produced. A "need" for a Warrant from a Judge can be circumvented when the situation is described as Mr. Ryan Fredrick's, i.e. "a snitch told us."
An Officer is dead and Possession of a couple of "Joints" is a misdemeanor in most States. What a price to pay for being misinformed by an informant and not a professional law enforcement officer. Which opens the window for another question? When was the last time the SWAT members attended in-service training? Man....so many questions to be answered, and for what? As it turns out.... For a couple of joints.
An Honorable man is dead and perhaps his "Team" could have been better informed and tried knocking on the door or "Sit" on the house to verify that Mr.Fredrick was a threat to society.
Perhaps Officer Shivers would be alive today and Mr. Ryan Fredrick would not be on trial for murder?
Add this mistake to the mountain of evidence to support that there must be serious oversight added within the management of SWAT teams throughout the nation.
OUR government in my opinion has developed itself into the "Masters of the People" and casualties such as the Honorable Officer Shivers and the unfortunate Ryan Fredrick are acceptable factors that add into the Justice Department's rational.
It is my opinion that "WE" as a "Free" people must exercise our right to vote. These people were voted in and they can be voted out. It is my sincere desire to offend the senses of those we have voted into public office. Offend so that the public officials smell their own stench. Stench that hides under the guise of civil liberty.
"Sneak and Peak" is a caviot within the Patriot Act. And it means exactly that. No "knocking on the door" is necessary and neither is a warrant, nor the death of the Honorable Officer Shivers. But if we allow this, then where will we be? "Secret Police"? How do you know this does not already exist? Dark days have clouded over our U.S. Constitution.
Legalization appears to be the way to go. The "War on Drugs" is a failure and our people can not take much more, something has to give.
I remember Ronald Reagan telling a bear Nation to "Tear Down a Wall" and today George Bush is building another "Wall". What about Canada? That is the border that the 9/11 terrorist "walked right through," not Mexico.
Officer Shivers must have believed that what he was doing the day he died was best. But the question begs to be answered: "Who authorized the raid based on such flimsy intel.?"
This raid is tantamount to negligence and to merely shift the blame to Ryan Fredrick is an assault on the 14th Amendment.
I believe that a "Knock" on Mr. Fredrick's door would have sufficed, and perhaps Officer Shivers would be alive today. Perhaps Mr.Ryan Fredrick would not be on trial for murder.
"Sad days" indeed. The framers of our Constitution must be spinning in their graves. We the People, of the People, by the People. God save America.
snitch
It is interesting that nothing ever happens to the snitch. An informant, who for what ever reason, gives false or misleading information that leads directly to another tragedy and simply fades into the sunset. Now a man defending his home and property will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law because someone has to pay.
its awful
i was victim of a wrongfull raid they said that pot was growing in my house it wasent i would loved to have shot everone of those crimnals .i say good by to bad trash
Good thing
It could have ended up like the accidental raids of wrong houses and he could have been dead. At least the cop got shot, that is what counts.
Its good when a civilian gets the oppurtunity to protect himself and shoot a cop, good deal.
He should be free'd, and those that jailed him should be jailed or shot aswell.
The drug war is pathetic, the only reason mary jane is illegal is for Dupont to make money. Well we don't care about greedy companies. I don't care for nylon either. Hemp was good enough for the constitution, it should be good enough for you commi's coming from other countries and ruining ours.
What should be illegal is what actually causes problems, chemical drugs. I don't mind if a meth head, crack head, or any other chem user is shot. They deserve it for using such a retarded substance. Those that criminalize a plant are retarded and should be kicked off of this planet for disrespecting it.
shoot everyone!
Your statements reveal a calousness that seems reserved to cops and drug dealers! Killing everyone is not a good way to solve problems. But, you must think just like the government, letting our soldiers get killed in a country, now in a religious war! The war-mongers like killing, too!
Re: Good Thing
To the writer of the comment entitled "Good thing": I can only assume that you have smoked too much pot to be able to intelligently make any statement related to such a sad and controversial issue. Thank you for becoming the poster child for why pot should remain illegal. You make it very clear that drugs create stupid, ignorant and socially reprehensible people that provide no social value.
Remain Illegal?
Just because one person is incapable of articulating his thoughts in a responsible manner doesn't mean that the rest of marijuana smokers are of the same caliber. Among his seemingly incoherent, spastic thoughts he did tap one important point, that Marijuana comes from the earth on its own and was not created by OUR government (like many other drugs currently being abused). Marijuana has been used by people for over 3000 years, and for people like Anslinger and Nixon to come along and proclaim that they are saving the people, when really they are just trying to remove the mexican laborers during the depression.
311 said it best - "The War on Drugs may seem well intentioned, but it falls F-ing flat when you stop to mention an overcrowded prison where a rapists gets paroled to make room for a dude who has sold a pound of weed, to me that's a crime. Here's to Good People doing Time"
Why this story gives us all hope
You can keep playing the nice guy, but I will not. This country needs a revolution. And the peaceful one is going nowhere. I whole-heartedly believe that nothing will change until all polititans, judges, and police officers are hung for their treason against this country as clearly defined in the Constitution. It is my right and duty as a child of God, and as a citizen of this once-great country, to dismantle and hold accountable any aspect of government that is intolerant of the people who give them their power in the first place. Its only a matter of time before the middle-class is erased and the poor of this country realize they should be killing the wealthy and powerful that subjugate them daily instead of each other.
Nicholas Sinkavich
Pittsburgh, PA
you're right Nick, the Drug
you're right Nick, the Drug War IS treason, and those perpetrating it fit only for the gallows. our government long ago surpassed the level of oppression that justified our first revolution.
unfortunately, back then the people had the same weapons as the government, and due to our cowardice and short-sightedness we've allowed ourselves to become way outgunned. we'd need a military coup at this point, and the military is fully aligned with the enemy. things would have to get so shameful even the *military* couldn't stomach it and that's a pretty tall order.
so we're stuck with trying to win the hearts and minds of folks to whom we owe no explanations or justifications. trust me i feel your pain. it's galling but we have to play their game or be satisfied with the occasional bit of gratuitous revenge, which only gets spun against our cause. there are no shortcuts in this longest of wars, sadly. it's a battle of attrition.
it's real brave of you to stand up and be counted but if that's your real name and location in your post, all i can say is keep your powder dry, patriot..
nick: you are right. our
nick: you are right. our forefathers tried to warn us that this would happen. i wrote a letter to the editor on this very subject and shortly thereafter, an army helicopter almost landed in my back yard and a snitch sent by my neighbors tried to gain access to my property. i told him to "get (his) fat ass outahere!", i locked my gate, blocked my drive with my car and got out the assault rifle. i was prepared to go down with the ship...
cops are eager to put fellow officers in harms and subvert democracy so that they can build their coffers with asset forfeiture dollars. below is my letter to the editor circa 1994...
---------
In Arizona two bail enforcement thugs forced their way into the home of law-abiding citizens and murdered two young people desperately trying to defend their family. In Kaufman County a family was terrorized and the parents strip searched in front of their children by DEA Thugs who had the wrong home. More recently the Houston police burst into the wrong home and shot a man to death.
Home invasions by Government Thugs have become all to common in America. In the past this extreme approach to law enforcement was used when someone`s life was in imminent danger, like a kidnapping or a hostage situation. The Drug War has changed all that.
Years ago my Grandfather told us that if someone is threatening your home and family, just shoot them right through the door, before they have a chance to burst in. He could not have imagined that ordinary law-abiding citizens would be terrorized, strip-searched, and murdered in their own home by law enforcement personnel. At that time a 22 caliber automatic was pretty good protection and that`s what my grandfather kept under his pillow. Now that the home invasion thugs are using fully automatic weapons and body armor, it`s clear that many Americans are underarmed.
[email protected]
ryan fredrick rally
WE JUST GOT HOME FROM A RYAN FREDRICK RALLY AND SPOKE TO HIS AUNT THEY HAVE THIS POOR GUY IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT HES ONLY OUT OF HIS CELL ONE HOUR A DAY .SHE SAID THE GUARDS KEEP COMING IN AND THOWING HIS LITTLE STUFF HE HAS IN HIS CELL AROUND AND THEN TELLING HIM HIS CELL IS A MESS AND MAKING HIM CLEAN IT UP EVERYONE WE SPOKE TO WAS SAYING WHAT A GOOD HARD WORKING GUY HE IS. NOBODY SPOKE ILL OF HIM HES NEVER BEEN IN ANY TROUBLE AND YET THEY DENIED HIM BAIL .HES NOT A FLIGHT RISK NOR IS HE A THEAT TO ANYONE SO WHY KEEP HIM IN THERE. THE POOR GUY IS GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING HES EVER WORKED BECAUSE THE POLICE SCREWED UP AND HANDELED THIS ALL WRONG THEY COULD HAVE GOT HIM COMING HOME FROM WORK ARE ANYTIME OF THERE CHOSING. THEY HAD NO REASON TO GO BUSTING HIS DOOR IN AFTER HE HAD GONE TO BED I'D HAVE SHOT TO. HOPEFULLY JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL AND THE POLICE WILL ADMIT THEY SCREWED UP AND LET THIS POOR GUY GO AND COVER HIS LEGEL FEES
TED BOLTZE
NORFOLK VA
Cnn Keeping them honest
I emailed CNN Keeping them Honest with Anderson Cooper in hopes to get more people involved. The Police are bigger then us (Citizens) so they think, and it will be tough to fight against them because there word is Always Truth so they Claim. I dont know Ryan But I believe that he acted in self defence. Japanese mapel would explain the lights that they found. They took the evidence and made it look like something other than what it was for just to justify what they did. Since he was denied bail they should move him to a place where the officers dont have a grudge and treat him badly. My Prayers are with Ryan.
Somethings Fishy In Chesapeake!!
I never thought in a million years that I would ever say anything about any police force. But nowadays, they need to be checked into, some of them that is.
My husband is a retired police officer from another city here, and he worked for a very long time in the narcotics division. When they are on a drug raid they never yelled out!!! He even thinks something is fishy here.
It's been claimed that they acted on a tip. Most likely they will even say that the informant was always reliable before. To that I say hogwash!
Think of it this way, if you receive a tip, you first check it out!! You don't just go storming someone’s home just because a in formant told you there were drugs in there. Come on Chesapeake use your heads!! And even if they had a search warrant, I'd like to know who the magistrate is that allowed it in the first place! There was no investigation made of it, therefore it wasn't warranted. Yeah the police always yell Search warrant, on TV THAT IS!!! For all we know it could have been someone that had a grudge against this young man, I mean look at him! He's scared to death! And now there's a big shot special prosecutor brought in that is going after him like a crazed shark, even though the whole thing stinks of a botched raid on no investigation what so ever!! It's a shame that the officer lost his life, but it could have happened to any of us, at any time. After all, anyone can call crime line and leave a tip and no one would be the wiser, truth or not.
I think Chesapeake should get to work and let IA investigate this unwarranted raid. Funny that no one in the neighborhood heard them yelling isn't it? The young man did everything within his rights. He feared for his life. Something is fishy in Chesapeake. Maybe it so the fallen officer’s wife can collect on insurance and whatever else they give there. There is a brotherhood among the police everywhere, one not easily broken. But right is right and wrong is wrong, this is wrong. A young father is going to stand trial for capital murder in order for the police to save face, and make sure the widow is taken care of. Hey, I have news for you, God knows what really happened, and don't you even begin to think you can get away with this. You will answer to Him.
Let Ryan go home, and send the special prosecutor packing. And God help all of you that won't stand up and let the real truth of what happened come out!
I pray that Ryan will have so many voices calling out for him that Chesapeake will be stopped in their tracks, otherwise the once honored police Dept. will forever be remembered as liars, and become a blemish on all police depts. all over this country. I pray for this young husband and father and for his family. I know they are all terrified beyond measure!
From a veteran and patriot in pain
When things like this happen and are allowed to stand, it should point up how far we've some away from personal freedom and a popularly elected government, and how far we've moved into an unelected dictatorship. The Rule of Law no longer exists - it has become the Rule of Lawyers and Elites instead.
Chronic pain patients are always easy targets, and easy to blackmail. For most of us to go to jail is a death sentence, and most of us are very poor. We are too often forced to find anything we can to help us survive pain, and after a while, it doesn't matter whether it's legal or not. If they made insulin an illegal drug, diabetics would still try to get it if they could. A Public Defender knows which side his bread is buttered on, and if he doesn't, he is simply overloaded until he can do a decent job for no one. Our doctors are more vulnerable than real drug dealers because they believe they're following the law, and are therefore safe. They're only half right: they are following the law, but they are not safe when the enforcers of the law are excepted from it. Victims like Ryan are also easy targets because they don't expect to be targeted as though they are major drug dealers, but they also hear and read stories about crazy people who break in and kill entire families. He did nothing illegal, and this action by the police says that Americans no longer have the right to defend themselves in their own homes. We are now supposed to wait until we become victims and hope the cops don't find some innocent man to label "guilty" and go after him because he's also an easy victim.
They have learned that all they have to do to justify all their power and their $20bn a year budget is to make a "high profile bust", and to do that, they need footage of them breaking into a private home and abusing the family. They can then tell news people the folks they saw on the video were drug makers and/or dealers who were endangering the children and their neighbors, and who will question them?
Here's your answer: almost no one. If America isn't dead, it's dying - of enforced apathy and ignorance.
Ian
botched raid
This stinks.
good article
i found an excellent article on this very subject at: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6651
Nancee and Ronnie restarted Nixon's failed drug war but this time tapped into the drug profits through civil asset forfeiture with the blessing of a cowardly congress. It's become the cash cow for cop shops. I call it, Policing for Dollars. They don't care about innocents being killed on botched raids nor do they care that they are putting their own officers in harms way unnecessarily. All that matters is the money. Cops are addicted to drug dollars and will do ANYTHING for a fix.
b/s raid
i had my home raided on jan 10th in the city of chesapeake and when shivers and the rest of the cops came to my home they were VERY WRONGFUL they did NOT label theirselfs as Narcotics officers or cops...MY g/f was in my home sleeping and she was in fear for her LIFE when she was waken to have GUNS in her face and grabbed and thrown off the bed in handcuffs yet again when they came in they found nothing of any manufacturing or distributing but damn sure if that wont what the warrant was for .when they came they were dressed in black with black vests it was dark out and we were scared it was intruder and if i were in a spot where i coulda got my gun i think i woulda fired as well... All that im trying to get at here is that The CIty of Chespaeke nd their drug team need to think a little more and it probably would help to look in to things before attacking... In all good sense these jerks need to just man up and say hey we were WRONG and stop changeing the case and except that they were WRONG AND that it is their fault that shivers is not still with them all the people already know the truth and LET RYAN FREE... I wish that there was a way that the people could show the judge the wrongfullness that is happening in chesapeake everyday but thats not what the courts wanna here and i can speak of such becasuse the same b/s occured to me not only a week before.... i would also like to add comment to now they are saying that it was the popo that BROKE into his home wrongfully 2 days prior to this and it kinda seems funny my home was broke into 3 days be4 my raid. COme on guys get it togetha that in my eyes is illegal....
FREE RYAN!!!
FREE RYAN!!!
WAKE the F UP !
"Predictable consequences"...are you frickin' KIDDDING ME ?!?!?! They announced that they were police and their uniforms say "SWAT" on them ! This low life, gun toteing, pot smoker kills a cop and people think HE'S the victim. Wake up trash! It should have been RYAN that was killed, I hope he IS!
Wow
I see u might need to smoke that pot. "Wake up trash! "& " It should have been RYAN that was killed, I hope he IS!". How can you make a statement like this.."They announced that they were police and their uniforms say "SWAT" on them !" ? You can not be for sure if that was said or not. You were not there.If you can then maybe you can answer this..If a tree falls in the woods,and no one is there to hear it . Does it make a noise? Well Mis. Cleo does it? The "Peace Officers"(yeah right) could of picked him up while he was not at his home..WOW WHAT A NOVEL IDEA!!! So i guess alittle part of what you wrote was true....WAKE UP.
40000 RAIDS ONLY ONE DEAD COP JUST SOME COLLERTAL
DAMAGE .AND HE WONT BE MISSED .ANY TIME THEY BREAK DOWN A DOOR OVER MARIJUANA THERE SHOULD BE SEVERAL DEAD COPS .WHEN ARE THESE KNUCKLE DRAGGING NAZIS GONNA FIGGURE OUT THE PEOPLE OF THE USA DO NOT WANT THEM TO DO THAT .
what swat raid?
i hate to be a buzz kill but swat only got involved after frederick murdered the cop. reality is such a drag.
Another want to be?
Hey there Miss Cleo. Were u there? Do you know the events of the whole thing? If you weren't there.Then stop guessing. Oh and if you"hate to be a buzz kill" &" reality is such a drag." Go to a Doctor maybe they could help!! That is unless you were there! (must likely "NOT")
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