Officer Cleared After Shooting Unarmed Mother and Her Baby
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine a situation in which police could be held accountable for recklessly killing someone in a drug raid:
A jury had previously acquitted the officer of misdemeanor negligence charges, so this is basically the second time his actions have been upheld. For the record, this is what a justifiable police shooting apparently looks like:
They’re shooting at shadows now? I could have sworn that’s not how it’s supposed to work. Maybe the liberal arts college where I earned my criminal justice degree was a little too liberal, but then again I’ve also tried out the "shoot/don't shoot" simulator at a police training facility, and the sergeant’s instructions on when we could legally discharge our weapon bore no remote resemblance to the fact pattern in the Wilson case. The finding here seems to be that as long as one officer shoots a dog, other officers may then panic and shoot anything that moves throughout the house.
Can there be any doubt about the message we send to our public servants when we forgive anything and everything they do in the name of the war on drugs? There’s no point in complaining that policies like this will result in babies being shot, because that’s already happened.
LIMA, Ohio (AP) - An outside review has concluded that a Lima police officer didn't violate any department rules in the fatal shooting of unarmed woman during a drug raid.
The findings are in a report issued by the Montgomery County sheriff's office.
A jury had previously acquitted the officer of misdemeanor negligence charges, so this is basically the second time his actions have been upheld. For the record, this is what a justifiable police shooting apparently looks like:
Chavalia, an officer of 32-years, had testified that he thought his life was in danger when he fired the shots. He said he saw a shadow coming from behind a partially open bedroom door and heard gunshots that he thought were aimed at him. It turned out the gunfire he heard was coming from downstairs, where officers shot two charging pit bulls. [ABCNews]
They’re shooting at shadows now? I could have sworn that’s not how it’s supposed to work. Maybe the liberal arts college where I earned my criminal justice degree was a little too liberal, but then again I’ve also tried out the "shoot/don't shoot" simulator at a police training facility, and the sergeant’s instructions on when we could legally discharge our weapon bore no remote resemblance to the fact pattern in the Wilson case. The finding here seems to be that as long as one officer shoots a dog, other officers may then panic and shoot anything that moves throughout the house.
Can there be any doubt about the message we send to our public servants when we forgive anything and everything they do in the name of the war on drugs? There’s no point in complaining that policies like this will result in babies being shot, because that’s already happened.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
And those cops knew
full well that there were children in that house. What they DIDN'T know was whether or not there were also illegal drugs there. But then, once they killed Ms. Wilson, they didn't have to find drugs; they had a perfect case against her boyfriend -- plead guilty to the drug charges or face trial for murder. They got their conviction; that's all that matters to them.
So, here's this child -- a child who, simply by being a black male in the "land of the free", already had a one in three chance of spending part of his life in prison. Thanks to these "law enforcement" officers (cleverly disguised as terrorists), for the rest of his life, this child will carry a reminder of what happened to his mother. And he will know that her murder didn't even rate a misdemeanor. Didn't even rate an apology. What kind of man do you suppose he'll grow up to be? What kind of society are these brave soldiers creating for our children?
Oh, and for all you brave drugwar soldiers out there -- YOUR children will be living here, too.
The evils of prohibition
The evils of prohibition are many indeed. Militant cops murdering people with impunity. No one is safe from this danger. Yes! you do have something to be afraid of. Even if you've done nothing wrong. Completely innocent people and their beloved dogs are being killed this way in increasing numbers. It often only takes a misleading phone call to initiate a drug raid. Often with no prior investigation. But, as one prohibitionist put it, these deaths are just the cost of waging war. Of course that person hasn't been unjustly raided by black shirts, yet. He'd better not try to protect himself either. Thinking that you're experiencing a home invasion (no-knock raid) and accidently killing a cop in self defense will get you a murder charge. That's if they don't kill you first.
What gets rid of the WOD's?
More and more blood and violence.Until no one can stand for more, just like back in the 30's prohibition.This SWATZI goon ,still faces a civil suit.
Fuck the police
another plie of bullshit...this is your tax dollars at work....
Violence shouldn't be the answer...
I do not advocate violence, but when the US continues to escalate the use of military operations to stop consentual drug transactions between adults, what do they expect to happen other than people defending themselves, their livlihoods, and their families? A war is what they want, and a war is what they now have on their hands.
I have to echo the comments of Rita. This young child is going to grow up one finger short and will always know that our supposedly fair judicial system thought it was ok that his mom died over a horribly failed drug arrest. I can't speculate what type of man this child will become, but the Govt. made it pretty clear what side of the war they think he is on, seeing as they've already put a fucking bullet through him.
Matt
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Matt Potter
Oh! And....
Did anyone else notice that the jury was all-white? Lima is 25% black and yet the jury was 100% white. Are you serious? Everytime I start to feel like there is some hope in the world, I read about a killer walking free while more innocent bodies pile up. I don't know how much more I can take.
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Matt Potter
...and justice for some
Matt, great insightful comment! You should post here more often. Good point about the racial composition of the jury. I am surprised there hasn't been more of an uproar about this whole thing.
As a former soldier, I am astounded and disgusted with the low level of accountability these officers seem to enjoy. If any soldier did something like this, he or she would be spending some time at Leavenworth, guaranteed. That's a huge problem with most of these paramilitary SWAT teams - they want to play soldier, but they don't want to pay the price (and as this case demonstrates, they often don't.) I know some of them are former military, but those who are have superior training which should allow them to prevent things like this.
I wonder if the shooter feels any guilt at all over killing an unarmed American citizen, and leaving her poor child without a mother. Things like this makes me sick. Tell me how murdering someone to save them from themselves is a good idea? I thought these drug warriors were all about "saving the children?" I guess they figure it's better the kid has NO mother than a drug-using mother...
Shooting in Lima
The officer 'cleared' in the shooting in Lima has won little more than the support of a police-state mindset that failed to train him properly or focus its efforts on serving and protecting the public.
Wow that's scary
And how sad for the child. Unbelievable. :(
Angie
THAT POOR BABY!!!!
When you hear something like this its makes your stomach crawl! So, Am I getting this right the baby and mother were shot and this is fine with the Lima Police Dept.? This is sickening!.
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