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RE: WHEN THE COPS BUST IN...

You know, it's easy to be glib in general, and I'm sure this Darwin award winner isn't exactly the most sympathetic of characters given the additional details in the print version of the paper this morning. But there's an ugly probability here -- this perp didn't have to die. He's just the latest in a line of folks killed because of the escalation of violence inherent in the use of no-knock warrants. Jump for rant goodness.

No-knock warrants are one of the darker legacies of the War on Drugs. The idea is to allow cops to get in a domicile before a suspect has a chance to flush the drugs he allegedly has.

Problem is, they increase the level of violence in what are, by vast majority, non-violent offenders being confronted. And worse, no-knock and dynamic entry raids racked up a body count of innocents and cops killed, be it from raids on the wrong address or raids on homes where innocent family members are killed. In that last one I linked, elderly Kathryn Johnston did what any self-respecting homeowner would do when their door is bashed down in the dark of night -- she pulled her pistol and fired on the intruders.

Fair to say, someone bashes in your front door in the dead of night and you hear shouts and are blinded by tactical flashlights, your normal reaction is -- or should be -- to defend your home. Heck, it's about to be the law in Texas, but guess who is exempt? (Hint: cops)

No-knock warrants of the kind served last night in Far North Dallas need to be reserved for the most violent of criminals or for "24" style terrorists, not minor league drug dealers and such. If the amount of drugs a suspect has is so small it could be flushed, it's just not worth risking the lives of the cops or the perps doing a no-knock raid.

Police shouldn't be in the business of using military tactics. It's unnecessarily dangerous, both for cops, for you and me, and most importantly, for the idea of liberty.

Rant over.

Trey Garrison · February 13, 2007 10:28 AM