Woman, 92, Dies in Shootout With Police
Nov 21 11:10 PM US/Eastern
A 92-year-old woman was shot to death Tuesday after she fired at three narcotics officers trying to serve a warrant at her house, officials said.
Neighbors and relatives said it must have been a case of mistaken identity. Police said they had the right address.
Police said the woman, whose name was not released, was the only person home at the time, and had lived there for about 17 years.
As the plainclothes Atlanta police officers approached the house about 7 p.m., a woman inside started shooting, striking each of them, said Officer Joe Cobb, a police spokesman. One was hit in the arm, another in a thigh and the third in a shoulder.
The officers were taken to a hospital for treatment, and all three were conscious and alert, police said.
Sarah Dozier, identified as a niece of the woman, told WAGA-TV that there were never any drugs at the house.
"My aunt was in good health. I'm sure she panicked when they kicked that door down," Dozier said. "There was no reason they had to go in there and shoot her down like a dog."
[/url]
Joined: Fri 01-24-2003 7:13PM Posts: 1652 Location: down the hill
Source: Off Campus
There have been dozens of incidents of the police kicking down the wrong doors since "no-knock" warrants have been (wrongly) upheld as constitutional. In each case where the victim of an unannounced and unexpected home invasion shoots at the officers, the police manage to find a little baggie of something in the house. I'll bet they find a little baggie in her house too.
If someone breaks into my house in the middle of the night by kicking down the door, you can bet I'm shooting. I don't do drugs, and I'm not involved in any illegal activities, so If someone kicks down my door in the middle of the night, I don't expect it to be police.
That said, she may have been a drug dealer, and knew she was shooting at cops, in which case she got what's coming to her. I don't know, and I can't judge this situation based on the tiny amount of information in that news article. But that doesn't change the fact that our system is broken, and it's too easy to make a mistake (and then too easy to cover it up with "well, they had a baggie of weed so it's all okay") that ruins someone's life forever.
If this was a case of the wrong house and an innocent homeowner shooting at presumed criminals, then one person is dead and three are injured needlessly. Our police officers and other citizens are too valuable to waste on a silly "drug war." Officers lives are worth more than that.
_________________ heretic^ stars as Samuel Jackson in the summer's newest thriller: Owls on a Forum!
Post subject: Re: Woman, 92, Dies in Shootout With Police
Posted: Wed 11-22-2006 1:33PM
Colonel
Joined: Wed 08-20-2003 9:47AM Posts: 570
Source: Off Campus
article wrote:
As the plainclothes Atlanta police officers approached the house about 7 p.m., a woman inside started shooting, striking each of them, said Officer Joe Cobb, a police spokesman. One was hit in the arm, another in a thigh and the third in a shoulder.
From the sound of the article, she started shooting before they got to the door, rather than them kicking down the door and her shooting them afterward. Of course, if I saw three men approaching in plain clothes with guns in hand, I'd probably start shooting too.
Joined: Fri 01-24-2003 7:13PM Posts: 1652 Location: down the hill
Source: Off Campus
dannyboyfx wrote:
Wonder how many shots she fired off. Also, did they ever announce themselves as cops when she started shooting.
They always say they do, and witnesses usually disagree. The article did state that they knocked and announced themselves, but it also says that the shooting started before they got to the house, so either the article is wrong or the police gave at least one wrong story.
I'll bet we just don't ever hear any more about this, unless someone keeps checking the local papers for about a year.
Altaica wrote:
From the sound of the article, she started shooting before they got to the door, rather than them kicking down the door and her shooting them afterward. Of course, if I saw three men approaching in plain clothes with guns in hand, I'd probably start shooting too.
The article says she started shooting when they approached the door, and then it also says that they knocked and announced themselves before kicking in the door. Which is it? Did they get both stories from the police? Did they forget to get their cover stories straight? Or is the media just being its usual inaccurate self?
There's not enough information (and what there is may well be wrong) in the articles to accuse the cops of wrongdoing, or to justify their actions.
_________________ heretic^ stars as Samuel Jackson in the summer's newest thriller: Owls on a Forum!
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum