Law and Order American Style: Fascist Home Wreckers

Last week's story from Prince George's County, Maryland was not unusual or rare except that the facts in this instance are so clear and unconverted. A police dog found a package at a shipping facility that contained thirty pounds of marijuana. They followed the delivery to the nice middle class home and then conducted a raid.

There was a problem. They knew nothing about the intended recipients of the package. Police raid Md. mayor's home and kill his dogs

Mayor Cheye Calvo got home from work, saw a package addressed to his wife on the front porch and brought it inside, putting it on a table. Suddenly, police with guns drawn kicked in the door and stormed in, shooting to death the couple's two dogs and seizing the unopened package...

...Police say the couple appeared to be innocent victims of a scheme by two men to smuggle millions of dollars worth of marijuana by having it delivered to about a half-dozen unsuspecting recipients.

Before this chaotic event was resolved, the two family dogs were shot,

Calvo insisted the couple's two black Labradors were gentle creatures and said police apparently killed them "for sport," gunning down one of them as it was running away.

and Calvo's mother in law was treated like the victim of a Fascist state:

But officials insisted they acted within the law, saying the operation was compromised when Calvo's mother-in-law saw officers approaching the house and screamed...

...when she was handcuffed and interrogated for several hours.

Nothing surprising here. Nor should you be stunned or shocked by the response of the police department:

Prince George's County Police Chief Melvin High.. defended the way the raid was conducted. He and other officials did not apologize for killing the dogs, saying the officers felt threatened...But officials insisted they acted within the law, saying the operation was compromised when Calvo's mother-in-law saw officers approaching the house and screamed.

Years ago I had a discussion with Madison police officers on city policy regarding searches and intrusions without a warrant. One officer defended departmental policy saying, "Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions allow us to do it, it is within the law."

He was right, but I responded, "Just because the Supreme Court has lowered the bar, compromised rights to protect citizens from abusive process of law, does not require us to lower our Constitutional standards."

This is the result of the cynical appointments to the United States Supreme Court by Reagan, Bush, and Bush.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court rulings are no different with the court now owned by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) The election of Anette Ziegler and Max Gableman ensured a right-wing majority that will do all within its power to limit citizens' protections against illegal search and seizures and unwarranted brutal force.

Years ago I created a Public Safety Review Committee for the city of Madison.  This is exactly the kind of subject they should examine. It would be wise for them to call in police officials and go over the Madison standards in these kind of situations. Nowhere is it written that we have to live by the lowest common denominator whether it is set by Clarence Thomas or Max Gableman.

These folks were white and middle class, and the mayor. Imagine being black and not so middle class, and not the mayor.

Comments

[jim guilfoil]

As the police become more militarized,i.e. are becoming more violent and less and less subject to civilian review, the public is dulled into accepting greater violence in civil society.
Gang violence as a response to police violence in minority neighborhoods and the political cry for greater 'law and order violence' creates a spiral into the 'police state'. What is meant here is a militarization of civil society, with greater use of violence by the executive branch of local government patterned after the federal move toward a unitary executive in times of threats to security. National security and local security become an ideology of perpetual war against 'drugs', 'crime', 'gang terror', 'illegal immigration' etc. etc. Germany of the 1930's organized around the fear of 'others' to increase the level of violence which was acceptable to the general popolation.
Without nonviolence as an ideal we will continue to creep towards total violence, the total state.

[Charlie UnSykes]

This country needs more police officials like David Couper. I'm continually reminded of what an extraordinary police chief he was, as well as what an extraordinary person he is.

[wondering]

You were going great until the (apparently) obligatory Republican bashing.

You just can't help yourself, can you?

[Paul]

Wonder: Sorry, but all of these justices are Republicans. maybe you should do what the NRA did and suck it in. The NRA joined with the ACLU in suing the federal government over aspects of the Patriots Act that crushed citizen rights and trampled the Constitution.

[James Rowen]

The coppers in Prince George's County have a rough reputation.

[ARS - expat cheesehead]

SCOTUS and the Circuit courts have been gutting 42 U.S.C. 1983 for the last couple of decades, to the point where charges are being dismissed right and left as part of the Summary Judgment, opening up whole new vistas of "qualified immunity" for those who, in the past, were held responsible. Essentially, codifying the Sgt. Schultz defense: "I Know Nothing".

Such is yet another legacy of Reagan, Bush I & Bush II - nobody can be held legally accountable as long as you can testify that you acted "in good faith" or your supervisor can maintain ignorance. A situation guaranteed to promote abuse and incompetence.