Family questions SWAT drug search that led to dog’s death

[Hazcat]

By Brennan David

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A man arrested on suspicion of drug charges and child endangerment said he is concerned with the actions of police who shot two dogs they described as “aggressive” while serving a drug-related search warrant at his home earlier this month in southwest Columbia.
Video: Police video of the Feb. 11 SWAT raid

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J. Whitworth
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Police arrested Jonathan E. Whitworth, 25, of 1501 Kinloch Court on Feb. 11 on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and second-degree child endangerment.

A police SWAT team entered Whitworth’s residence around 8:30 p.m. suspecting a large amount of marijuana at the location, police spokeswoman Officer Jessie Haden said. SWAT members encountered a pit bull upon entry, held back and then fatally shot the dog, which officers said was acting in an uncontrollably aggressive manner.

Whitworth was arrested, and his wife and 7-year-old son were present during the SWAT raid, Haden said. A second dog, which Whitworth’s attorney Jeff Hilbrenner described as a corgi, also was shot but was not killed.

“The family is concerned with what happened,” Hilbrenner said. “We don’t feel like what happened in the home was appropriate. The priority right now for us is the misdemeanor charges.”

Police discovered a grinder, a pipe and a small amount of marijuana, Haden said. Because the SWAT team acts on the most updated information available, the team wanted to enter the house before marijuana believed to be at the location could be distributed, she said.

“If you let too much time go by, then the drugs are not there,” she said.

Drug distributors traditionally have a history with firearms, which is why the SWAT team is used when executing such warrants, Haden said. If the SWAT team believed they could have executed the warrant successfully during the daytime when the wife and child were not present, they would have, she said

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/feb/23/family-questions-swat-drug-search-that-led-to/

Actual video of the raid (disturbing - Language warning)

If you wonder why I posted this my reasons a two fold.

1st The war on drugs is a JOKE and should end.

2nd Paramilitary 'SWAT' teams should be outlawed.  What happened to the 4th amendment?  When did we decide (as a nation) that stopping some one from smoking some pot was more important than my rights and my life?  This is total BS!

[Timothy]

If you wonder why I posted this my reasons a two fold.

1st The war on drugs is a JOKE and should end.

2nd Paramilitary 'SWAT' teams should be outlawed.  What happened to the 4th amendment?  When did we decide (as a nation) that stopping some one from smoking some pot was more important than my rights and my life?  This is total BS!

AMEN!

[shooter32]

If you wonder why I posted this my reasons a two fold.

1st The war on drugs is a JOKE and should end.

2nd Paramilitary 'SWAT' teams should be outlawed.  What happened to the 4th amendment?  When did we decide (as a nation) that stopping some one from smoking some pot was more important than my rights and my life?  This is total BS!

+1

[JC5123]

While I agree with your reasoning Haz, I don't think the teams should be abolished. They do have a purpose. (barricaded gunmen, terrorist incident, hijacking) Basically extreme high risk situations. Using them to serve high risk warrants, I do agree is akin to using a sledgehammer for installing trim. So, put major restrictions on their use, but keep them in the toolbox.

[Hazcat]

Ya but every little podunk police department has a 'SWAT' team.  I think one at the county level AT MOST is plenty for the incidents you describe.  AND if they are deployed AT LEAST a judge and a mayor has to personally sign and be held liable.

[Sponsor]

[JC5123]

Ya but every little podunk police department has a 'SWAT' team.  I think one at the county level AT MOST is plenty for the incidents you describe.  AND if they are deployed AT LEAST a judge and a mayor has to personally sign and be held liable.

That's exactly where my thinking is. You just verbalize it better. But I do agree with you.

[PegLeg45]

I'm kinda with you guys also.

I don't know enough details to question the tactics used by the SWAT team in the raid, I was not there and only have one view of the story.
I do, as you guys have pointed out, question the necessity to use a SWAT team to serve a marijuana 'suspicion' (keyword being suspicion) warrant. There again, the article didn't detail whether the guy had a violent history or not, so even this opinion is based on one side of the story.

[Timothy]

The point is, if the aformentioned "substance" were legal, the requirement to protect it with lethal force by the holder would be negated and the need for an armed force of "ninja" quality police dudes could be used to protect our borders from invaders from other climes.

Certainly more important than some fella growing or smoking a bit of herb in the Heartland.

[twyacht]

Could they not have tased the dog? Pepper Spray?

The article said MISDEMEANOR CHARGES, all this, and NOT EVEN A FELONY?

Bravo SWAT TEAM, Bravo, and the child's trauma will be just OK?

[ratcatcher55]

I had a constable brag about the number of dogs he had killed serving subpoenas.  I don’t know why he thought I would be impressed with that fact and told him so.

Our local sheriff never thought he needed a SWAT team. To high of a cost to arm, train and maintain. He also thought it took away some of the skills and training dollars every officer should have. I agree with him.

The city department has a team and IMHO it’s a boys club and not up to the title. Their training is spotty and to justify the expense they end up serving chicken S^% warrants for dime bag dealers. When the did have a barricaded suspect they jerked around for days before the man committed suicide. He was not a criminal, just mentally disturbed..