And yet some LEOs wonder why people dislike them... this makes my blood boil

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...TAM&SECTION=US


Minn. officers involved in botched raid get medals


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Eight police officers who raided an innocent family's house last year, trading fire with the terrified husband, have received medals - and that has outraged the family.

Three officers involved in the Dec. 16 raid, which stemmed from bad information from an informant, received medals of valor from Police Chief Tim Dolan on Monday. The other five got medals of commendation.

Yee Moua said her family is "a mess right now," and her 9-year-old son, who saw the shooting, "still has nightmares and has needed therapy."

Police entered the home expecting to find a violent gang member. Yee Moua's husband, Vang Khang, thought they were being robbed and shot at the officers through a bedroom door.

The officers, members of the Minneapolis Police Department's SWAT team, were wearing protective gear and were not injured. But they returned fire.

Members of the family also were not physically injured, but the house was left filled with bullet holes and broken glass. Two days later, Dolan apologized and started an internal investigation.

"They were outraged and they were hurt. ... To this day this family continues to suffer," said their attorney, former U.S. attorney Tom Heffelfinger.

The investigation found the team had gone there looking for a gang member's guns after an informant gave investigators bad information. Authorities are still looking into how the case was handled before the raid, but Dolan said the SWAT officers themselves have been cleared.

Heffelfinger said the family has notified the city that they plan to file a lawsuit. He questions the timing and motives for the award.

But Dolan said in a statement: "The officers put themselves in harm's way. They were shot at and shot and deserved to be recognized."

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Information from: WCCO-TV, http://www.wcco.com

© 2008 The Associated Press.
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honestly, if you had any selfrepect there is no way in hell you would take that medal.

[tombogan03884]

Oh my god ! I agree with you

[Pathfinder]

Disgusting, but also sadly par for the course. LEOs are a power unto themselves, answerable to no one. Unless they are politicized as they are in Chicago.

A sad state of affiars, but they are being trained to be on the front lines when the shumer hits the fan and the citizens need to be controlled.

[ronrdrcr]

 "The officers put themselves in harm's way. They were shot at and shot and deserved to be recognized."

Yeah, I think they deserved to not get a medal since they went into the wrong damn house, but that's just me I guess.

Ron

[tombogan03884]

It's not the first time a bunch of gung ho cops have hit the wrong place, fortunately no innocent citizens were killed by their stupidity, this time. Rather than medals these incompetents should have AT LEAST been sent to remedial reading classes, and tested for Dyslexia.

[Sponsor]

[CJS3]

This is what happens when instead of investigation, you have informents. What you wanna bet the gang-banger who sold the LEO's the info, had a run in with the guy who lived there.

[PegLeg45]

Similar event happened in Atlanta. Police raided the house an killed 92 year old lady.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18328267/

[tombogan03884]

Similar event happened in Atlanta. Police raided the house an killed 92 year old lady.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18328267/

It's happened several times over the years, usually involving drug busts at wrong locations.

[Pathfinder]

Want to really get sick? Check this out.

http://www.cato.org/raidmap/

[PegLeg45]

Dang!
That map is like the one showing sex-offenders on a local area map (you type in your zip code and see where they are).
You never realize what the extent of something is until you see the pin points on the widespread map.