re: Houston Drug dealing attemped cop killers didn’t do anything update:murder charged to cop

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Fr33, I normally back you. But in this case, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Dealing with an armed suspect, whether handgun or long weapon, in an open area among the public is as bad as it gets. The chance of innocent bystanders getting hit versus confronting them in their own residence isn’t worth the risk. What if one of the suspects takes a bystander hostage? The same people here bitching about kicking in doors would criticize the cops for approaching this dangerous individual in the public.

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I suppose there is always that chance, but if only there were such things as unmarked cars and roadblocking driving techniques. Or even swooping in on someone immediately after they leave their vehicle.

Maybe they would be less likely to get the suspect/address wrong if they did it that way.

Or....they could've just knocked on the door after a videotaped buy

Shouldn't this cop be charged with murder? It feels like this meets the murder statute

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Maybe we should stop busting in people's homes for selling a bit of dope. That would make things safer for everyone involved.

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That's a different discussion. If anyone is to blame for that, it's your local legislature. Not the cops. I tend to agree with you, BTW.

In this case, this was a felony level crime. (I understand the likelihood is the facts were misrepresented by the affiant. But his fellow officers didn't know that.) Heroin trafficking isn't exactly a petty sale.

Petty sales don't necessitate SWAT level tactics, either, so I'm not sure what point you were going for. If this had been misdemeanor stuff, HPD wouldn't have been kicking in doors to begin with.

My point is, it's your local and state legislators who establish the law. Police are merely the (at times, imperfect) enforcers of the state's desires.

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It was sketchy as frick from the start

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The day it happened a guy was arguing the Narcs were in the living room with the lady. That's not what the chief said that day.


The video, that was with the article, posted by one of the guys that was defending the cops, didn't make sense. I went to the trouble of making some screen shots, from that video, that day. A TV station, or a newspaper made the video from what the chief said happened.

They said "Upon entry they immediately came under fire." They showed firing blast, but no one in that area, in their video.

Then they said the pit bulls ran out, and the narc with the shotgun shot it,

Then they said the male came from around the corner.

Then the male fired at the guy with the shotgun.

One of the male's bullets hits the shotgun Narc's shoulder.


Next, they said the woman entered the room.

Then the female "Goes for" the downed Narc's shotgun.

Then Narc2, Narc3 and Narc4 shoot the female.

(The people that made the video, say they didn't know the configuration of the house. They obviously didn't know exactly where the Narcs were standing either, because the woman wouldn't have "Gone for the shotgun" knowing three other guys were in the room with guns fixed on her. If they'd identified themselves, the suspects would know there were more guys in the room, and there's no way she, or anyone else, goes into that living room.)

I have more screen shots from the video, but they are just a gunfight. They're the male shooting Narc1, Narc2 and Narc3, after they shot his wife. Narc5, getting shot when he runs into the fray. Plus Narc6, Narc7, Narc8 and Narc9 coming in, and killing the male.

Hopefully, this really is one cop's screw up, and not the whole narcotics squad. Regardless of how many of them were negligent, changes in their procedures need to be made. I definitely don't think the whole department is bad.

How many felony narcotics search warrants have you executed? How many felony traffic stops? What threshold of threat would there have to be before you think police officers are allowed to take extra measures to protect themselves?

I'm not being confrontational. But I don't think a lot of people really put a lot of thought into what goes into police operations.

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But in this case, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Dealing with an armed suspect, whether handgun or long weapon, in an open area among the public is as bad as it gets. The chance of innocent bystanders getting hit versus confronting them in their own residence isn’t worth the risk. What if one of the suspects takes a bystander hostage? The same people here bitching about kicking in doors would criticize the cops for approaching this dangerous individual in the public.

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Unless they live in an isolated residence, isn’t there always a chance of bystanders getting hit?

Basically I’m treating the house like a hardened target where the defender has a distinct advantage.

Put it this way...do you think it’s safer to ambush a suspect when he’s buying cereal at the grocery store? Or when he’s holed up in his home, likely with cameras, with access to superior firepower and a stash of ammo?

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Unless they live in an isolated residence, isn’t there always a chance of bystanders getting hit?

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I understand the hatred for no knocks, but now you are just getting ridiculous. If I have a criminal living next door to me, I'd rather the police take him down in his house then on the street or anywhere else.

There's no good way to do any of this.

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Unless they live in an isolated residence, isn’t there always a chance of bystanders getting hit?

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Probably going to get downvoted to hell for this but I've always just assumed the show of force was the driving factor behind no knock warrants. The whole argument for officer safety and preservation of evidence was does not sit well with me.

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I'm not being confrontational. But I don't think a lot of people really put a lot of thought into what goes into police operations.

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Apparently not much given the number of these "no-knock" warrants the police manage to screw up.