Today, supposedly, a grand jury convenes in Missouri to examine the facts surrounding the death of Michael Brown at the hands of FPD officer Darren Wilson, to determine if an indictable crime has been committed. One talking head on TV even said that hearsay would be permitted there, which if true is nothing less than a travesty.
The grand jury review itself, it would seem, is coming awfully early. The general public does not realize how long it takes to complete a homicide investigation. The toxicology screen on the deceased, which can be a critical factor, may or may not have been completed yet, but to the best of my knowledge such results have not yet been released to the public.
Members of the grand jury will be under tremendous social and political pressure to indict. The state’s own governor has, incredibly, called for “vigorous prosecution.” Damn shame he didn’t have the integrity to call for “vigorous investigation” instead. One should not be convicted before trial in the Governor’s Mansion instead of in a courtroom.
The smell of mob rule is growing stronger, and more fetid.
Also today, Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to be on the ground in Ferguson for investigative purposes. Many pundits expect him to visit with the family of the deceased; certainly, there’s nothing wrong with that.
But I sincerely hope that the AG, our nation’s chief law enforcement officer, will visit the family of the injured officer as well.
U.S. court will not block lawsuits over Connecticut SWAT raid
August 26, 2014 7:39 PM
MILFORD Conn. (Reuters) – A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that Connecticut police cannot claim immunity to quash lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages from a botched 2008 raid by a SWAT team that severely injured a homeowner and killed his friend.
The decision by the U.S. 2nd Court of Appeals in New York clears the way for a judge to decide whether five suburban Connecticut police departments violated the constitutional rights of homeowner Ronald Terebesi by using excessive force.
On May 18, 2008, a heavily armed SWAT – or special weapons and tactics – team unit knocked down Terebesi’s door, threw stun flash grenades into his Easton home and fatally shot 33-year-old Gonzalo Guizan of Norfolk as the two men watched television.
Guizan, who was visiting the home, died after being shot a half dozen times.
“The court ruling here is going to be relied upon in other courts throughout the country,” Gary Mastronardi, a Bridgeport attorney who represents Terebesi, said on Tuesday. “They set up the parameters that define the extent to which qualified immunity can be asserted by police in SWAT cases.”
In a 51-page ruling that upholds a lower court decision, the appeals court said the police responded with unnecessary and inappropriate force and under the circumstances, are not protected by “qualified immunity” from the lawsuits.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that government officials have qualified immunity against civil damages if their conduct does not violate someone’s legal or constitutional rights.
“The plaintiffs presented evidence indicating that all of the defendants understood that the warrant was for a small amount of drugs meant only for personal use. The basis for the officersʹ entry, in other words, was related to an offense that was neither grave nor violent,” the appeals court wrote in a decision released late Monday.
The ruling coincides with a rash of cases in which police have been accused of using excessive force. In Ferguson, Missouri, days of sometimes violent protests have followed the death of an unarmed teenager shot by a police officer.
The Connecticut raid involved officers from the Easton, Monroe, Trumbull, Darien and Wilton police departments.
It followed a claim by an exotic dancer that she had seen a small amount of cocaine in Terebesi’s home. After the raid, police found only a small quantity of drugs and no guns.
The Easton Police Department declined to comment immediately, and representatives of the other four departments could not be reached on Tuesday.
The towns have claimed their SWAT officers did not use excessive force or violate either man’s constitutional rights.
But District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton ruled in 2012 that the departments are responsible because the SWAT team entered the home with undue force and without enough warning.
Prior to the raid, two police officers expressed concern about using force to execute a search warrant on suspicions of drug possession, court records indicate.
Last February, the towns agreed to pay $3.5 million to Guizan’s family to settle their lawsuit.
Terebesi, 50, states in his lawsuit that he was injured when police hit him in the head with a gun. He claims he is suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of the raid, which he says violated his civil rights.
Folks, take it from someone who has worked in this field for decades: out of court settlements are sometimes made to calm public furor ignited by rabble-rousers and don’t in and of themselves indicate admission of wrongdoing.
Patrick and Drake, please let me remind you one last time: the topic of discussion here is the importance of finding out everything that happened in an incident, whether it occurred with a cop or an armed citizen. Cutting and pasting anti-cop rhetoric is better done on blogs where that is appreciated. It is customary to kill threads that go off-topic, and I’d hate to do that here, because apart from the anti-cop spam, some people are contributing very useful comments, such as Chip Bennett’s most recent comment.
If either of you are posting that spam just to irritate me, don’t waste your time: a touch of the delete button, which I really hate to use, instantly soothes such irritation.
Folks, take it from someone who has worked in this field for decades: out of court settlements are sometimes made to calm public furor ignited by rabble-rousers and don’t in and of themselves indicate admission of wrongdoing.
Patrick and Drake, please let me remind you one last time: the topic of discussion here is the importance of finding out everything that happened in an incident, whether it occurred with a cop or an armed citizen. Cutting and pasting anti-cop rhetoric is better done on blogs where that is appreciated. It is customary to kill threads that go off-topic, and I’d hate to do that here, because apart from the anti-cop spam, some people are contributing very useful comments, such as Chip Bennett’s most recent comment.
If either of you are posting that spam just to irritate me, don’t waste your time: a touch of the delete button, which I really hate to use, instantly soothes such irritation.
Folks, take it from someone who has worked in this field for decades: out of court settlements are sometimes made to calm public furor ignited by rabble-rousers and don’t in and of themselves indicate admission of wrongdoing.
Patrick and Drake, please let me remind you one last time: the topic of discussion here is the importance of finding out everything that happened in an incident, whether it occurred with a cop or an armed citizen. Cutting and pasting anti-cop rhetoric is better done on blogs where that is appreciated. It is customary to kill threads that go off-topic, and I’d hate to do that here, because apart from the anti-cop spam, some people are contributing very useful comments, such as Chip Bennett’s most recent comment.
If either of you are posting that spam just to irritate me, don’t waste your time: a touch of the delete button, which I really hate to use, instantly soothes such irritation.
Missouri police sued for $40 million over actions in Ferguson protests.
A group of people caught up in unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white officer killed a black teenager, sued local officials on Thursday, alleging civil rights violations through arrests and police assaults with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Related Stories
Suit claims police brutality at Ferguson protests Associated Press
Missouri takes control of security away from Ferguson police Reuters
Guide to developments in Missouri police shooting Associated Press
Second night of rioting after killing of black Missouri teen Reuters
Police chief says officer in Missouri shooting was injured Reuters
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says law enforcement met a broad public outcry over the Aug. 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown with “militaristic displays of force and weaponry,” (and) engaged U.S. citizens “as if they were war combatants.”
The lawsuit seeks a total of $40 million on behalf of six plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old boy who was with his mother in a fast-food restaurant when they were arrested. Each of the plaintiffs was caught up in interactions with police over a period from Aug. 11 to 13, the suit allege.
Named as defendants are the city of Ferguson, St. Louis County, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Delmar, Ferguson police officer Justin Cosmo, and other unnamed police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County.
Neither the city, county nor police departments had any immediate comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit followed nearly two weeks of racial strife in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where Brown’s killing prompted protesters to take to the streets. Some stores were looted in nightly protests, and police responded with riot gear and moved in military equipment to try to quell the turmoil.
View galleryPolice walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as …
Police walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as they clash with protesters Wednesday, Aug. 13, …
One of the plaintiffs alleges she and her son were in a McDonald’s restaurant when several police officers with rifles ordered them out. According to the suit, an officer threw her to the ground and handcuffed her, with she and her son both arrested.
Another plaintiff alleges he was trying to visit his mother in Ferguson when several police officers in military uniforms in her neighborhood shot him with rubber bullets. When he fell over, he was beaten and sprayed with pepper spray, the lawsuit says.
Two other plaintiffs say they were peacefully protesting when officers in riot gear fired on them with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. A separate plaintiff says he was trying to record footage of the protests when police took his camera and arrested him.
“This is a blatant example of how police handle African-Americans … how it can go terribly, terribly wrong. You have a right to peaceful assembly,” said attorney Reginald Greene who brought the case.
Police have said police officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in an altercation on a residential street when the officer asked him to move out of the road. Some witnesses have reported that Brown was holding his hands up in surrender when he was shot multiple times, including twice in the head.
A St. Louis County grand jury has begun hearing evidence in the case. The U.S. Justice Department has opened its own investigation.
Missouri police sued for $40 million over actions in Ferguson protests.
A group of people caught up in unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white officer killed a black teenager, sued local officials on Thursday, alleging civil rights violations through arrests and police assaults with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Related Stories
Suit claims police brutality at Ferguson protests Associated Press
Missouri takes control of security away from Ferguson police Reuters
Guide to developments in Missouri police shooting Associated Press
Second night of rioting after killing of black Missouri teen Reuters
Police chief says officer in Missouri shooting was injured Reuters
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says law enforcement met a broad public outcry over the Aug. 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown with “militaristic displays of force and weaponry,” (and) engaged U.S. citizens “as if they were war combatants.”
The lawsuit seeks a total of $40 million on behalf of six plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old boy who was with his mother in a fast-food restaurant when they were arrested. Each of the plaintiffs was caught up in interactions with police over a period from Aug. 11 to 13, the suit allege.
Named as defendants are the city of Ferguson, St. Louis County, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Delmar, Ferguson police officer Justin Cosmo, and other unnamed police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County.
Neither the city, county nor police departments had any immediate comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit followed nearly two weeks of racial strife in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where Brown’s killing prompted protesters to take to the streets. Some stores were looted in nightly protests, and police responded with riot gear and moved in military equipment to try to quell the turmoil.
View galleryPolice walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as …
Police walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as they clash with protesters Wednesday, Aug. 13, …
One of the plaintiffs alleges she and her son were in a McDonald’s restaurant when several police officers with rifles ordered them out. According to the suit, an officer threw her to the ground and handcuffed her, with she and her son both arrested.
Another plaintiff alleges he was trying to visit his mother in Ferguson when several police officers in military uniforms in her neighborhood shot him with rubber bullets. When he fell over, he was beaten and sprayed with pepper spray, the lawsuit says.
Two other plaintiffs say they were peacefully protesting when officers in riot gear fired on them with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. A separate plaintiff says he was trying to record footage of the protests when police took his camera and arrested him.
“This is a blatant example of how police handle African-Americans … how it can go terribly, terribly wrong. You have a right to peaceful assembly,” said attorney Reginald Greene who brought the case.
Police have said police officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in an altercation on a residential street when the officer asked him to move out of the road. Some witnesses have reported that Brown was holding his hands up in surrender when he was shot multiple times, including twice in the head.
A St. Louis County grand jury has begun hearing evidence in the case. The U.S. Justice Department has opened its own investigation.
Missouri police sued for $40 million over actions in Ferguson protests.
A group of people caught up in unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white officer killed a black teenager, sued local officials on Thursday, alleging civil rights violations through arrests and police assaults with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Related Stories
Suit claims police brutality at Ferguson protests Associated Press
Missouri takes control of security away from Ferguson police Reuters
Guide to developments in Missouri police shooting Associated Press
Second night of rioting after killing of black Missouri teen Reuters
Police chief says officer in Missouri shooting was injured Reuters
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says law enforcement met a broad public outcry over the Aug. 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown with “militaristic displays of force and weaponry,” (and) engaged U.S. citizens “as if they were war combatants.”
The lawsuit seeks a total of $40 million on behalf of six plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old boy who was with his mother in a fast-food restaurant when they were arrested. Each of the plaintiffs was caught up in interactions with police over a period from Aug. 11 to 13, the suit allege.
Named as defendants are the city of Ferguson, St. Louis County, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Delmar, Ferguson police officer Justin Cosmo, and other unnamed police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County.
Neither the city, county nor police departments had any immediate comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit followed nearly two weeks of racial strife in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where Brown’s killing prompted protesters to take to the streets. Some stores were looted in nightly protests, and police responded with riot gear and moved in military equipment to try to quell the turmoil.
View galleryPolice walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as …
Police walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as they clash with protesters Wednesday, Aug. 13, …
One of the plaintiffs alleges she and her son were in a McDonald’s restaurant when several police officers with rifles ordered them out. According to the suit, an officer threw her to the ground and handcuffed her, with she and her son both arrested.
Another plaintiff alleges he was trying to visit his mother in Ferguson when several police officers in military uniforms in her neighborhood shot him with rubber bullets. When he fell over, he was beaten and sprayed with pepper spray, the lawsuit says.
Two other plaintiffs say they were peacefully protesting when officers in riot gear fired on them with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. A separate plaintiff says he was trying to record footage of the protests when police took his camera and arrested him.
“This is a blatant example of how police handle African-Americans … how it can go terribly, terribly wrong. You have a right to peaceful assembly,” said attorney Reginald Greene who brought the case.
Police have said police officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in an altercation on a residential street when the officer asked him to move out of the road. Some witnesses have reported that Brown was holding his hands up in surrender when he was shot multiple times, including twice in the head.
A St. Louis County grand jury has begun hearing evidence in the case. The U.S. Justice Department has opened its own investigation.
Missouri police sued for $40 million over actions in Ferguson protests.
A group of people caught up in unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white officer killed a black teenager, sued local officials on Thursday, alleging civil rights violations through arrests and police assaults with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Related Stories
Suit claims police brutality at Ferguson protests Associated Press
Missouri takes control of security away from Ferguson police Reuters
Guide to developments in Missouri police shooting Associated Press
Second night of rioting after killing of black Missouri teen Reuters
Police chief says officer in Missouri shooting was injured Reuters
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says law enforcement met a broad public outcry over the Aug. 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown with “militaristic displays of force and weaponry,” (and) engaged U.S. citizens “as if they were war combatants.”
The lawsuit seeks a total of $40 million on behalf of six plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old boy who was with his mother in a fast-food restaurant when they were arrested. Each of the plaintiffs was caught up in interactions with police over a period from Aug. 11 to 13, the suit allege.
Named as defendants are the city of Ferguson, St. Louis County, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Delmar, Ferguson police officer Justin Cosmo, and other unnamed police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County.
Neither the city, county nor police departments had any immediate comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit followed nearly two weeks of racial strife in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where Brown’s killing prompted protesters to take to the streets. Some stores were looted in nightly protests, and police responded with riot gear and moved in military equipment to try to quell the turmoil.
View galleryPolice walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as …
Police walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as they clash with protesters Wednesday, Aug. 13, …
One of the plaintiffs alleges she and her son were in a McDonald’s restaurant when several police officers with rifles ordered them out. According to the suit, an officer threw her to the ground and handcuffed her, with she and her son both arrested.
Another plaintiff alleges he was trying to visit his mother in Ferguson when several police officers in military uniforms in her neighborhood shot him with rubber bullets. When he fell over, he was beaten and sprayed with pepper spray, the lawsuit says.
Two other plaintiffs say they were peacefully protesting when officers in riot gear fired on them with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. A separate plaintiff says he was trying to record footage of the protests when police took his camera and arrested him.
“This is a blatant example of how police handle African-Americans … how it can go terribly, terribly wrong. You have a right to peaceful assembly,” said attorney Reginald Greene who brought the case.
Police have said police officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in an altercation on a residential street when the officer asked him to move out of the road. Some witnesses have reported that Brown was holding his hands up in surrender when he was shot multiple times, including twice in the head.
A St. Louis County grand jury has begun hearing evidence in the case. The U.S. Justice Department has opened its own investigation.
Missouri police sued for $40 million over actions in Ferguson protests.
A group of people caught up in unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white officer killed a black teenager, sued local officials on Thursday, alleging civil rights violations through arrests and police assaults with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Related Stories
Suit claims police brutality at Ferguson protests Associated Press
Missouri takes control of security away from Ferguson police Reuters
Guide to developments in Missouri police shooting Associated Press
Second night of rioting after killing of black Missouri teen Reuters
Police chief says officer in Missouri shooting was injured Reuters
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says law enforcement met a broad public outcry over the Aug. 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown with “militaristic displays of force and weaponry,” (and) engaged U.S. citizens “as if they were war combatants.”
The lawsuit seeks a total of $40 million on behalf of six plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old boy who was with his mother in a fast-food restaurant when they were arrested. Each of the plaintiffs was caught up in interactions with police over a period from Aug. 11 to 13, the suit allege.
Named as defendants are the city of Ferguson, St. Louis County, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Delmar, Ferguson police officer Justin Cosmo, and other unnamed police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County.
Neither the city, county nor police departments had any immediate comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit followed nearly two weeks of racial strife in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where Brown’s killing prompted protesters to take to the streets. Some stores were looted in nightly protests, and police responded with riot gear and moved in military equipment to try to quell the turmoil.
View galleryPolice walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as …
Police walk through a cloud of smoke and tear gas as they clash with protesters Wednesday, Aug. 13, …
One of the plaintiffs alleges she and her son were in a McDonald’s restaurant when several police officers with rifles ordered them out. According to the suit, an officer threw her to the ground and handcuffed her, with she and her son both arrested.
Another plaintiff alleges he was trying to visit his mother in Ferguson when several police officers in military uniforms in her neighborhood shot him with rubber bullets. When he fell over, he was beaten and sprayed with pepper spray, the lawsuit says.
Two other plaintiffs say they were peacefully protesting when officers in riot gear fired on them with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. A separate plaintiff says he was trying to record footage of the protests when police took his camera and arrested him.
“This is a blatant example of how police handle African-Americans … how it can go terribly, terribly wrong. You have a right to peaceful assembly,” said attorney Reginald Greene who brought the case.
Police have said police officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in an altercation on a residential street when the officer asked him to move out of the road. Some witnesses have reported that Brown was holding his hands up in surrender when he was shot multiple times, including twice in the head.
A St. Louis County grand jury has begun hearing evidence in the case. The U.S. Justice Department has opened its own investigation.
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