Target practice for Prince George's police
By Rob Tornoe
You've probably already heard about the incident involving the Prince George's county police department raiding the home of Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo, shooting and killing his two dogs after he brought in a 32-pound package of marijuana that had been delivered to his doorstep.
Sgt. Mario Ellis, a Sheriff's Office spokesman and Prince George's police told the Washington Post they were sorry that the mayor's dogs were killed. But they defended the way the raid was carried out, saying it was proper for a case involving such a large amount of drugs.
He said the deputies who entered Calvo's home "apparently felt threatened" by the dogs, even though the mayor's mother-in-law claims they shot one of the dogs as it ran away.
Most telling was a quote from the mayor, in which he was treated guilty until proven innocent.
"My government blew through my doors and killed my dogs," Calvo said. "They thought we were drug dealers, and we were treated as such. I don't think they really ever considered that we weren't."
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- Oct 23 2008
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One of the dogs was running
One of the dogs was running away from the SWAT team too. The sheriff’s department response was arrogant and implied that they could kill any dog they wanted to and that the citizens should be happy that they don’t. Until the state takes care of this county, I will not even travel to MD. I hope their property values plummit until something is done to take care of their corruption. This isn’t the only foul play that this sheriff’s department has been involved in. Two delivery men were shot by a cop of the same department and one man who was a suspect in a crime was strangled to death while in jail. They suck.
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Submited by : Recetas
Approach with caution
If I were the Mayor Calvo, I'd instruct my police to ticket each SWAT officer every time they enter his town for a moving violation, whether or not they are in an official Prince George County police car. I'd also order them to advance on the "suspect's" car as if they are armed felons, knowing that the "suspect" is armed and proven to be dangerous to dogs and other innocent creatures (including people).
In fact, I'd order my police to stop every sheriff's patrol vehicle for a "safety inspection" even if they aren't committing a traffic infraction. And approach said sheriff's squad car "with caution."
And I'd extend the practice to their individual, personal, vehicles and immediate families as well.
Cannons to SWAT flies
Those of us who are old enough to remember how the concept of police SWAT teams were sold to the public will recall that they were sold as emergency specialists, reserved for the apprehension of hostage-holding madmen and other dangerous criminals who were well armed and barricaded.
Three weeks ago, Dayton, Ohio treated the entire United States to the bathetic image of an elite SWAT team assaulting a motel room to apprehend a man suspected of snatching a purse from a shopping cart. 50 years ago, this was the sort of task that we would have seen routinely handled by Sheriff Andy Taylor, probably even without the backup of Deputy Barney Fife.
Now we have the Calvo case. 50 years ago, this was the sort of incident we saw taking place in Mao's China!
When did we as Americans agree to the all-out militarization of our domestic peace forces? When are we going to get up enough backbone to say, "no more"?
Good cartoon
But I hope you're planning to stay away from PG (BANG! BANG! STOP, OR I'LL SHOOT!) County for a while. Otherwise you might be the first man to survive 90 straight seconds on the TASER.
pressure
It sends a strong message to all other mayors, council members, and voters in every other city in America:
-- Your family isn't safe from SWAT.
Police Raid
All the cops involved in this terrible raid should be fired and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!!
re: murdered dogs
I hope he gets enough political capital to end this rediculous war on drugs.
From the actual Prince
From the actual Prince George County Website
http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Prince_George_Police_Love_Dogs
murdered dogs
I hope this mayor gets enough political capital to fire every last one of these cops.. Along w/ the upper management in the police force.. This looks like a police hit because i work for a municipality.. In any area everyone knows cops down to the street crews where the mayor and the town council live... Never could someone make that mistake unless on purpose... I hope they get found guilty of validating his civil rights... I hope they loose there houses and there families suffer with them from a civil suit... In some towns the police have crossed the line and become hit squads when contract negotiations don't go there way...
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