"Court: Cops Can't Claim Immunity after SWAT team fatally shot man while looking for cocaine".

[IronGate]

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.

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 Norwalk as the two men watched television.
Guizan, who was visiting the home, died after being shot a half dozen times.
The SWAT team raided Terebisi's home because (I'm not kidding) a stripper told police she "had seen a small amount of cocaine in Terebisi's home". A small amount of drugs, but no guns were found in the search after the raid.
The SWAT team was made up of officers from five Connecticut towns-- officials in all five towns claim the "officers did not use excessive force, nor did they violate their constitutional rights".

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/27/court-cops-cant-claim-immunity-after-swat-team-fatally-shot-man-while-looking-for-cocaine/

Good ruling, and maybe this will start putting the brakes on the use of SWAT for minor raids.

[geomon666]

1. Sue for their pensions. n/t

[atreides1]

2. It is a good ruling

But I don't believe it's a start of anything! At best it's the exception to the rule and is unlikely to become a standard...

[Jokerman]

3. You link is broken.

Try this:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/27/court-cops-cant-claim-immunity-after-swat-team-fatally-shot-man-while-looking-for-cocaine/

[IronGate]

4. Thanks, I'll edit my thread. nt.

[Lurks Often]

5. That should give NY, CT & VT police departments pause

although I expect an appeal to SCOTUS.

Since mayors, district attorneys and attorney generals aren't willing to do their job in keeping police from getting out of control, the courts will.

[Orrex]

6. How quickly will the Scalia court overturn this ruling?

Cops uber alles, etc.

[TheKentuckian]

7. Ending the stupid and failed drug war is absolutely critical in reining in the police.

To fail to do so probably makes any and every other action an exercise of pissing into the wind.

Got to get to the violence escalator out of the mix, loosen the grip of organized and gang crime, have to reduce encounters in general particularly ones with the sole purpose of finding something to react to, must restore priority to the rights of the people, get some of the perverse systemic financial incentives, and we sure as hell need to minimize the adversarial relationship between the public and these public servants.