Minn. officers involved in botched raid get medals

[510dat]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080730/ap_on_re_us/botched_raid;_ylt=ApsVeK_yfMqx097TyelMRwhvzwcF

[Josh3239]

I just don't understand how you can raid the wrong house. Wouldn't they check who the homeowner is? Wouldn't they try contact the home owner (either notifying who they were or done discreetly)? Wouldn't they check the address was right (in cases where they hit the wrong house)?

And how the F do they get medals for breaking into someone's house and shooting it up? They should rather be suspended for incompetence at the very least.

[tyrist]

The ones who received the medals are not the ones who made the mistake....Blame the detectives for having a bad informant not the Officers serving the high risk warrant. However I don't think they should have gotten anything other than cleared of any wrong doing and sent back out to work.

[wolf13]

The ones who received the medals are not the ones who made the mistake....Blame the detectives for having a bad informant not the Officers serving the high risk warrant. However I don't think they should have gotten anything other than cleared of any wrong doing and sent back out to work.

I agree. Giving them medals is going to leave a bad taste in someone's mouth. But, you can't blame them for doing their job. Whoever gave the information and then whoever took that without checking should be getting in trouble.

[doctor_vals]

MINNEAPOLIS - 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.

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.

I have some questions:
- civilian shoot through the door and hit LEO (and they are a live because of body armor.) They return fire from CLOSE distance and they missed him????
And I assume at that situation at least 4 of them start shooting and "were not physically injured". It's scare - it is SWAT - elite police unit.
How about regular cop on the street.....

[KTGunner]

It seems like there are no winners in this situation on either side. But I still can't see that it would be a good idea to give the officers medals. Isn't that like giving the finger to the family?

Hats off to the Dad for being the only one who can shoot.... even through a door.

[nobody_special]

Isn't that like giving the finger to the family?

Ya think?

[ZapThyCat]

That's just an outrage to every citizen of the US.

[Knauga]

Come on now, they terrorized that innocent family with great valor!

Granted the SWAT team aren't REALLY the ones that screwed the pooch, but i don't know that this is a medal of valor situation.

[CSACANNONEER]

I sure hope the home owner got one too! He did risk his life to defend his family from a home invasion.

[JDoe]

I sure hope the home owner got one too! He did risk his life to defend his family from a home invasion.

Good point! Maybe the home owner should get a medal of valor from the Second Amendment Foundation or the NRA or the CATO institute or someone.

The swat members can't be blamed for the detectives screw up but they shouldn't receive medals for just doing their job. Yeah sure it's dangerous and all but they knew that when they competed for a place on the swat team.

[pnkssbtz]

They did check the house. The house was the correct house.


Unfortunately for them, the only evidence that it was a house of interest was from a criminal informant.


So, on the word of a criminal informant they busted, they did a no-knock on some random house the guy pointed to.



Scumbags should see prison sentence for their negligence.

[Guntech]

Even if they raided the wrong house LEO's Usually yell "Police" or "Search Warrant" before raiding or when entering a house. So I think I'll stick with the LEO's on this one. What about the firearm used to fire at the LEO's was it legal? I'd like to know the full story. And all you saying that the cops are scum and should get locked up, you guys have never been LEO's. These low life thugs will kill a cop or a innocent civilian like their life is worth nothing, usually just to get into the gang. You all need to think about that before judging these cops because you don't know what you'd do in there situation.

[CSACANNONEER]

Even if they raided the wrong house LEO's Usually yell "Police" or "Search Warrant" before raiding or when entering a house. So I think I'll stick with the LEO's on this one. What about the firearm used to fire at the LEO's was it legal? I'd like to know the full story.

So, crooks never yell "Police" as they break in to an occupied house? Actually, this has become a fairly regular strategy for some home invasion robberies.

[tombinghamthegreat]

What is odd is the fact the father appears to be the only one that can shoot. The cops should be punished for their acts not awarded for their criminal acts.