Full credit to Harper's Magazine (for text and title) for this item from their August 2020 issue:
From a 2017 complaint filed by David and Gretchen Jessen against Fresno County and the city of Clovis, California, for damages incurred during a police raid on their home. In June 2016, construction workers called the police after they witnessed a homeless man break into the Jessens’ house. The Jessens returned to find their home surrounded by law enforcement. The Jessens argue that damage to their home was “unreasonable and unjustified.” In April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Fresno County and the city of Clovis.The Clovis Police Department and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deployed the following:Fifty-five vehiclesA K-9 unitTwo helicoptersTwo ambulancesA fire truckA crisis negotiation team in a motor homeA SWAT teamA backup SWAT teamA robotLaw enforcement officers did the following to the Jessens’ home:Broke six windowsRipped out the front door and an interior doorPulled an office wall off the foundationUsed a flash bomb in the officeRipped off the door to the laundry roomUsed a flash bomb in the laundry roomTeargassed the laundry roomTeargassed the kitchenTeargassed the master bathroomTeargassed the guest bedroomTeargassed the office bathroomTeargassed the sewing roomDestroyed more than ninety feet of fencing with a SWAT vehicleShattered a sliding glass door for robot entryThe homeless man did the following:Broke a windowStole milk, an ice cream bar, and half a tomato
there is no justice ~
ReplyDeleteDid the Jensen's insurance pick up any of the repairs? I couldn't find anything about even if their house got repaired.
ReplyDeletePresumably taxpayer money:
Delete"Several hours later, deputies told him he could go back home. On the way there, Jessen counted at least 55 law enforcement vehicles. After parking and walking to his house, a SWAT officer told him the “operation” was concluded, and a second officer handed him a card and said “‘we have insurance for this.’”
This is so awful it verges on hilarious... like some skit where the 3 Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Brothers and a barrel of monkeys came to the rescue.
ReplyDeleteBUT THEY DIDN'T MURDER ANYONE THIS TIME !
ReplyDeletemust have been a sunny day and everyone wanted to go outside and then this call came in
ReplyDelete"Hey, guys, here's a great chance to practice with all these cool toys and stuff! It'll be just like "cops and robbers" or "cowboys and Indians." I mean, when are we ever going to get to try out all this weaponry if we don't get started?"
ReplyDeleteAnd that was needed was one or two cops having a friendly chat with the homeless person about why he was stealing and if they could help him find food, shelter and perhaps mental care.
ReplyDeleteDefund the police.
If you give someone only a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
If you militarize the police, everybody looks like an enemy.