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View Full Version : This guy got lucky



buffalobo
10-02-2018, 11:51
https://www.alloutdoor.com/2018/09/25/no-charges-man-mistakenly-shot-2-cops/

SEP 25, 2018

NO CHARGES FOR MAN WHO MISTAKENLY SHOT 2 COPS

When police in Maryland went to the wrong address to serve a search warrant, they reportedly broke in the front door. Jolted awake by the sound of his home’s door being destroyed, the resident responded by firing a shotgun blast as the door opened. His main concern was protecting his daughter from harm.

As the door swung wide, he realized that his home was being invaded by police, so he dropped his shotgun and began shouting to the officers.

He immediately drops that weapon, he immediately goes to the window and starts communicating, ‘you got the wrong address, don’t shoot my daughter, don’t shoot my daughter.’ [Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski]

Thankfully, police accepted his surrender rather than killing him, although one officer did fire one shot at the resident.

Two officers had been hit by the shotgun blast; one in the shoulder and the other in the hand. The homeowner was understandably concerned about the officers he’d hit.

What the community needs to know is that this man was devastated when he realized that he had fired upon police officers, and he was as worried about their safety once he realized that had happened, as he was worried about the safety of his own daughter.

Chief Stawinski announced there would be no criminal charges against the homeowner.

Stawinski apologized for the error and said he has halted executing search warrants until the department reviews its procedures, news outlets reported.

This is a good thing. Search warrants are so often executed in such a militaristic invasion manner, destroying private property in the process, that it’s a wonder this doesn’t happen more often.

The individual that we are targeting does not live at that address … a law-abiding, hard-working citizen of Prince George’s County and his daughter were home at the point where we were executing that search warrant. He did not know there were police officers attempting to enter his apartment. That individual acted to protect himself and his daughter from what he believed to be a threat of home invasion.

It would be inappropriate to hold this gentleman criminally responsible for his actions.

Quite right, Chief. And will you be paying to repair his front door?

DenverGP
10-02-2018, 11:53
screw repairing the front door, I'd be moving to another town/state.

BushMasterBoy
10-02-2018, 12:50
Sometimes a simple phone call would solve everything. I have a landline registered with the sheriff. I actually have 4 telephones. The sheriff has called a few times. It was very helpful. I think you can even register a cellphone with your local law enforcement agency. Sad they got shot and probably now have a disability. Being disabled really sucks.

Wulf202
10-02-2018, 13:32
So the solution to police over reaching is registration?

BushMasterBoy
10-02-2018, 16:54
I don't know what the answer is your question. Here is another take from the media. Looking for a drug dealer supposedly. I could understand kicking down the door because an Al Qaeda operative had bomb. But a drug dealer? I just hope the local sheriff calls me on the phone, before they decide kick down the door. That's all I'm saying.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-prince-georges-police-officers-shot-after-bursting-into-wrong-home-0921-story.html

ray1970
10-02-2018, 17:05
Wasn’t there to make an accurate assessment but wouldn’t identifying your target before firing be a good idea? I would guess he officers executing a warrant were likely in uniform or at least wearing one of those cool vests that says “police” on the front in big letters.

00tec
10-02-2018, 17:48
Wasn’t there to make an accurate assessment but wouldn’t identifying your target before firing be a good idea? I would guess he officers executing a warrant were likely in uniform or at least wearing one of those cool vests that says “police” on the front in big letters.

I dont think that him waiting to ID them, and in turn, allowing them to ID him (pointing a shotgun at police) would have worked out well. An innocent man would likely be dead in his own home.

Bust in my door and I fully reserve the right to shoot through it.

I dont think that people with guns entering a house with guns and a vest you can buy on amazon is a real positive ID either.

Irving
10-02-2018, 18:50
This guy getting lucky is the understatement of the year for us, and a lifetime for him.

Gman
10-02-2018, 19:35
Happy nobody died in that situation. You'd think more care would be taken to not endanger the lives of your citizenry or your officers.

CS1983
10-02-2018, 19:36
PID is simply PID of a threat, not their eyelash color. It’s life, not a hunting situation.

Someone busting down your door = threat = engage.

izzy
10-02-2018, 20:24
I've had someone kick down my door in a home invasion. Believe me when I say you don't have time to think about who it is. If you're a law abiding citizen you'll have no reason to suspect that it's the police.

BushMasterBoy
10-02-2018, 20:33
Reminds me of WMD claim and invading Iraq. Really bad information provided. If I was a chief of an agency, I would make everybody employed there read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Chapter 13 is really important.

Bailey Guns
10-02-2018, 20:34
This is a pretty amazing story...on a lot of levels. The most amazing thing is that he wasn't shot. Thankfully the homeowner, and most of the officers, had the presence of mind to immediately recognize what was happening and that something had gone terribly wrong. A lot of restraint shown by officers (luckily for them) and a lot of excellent communication by the homeowner.

What a FUBAR situation.

cstone
10-02-2018, 23:11
We bought doors and replaced them if we broke them. Some departments contract the work and others do the work in house.

Replacing doors is much cheaper than having an officer on site securing the property.

PG County today is what DC was 20 years ago. PG County PD had quite the reputation when I lived in the area. I'm sure having the DoJ observing them with a microscope for the past 20 years has had some impact on their activities. My personal favorite was years ago some of PG County's finest didn't have time to wait around at the county line to turn over someone wanted in next door Montgomery County, so they did what any enterprising officer would do. They cuffed him to a light post on the county line and let dispatch pass along the location for the Montgomery County officers to come pick him up. Then there were the PG County K9 officers who seriously stated that they let a K9 bite a bystander because the dog was in need of some on the job training. [hahhah-no]

This gentleman was extremely lucky. No telling how the story would be told if he was dead. If I were him, I would buy a lottery ticket just to see how much luck he has left over.

Jeffrey Lebowski
10-03-2018, 05:40
No one pointed out that he did exactly what Joe Biden suggested?

I feel bad for the situation. I’m not at all in LE, so I have no idea how this could have been avoided, but I certainly understand wanting to protect your daughter.

10x
10-03-2018, 13:54
Both the homeowner and the police are very fortunate no one was killed. Scary situation for the innocent.