Police raid wrong house, hold circuit court judge at gunpoint

[Arnold]

Police raid wrong house, hold circuit court judge at gunpoint

(NaturalNews) The dynamics between the boys in blue and the African American Community were thrust into the spotlight again in South Florida. The incident originated from a concerned neighbor that called 911 to report a burglar at 235 Southwest 4th street. The problem? There was no such address, the responding officers had to choose between 236 and 230 Southwest 4th street.

Instead of contacting dispatch to get a confirmation on location, to determine the number of suspects, the police charged on full speed ahead, guns drawn, with the constitutional rights of anyone in their way be damned. Which begs the question- would the same procedure have been followed in a predominately wealthy Caucasian area?

The coup d'etat is that this would have been just another sad story where an African - American family was illegally harassed and bullied by police under the guise of "looking for an offender". But this time a Broward County Circuit Judge- Ilona Holmes - was also inside, enjoying some down time with her loved ones - bringing a new element to this story.

All over the country, whether they are young, old, or disabled, African Americans are frequent victims of murder at the hands of officers - the 2003 Chicago shooting of a paraplegic http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/... ; the 2006 shooting of an elderly woman in Atlanta Daily News in Atlanta, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Barrow, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb County, Coweta, Fayette, Forsyth, Hall, Henry, Rockdale, Walker and Walton County - WSB-TV... the shooting of an 80 year old man in Jacksonville The Speakeasy Blog | StoptheDrugWar.org... and the 2010 shooting of a 7 year old girl.

How do you mistake a family wrapping up an Easter Sunday dinner for a potential burglar? The African American community and even those outside the community, are getting sick of the whole "we are just trying to make it home alive" excuse. We all are trying to make it home alive, we are all trying to live our lives, without the fear of police breaking into our house and shooting us "by mistake". Are the lives of officers more important than the lives of the citizens they have sworn to protect?

How easy would it have been for the officers to radio back dispatch and get a confirmation on the address? After all they were there in between the homes, the burglar would have been pretty much contained right? Maybe because of this confusion and the involvement of a prominent Broward County judge these questions will begin to be answered.

 

[DOMS]

Instead of contacting dispatch to get a confirmation on location, to determine the number of suspects, the police charged on full speed ahead, guns drawn, with the constitutional rights of anyone in their way be damned. Which begs the question- would the same procedure have been followed in a predominately wealthy Caucasian area?

So, a circuit judge lives in a run down neighborhood? Really?

According to figures provided by the US Courts, pay for federal judges depends on the level at which the judge is employed. District court judges, the trial level in the federal system, earned $174,000 in 2010, the same as a member of the U.S. House or Senate. Circuit judges made $184,500.

The coup d'etat is that this would have been just another sad story where an African - American family was illegally harassed and bullied by police under the guise of "looking for an offender".

Don't blame stupidity when it gives you a chance to pull the race card.

The solution? Shoot more, not less.

 

[Realist]

Racism and stupidity pretty much go hand and hand.

 

[TJTJ]

Who said it was her house? Maybe she was visiting family. Here in So.Fla a lot of families have risen out of the ghetto's to a greater livelihood through education and determination. I live in So.Fla and see this a lot and Im white. I dont even feel safe. They dont care who you are. I no longer feel that I live in a free country. I feel as though we are all viewed as enemies of the state until we are able to prove it.

Its like the Gestapo. I need papers, I need to explain where m going, where Im coming from. Shit they even have cameras on all the streets now.

DONT TREAD ON ME! This isnt Judge Dread you know. YOU ARE NOT THE LAW!



Good post Prince!

 

[Arnold]

So, a circuit judge lives in a run down neighborhood? Really?

is that not possible? maybe despite a decent salary he has been an idiot with his personal finances, who knows, or maybe he has ex-wives that he has to pay alimony to, maybe he went bankrupt and has no credit... there are numerous possibilities why someone that makes good money may not live the way other might expect them to.

 

[DOMS]

Who said it was her house?

And whose to say she wasn't riding a unicorn or breaking the First Law of Thermodynamics?

 

[TJTJ]

And whose to say she wasn't riding a unicorn or breaking the First Law of Thermodynamics?

Fabricated illusions.

 

[Arnold]

I saw a unicorn once.

 

[irish_2003]

so what this tells me is not only make sure YOUR house is clean of contraband, but also do a sweep of neighbors houses!!!

 

[TJTJ]

Im building a fence around my house. they can't come in w/o a warrant.

I was a a buddies house and it was like around x-mas and new years, we were drinking and had a bonfire going and grillin. The cops said they got noise complaints, TWICE, they came. BS we were using a hand held boom box. He asked it he could come in. The owner said no LOL. Piss off copper!

Talk about Home Base!

 

[Little Wing]

it reads as if it was not the judge's home but she just happened to be inside with loved ones. i think this is one of the best oops moments ever.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti says he regrets a weekend incident in which his deputies got into a tense confrontation with an armed judge.
Lamberti issued the apology Friday regarding the incident with Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes on Easter Sunday at her sister's Deerfield Beach home.
Lamberti says deputies were responding to a burglary-in-progress call but were given incorrect address information by the caller. They surrounded the house where Holmes' family was having Easter dinner.
A police report says Holmes came outside, identified herself as a judge and told deputies she was armed with a revolver. She initially refused orders to put the gun down but eventually did.
Lamberti says the incident is being reviewed to see if proper procedures were followed.

Read more: Broward sheriff issues apology over judge incident - Florida Wires - MiamiHerald.com
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[maxpro2]

I agree that this is really fucked up. Let's get the facts from both sides.

According to Here comes the judge, packin??? a pistol - Broward - MiamiHerald.com

The misadventure began when neighbor, Nikeya Curry called 911 shortly before 8:30 p.m. Sunday saying she thought burglars were inside a home at 235 SW Fourth St. When uniformed deputies arrived, they parked their squad cars down the street. They realized the address they had been given didn’t exist. They went to Curry’s house. The BSO report said Curry pointed at Carmita and Neville Scarlett’s home several times, telling deputies it was supposed to be empty, and that she had seen lights flicker on and off.

Curry, who knew where the Scarletts live, and had their phone number, also called them to let them know a burglar may be loose and the cops were there.

Carmita Scarlett said she lowered the shade, closed the kitchen window and even put on the house floodlights to help officers in their search.

Those actions only made deputies on the scene suspicious. After seeing a man in the kitchen through a window, they knocked on a side door, with guns drawn. They said they announced themselves and asked the occupants to come to the door. When the family did not respond immediately, the deputies ordered everyone out of the house with their hands up, the report said.

That’s not quite the way Carmita Scarlett describes events. She said she was in a bedroom when a knock on her window startled her. All she could see, she said, was a flashlight and a gun pointed at her.

“I thought there’s a man with a gun and he’s going to shoot me!” Scarlett said.

Not seeing them clearing, and fearing the cops actually were burglars, Holmes pulled out her gun.

BSO deputies were pounding on the side door by this time, but Scarlett said she did hesitate, thinking it odd that they wouldn’t be at her front door.

Everyone walked out, with Holmes saying, “I’m Judge Holmes! I’m Judge Holmes!’’ she announced. “I’m armed, I’m armed!’’

Following deputies’ orders, Holmes gently put her gun down. She and other family members were ordered to the ground.

That, they would not do, according to the police report.

“There was no way I was going to sit on the ground,’’ Holmes declared, saying she had a bad back. “You’d have to shoot me to get me to sit on the ground tonight,’’ the report said.

Meanwhile, Carmita Scarlett was hyperventilating and crying.

“Why are you at my house?” she yelled.

She said at least two other neighbors showed up, telling deputies they were at the wrong house, Scarlett said.

Holmes, appointed to the county bench in 1995, could not be reached Thursday. She did hire an attorney, former U. S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, to handle inquiries and to follow up with BSO.

He issued a statement: “Judge Ilona Holmes is focusing on her important judicial responsibility. I have, on her behalf, been in contact with the General Counsel for the Broward Sheriff’s Office and have communicated our concerns about the recent incident. We have been assured that the matter will be appropriately reviewed.’’

The deputies followed standard protocol for the situation, said BSO spokesman Jim Leljedal.

“It is regrettable that the family was startled and inconvenienced,’’ Leljedal said Thursday. “I hope they understand we were responding to what we thought was a crime in progress.’’

Through it all, her sister remained composed, Scarlett said.

“They were in supercop mode, but she is a calm person,’’ Scarlett said. “After placing her gun down, she went to lay down her phone. They shouted at her to step away from the gun. She told them to calm down, it was just her cell phone.’’

 

[antisocialcreep]

Racism and stupidity pretty much go hand and hand.

what the fuck does that even mean? is that out of some p.c. liberal handbook?