Comments on That Cop who Killed the Unarmed Woman on Her Knees and Shot Her One-Year-Old Baby

What does it take to get convicted? If this doesn't do it, nothing will.
If there is no faith in the law, is a shooting war next?

I agree that the drug raids should be curtailed. But how awful of that woman to subject her one-year-old to a house of pit bulls, drugs, and a shack-up boyfriend.

Same thing happened in Everett in 1992. Robin Pratt was shot in the neck by a police officer while she was lying on the ground during a no knock raid. She was then handcuffed where she bled to death in front of her daughter and niece. No drugs were found in her house and she was unarmed.

The murderer, SWAT team member Anthony Aston, was never charged.

Looking at the CATO no knock raid map (http://www.cato.org/raidmap/), there appear to be two other incidents in this area, in 1988 were Seattle police shot a man holding a remote control during a no knock raid (no criminal charges and civil lawsuit failed), and in 1994 were a Federal Way man was shot by police for holding a gun (though his fingerprints weren't found on the gun).

The only reason you care about the people involved in this story is because it was a drug raid.

#4: You are out of your freaking mind. I care about these people because they could be me or my daughters or my neighbors or my friends. The fucked up thing about these raids that that they are basically random. All it takes is one pressured informer making shit up, and boom, the cops are breaking down _my_ door, shooting me.

Gomez, it could be you too. Doesn't that scare you?

Only until they shoot Paris Hilton and the Mayor of LA in a no-knock drug raid will this change.

So long as it's the other 99.9 percent of us, they'll keep this up.

It's official, I now hate all police officers. Fucking pigs, every last one.

Dominic,
I'm with #2 on this one. I just finished reading the story on the NYT website before coming across your comments on the Slog. Unfortunate for all around. The very last sentence in the article says her boyfriend was arrested for suspected drug dealing. How about holding the boyfriend somewhat accountable? The mother perhaps, for some bad decisions regarding her consort(?). It also doesn't look good that Rev. Jesse Jackson was on the scene as well. This possibly gives Ohioans (Ohio is a battleground state) of all stripes an impression of intractable problems concerning, drugs, the African-American community, drug raids and the police. It is not a stretch to say that this story affects the Obama campaign more negatively.

Who the hell let Gomez out of the asylum? Assuming his comments offer a window into his mental state it won't be long 'til he's back there.

This is a sad sick story that just offers further proof, as if any was needed, that there is simply no justice for the poor and the powerless in this country.

Dominic: has any prosecutor ever attempted to indict the commanding officer who
a. ordered the raid without first confirming the accuracy of the target
b. actually ran the raid & chose dispropotionate force as a method?

@2&8 Does that mean she deserved to die?

This story makes me sick.

@11: Of course not.

Unfortunately, in cases like these, the only justice the victims families might get is in civil court. Too bad this didn't happen when a Democrat was in the White House because the Justice Department may charge the cop for violating her civil rights.

What I read stated that the boyfriend PURPOSELY let the two dogs loose on the cop to attack him. If this is the case that guy helped set this tragedy in motion and has a lot of the blame too.

Say, has anyone set up a travel/vacation itinerary for people who'd like to visit a town like this and get to watch this cop eat lunch or go to church or something? I heard about a travel agency that visits Superfund sites... and this seems comparably entertaining. I'd have liked to have gone to SF to see the big cat that killed that guy there, too... but of course they shot the cat, didn't they? (well, that cat shouldn't have been living there, ion the first place... bad neighborhood- and a bad decision on its part to be associated with such a place... but I'd still have gone- just the unquiet voyeur in me, I guess...) ^..^

all cops are criminals; judges are lookouts

But you do, Dominic. The Appeal to Emotion belies your agenda.

This is too sad. There is so much going on here, it's scary! First, the mother was probably huddled with all her kids in that room because she was terrified for her and their lives. Second, she and her children don't deserve to die just because she lives with a drug dealer. Did you even stop to think that maybe she couldn't get away from him? Drug dealers are known to be heavily armed and paranoid. How was she to get out of the house without "scaring" someone once the officers arrived?
Don't you realize this can happen to YOU (of any race) even if you don't live in a drug house but Law Enforcement mistakenly thinks you do? So we're "back" to "Shoot first, ask questions later." huh? NO! Police officers SWEAR to protect and serve us, and YES, even put their lives on the line for those who are not a known threat, not guilty of crime they are trying to stop, and not suspect they are pursuing; or who are being attacked by someone and can't defend themselves, etc, etc. That also is very sad, but true. Nonetheless, they shouldn't just get to do the job they want and get paid for it. Besides, WE are the ones that pay them.
Another thing is officers spend a good portion of their careers in court so they are trained for it and very used to it and testifying, whereas the common civilian is not.
We are definitely becoming a police state in America, especially since 2000. I am just very sorry for that mama dying and her baby being shot and extend my condolences to the family. BUT...I am also sorry for the officer and his soul because I can't imagine he is happy he shot the woman and a baby at the end of his career almost too. Otherwise he is guilty of MUCH more than that for which he was acquitted.
I could go on and on there is so much to all this, but I'll stop here. But...believe me, it's not just about race, it's about money, power, corruption – you know the quote. Think, think, think before you comment on these things. By the way, I am white and am pro-human: which includes civilians and officers. Whoever and wherever God is, Bless America, because we really need it.