Guerena’s neighbors corroborate wife’s account
On one of my previous posts, I speculated if neighbors heard the sirens that the Pima County SWAT claims they used to approach Jose Guerena’s home. I also wondered if the high volume of gun fire resulted in stray rounds striking neighbors’ homes. The answer to both questions seems to be ‘yes’.
A neighbor who heard the shooting corroborates the wife’s account, “The only sirens I heard out here were like maybe 20-30 minutes into the entire ordeal,” said David Watson.
Watson is very familiar with gunfire and stressful situations; he’s a Vietnam combat veteran, “I want to make this as clear as possible: you only heard the announcements after you heard the gunfire?” asked KGUN9 reporter Joel Waldman. Watson quickly answered, “Yes!”
Raising questions about this assertion: “This was not a “no knock” warrant. We come in very high profile with lights and sirens. We go to the door. We pound on the door. We wait 15 seconds, and, then, we breach the door with a heavy tool and open the door,” explained O’Connor.
Today, KGUN9 also learned SWAT Guerena’s neighbor’s house. “When I came home, the whole house was searched. All the doors were open. And, (our house) was searched through; it was like an invasion of privacy,” said Carissa Franco.
SWAT says it was concerned about a hole in the Franco’s home, worried someone else could’ve been wounded. So, it said it did what they needed to get inside.
So police are now authorized to enter and search your home as long as they shoot into it first? I don’t remember that part of the Fourth Amendment.
Sheriff Dupnik won’t release any more information on the case his office announced yesterday;
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will release no more information about the circumstances surrounding the killing of Jose Guerena during the serving of a search warrant by the department’s SWAT officers May 5 at his home.
Two weeks after the shooting the department has yet to disclose exactly what they were searching for in the Guerena home as well as three other residences in the area that were subjects of a drug investigation. Court documents that show what officers were searching for in the case have been sealed and what was seized as evidence has also been sealed.
You may remember when questions arose from the department’s dealings with Jarod Loughner, the shooter in the Tucson parking lot incident, they immediately sealed all of the records on that case, too. I guess they figure that they’ll seal the records up until the furor dies down and everyone forgets.
The Drexel Heights Fire Department released the tapes of Vanessa’s call to 911;
Category: Legal
This whole thing is like a dead fish. The longer it’s around and the closer one gets, the more it stinks.
Sparky; couldn’t agree more. Of course, we all knew the bullshit about coming in with sirens on was a lie to begin with. I wonder if people, who knowingly lie for the police, can be charged with obstruction of justice? If they can, Lt. O’Connor is one who needs to spend some time in the jug.
Dupnik isn’t talking anymore? Huh.
He seemed awful eager to step in front of every camera in a 2 mile radius to push his anti-gun views and blame conservatives when Rep. Giffords was shot.
“I guess they figure that they’ll seal the records up until the furor dies down and everyone forgets.”
I’ll forget when Hell freezes over.
[…] the warrant fired 71 shots when they busted down his door. For the rest of the story, check out Jonn’s posts at This Ain’t Hell. Oh, and the police claimed they came in with sirens blaring: the neighbors never heard a thing […]
Lights, sirens, and knocking for 15 seconds? Bull shit. I said it in another post on this, and repeat it here. No one believes that BS, so stop trying to peddle it.
As for sealing the records, if the return for the warrant has been filed with the court, it’s up to the court whether they release it or not. There’s no reason for the court to sit on this, as any “ongoing investigation” is out there for everyone to see. Unless the judge who signed the warrant is covering his ass now? Or, he’s covering Boss Hog’s ass?
This is an outrage, but not a new one. Amadou Diallo was shot 41 times and he was unarmed. It happens over and over again in cities everywhere. Al l of us are a “mistake” and a planted gun away from being victims of the same thing.
I have great respect for law enforcement and not for a second would I trade jobs with them. That being said, the courts have let too many trigger happy or adrenaline pumped police officers get away with murder under the guise of “I thought he had a gun”, wink, wink.
The particulars of this case are still coming out and we haven’t heard the last of it yet.
Police departments receive millions of dollars in Federal and State monies to form SWAT teams, most of which are rarely used for their intended purpose. Since the “use it or lose it” philosophy applies these teams are pressed into serving high risk warrants, then any warrants. Next thing you know you have a poorly trained, heavily armed force kicking in the door of the wrong house, or firing 70+ round of indiscriminate fire hitting everything and everyone, but their intended target. Every time I see a SWAT team assaulting a door equipped with the AR15 model weapons I laugh out loud waiting for the bullets to come through the building. They don’t get enough weapons training in the first place, much less their proper employment.
Probably the most I have ever said here.
[…] about rightwing crazies killing him because SWAT under Dupnik is the murderer, where is the media? Indiana just placed this kind of murder into law as did Illinois The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will release no more information about the circumstances […]
Hello!
Please advise if a Memorial fund has been set up. I have a facebook page and people are asking. I saw one report about Bank of America but it is conficting.