Guerena civil suit settled
We spent a lot of time in late-2011 writing about the SWAT attack on Marine corporal Jose Guereña in which the young former Marine was shot 22 times by Pima County officers. An internal investigation found that the officers weren’t culpable in the killing despite the fact that more than 70 rounds were fired at Guereña, some striking the door frame through which a crowd of officers were firing like amateurs.
Well, it seems that there may be a measure of justice for Jose’s widow. Eggs sends us a link to an article which reports that the family has won in a civil judgement against the department;
“The amount reached is a clear indication that the defendants in this case take responsibility, assume liability for their bad acts that day,” said Guerena family attorney Christopher Scileppi.
The exact figure isn’t public yet, but Scileppi says the money will help a family move forward.
“She can truly begin the healing process,” said Scileppi.
More importantly, Scileppi believes the settlement will show the public Guerena isn’t the criminal law enforcement made him out to be.
“He isn’t going to be looked at as a drug trafficker, but as a decorated [M]arine who came back and became a great family man, ” said Scileppi.
Yes, the money comes out of public funds, but the voters of Pima County, AZ should punish Sheriff Dupnik at the polls.
Category: The Guerena Killing
“…the voters of Pima County, AZ should punish Sheriff Dupnik at the polls.”
One would think so, but after Obama was given a second term, my confidence in the American voter is at an all-time low …
May Jose be returned all of his honor from this, and his family find peace.
Dupnik prevailed at the polls during the last election unfortunately. I’m sure most of that was due to the votes cast in the city of Tucson. All democrat ward members there (well, one was republican but changed parties after the election).
So, the wanna-be junior SWAT team and wanna-be Sheriff Stupidnick are cleared anyway…I hope Mrs Guerena and children are somehow able to have something positive come from this other than just the civil settlement.
Justice should have been more than just a settlement. At least they paid in some way, however little.
While most of us would have found much more satisfaction had they been found criminally liable, the civil judgment will help this Marine’s family much more. Both would certainly have been better, but this is still good news.
Anyone who has watched that video knows that feckless SWAT team was culpable; anyone of them who fired into that house should be in jail, or at the least fired. Rest In Peace, Mister Guerena.
Thugs with badges.
Hopefully, the settlement was enough to help them move out of that jurisdiction.
Any names on the po-po members of that kinder “SWAT” team? Their names should be made public for scorn, ridicule, boycott, and any other (un?)civil retaliation.
Dupnik is a POS.
So how much money does it take to bring him back to life?
Maybe it’s time to start forcing law enforcement to carry malpractice insurance? “Can’t afford your premiums and now have to turn in your gun and badge? Well, maybe you should be more responsible with your use of force.”
Only one of three things the cops should have done was done correctly, and that was the settlement. They also need to punish/fire the cops involved, and they need to make a public statement as to their culpability in a wrongful death.
Policing is the wrong business to be in, if you can’t take responsibility for your actions.
It’s not a thugs-with-badges problem; no, it’s far worse. This bit from PoliceOne sums it up nicely (http://www.policeone.com/SWAT/articles/6385683-Police-militarization-An-argument-for-black-helicopters/):
“SWAT operators should swathe ourselves in a cloak of mysteriousness. We are (or should be) unassuming, quiet professionals operating without the need for recognition.”
Oh. Dear. God. At least he didn’t mention sheepdogs. (Note: sheepdogs immediately get put down when they kill a sheep. Live by the metaphor, die by the metaphor, I say.)
“Every time a SWAT operation goes south, the anti-SWAT crowd bloviates, so we must do everything we can to minimize the chance of mistakes.”
Really, bloviating? That’s the reason to minimize mistakes!?
I’ll leave it to you all to guess the many reasons why the following is a field-day for the bloviators, defense attorneys, and civil litigators.
“The American police officer works a battlefield every day he patrols his sector. [….]
The fact is, more American police officers have died fighting crime in the United States over the past 12 years than American soldiers were killed in action at war in Afghanistan. According to ODMP.org, 1,831 cops have been killed in the line of duty since 2001. According to iCasualties.org, the number of our military personnel killed in action in Afghanistan is 1,789.[ ….]
Cops on the beat are facing the same dangers on the streets as our brave soldiers do in war.”
Somewhere, the academy of tactical theologians debates, “How many operators can dance on the tip of a spear?”
@13 At least it’s comforting to see that most of the commenters on that article were calling bullshit.