SPOKANE COUNTY, WA — An innocent man says he was visited by sheriff’s deputies who pointed guns in his face and told him he was lucky they didn’t kill him.
Connor Guerrero, a recent college graduate, says he was disturbed in his home recently when strange men began sneaking around his yard and pointing flashlights in his windows, giving him cause for alarm.
Guerrero assumed he was being scoped out by burglars and that this could be a “dangerous situation” for him. He attempted to deter the prowlers by banging on the door to declare his presence.
He then peeked out the door to survey his yard.
“Right as soon as I opened this door, and it’s dark outside – it’s very dark and all I can see is a pistol,” Guerrero told KREM.
Guerrero slammed the door shut and retreated for cover. That’s when he heard the aggressive, gun-toting strangers scream “Sheriff’s Office!” The voices demanded he exit the home and surrender to them. Guerrero complied.
With guns pointed at him, he was ordered to his knees in submission. Guerrero was forced to produce his ID and prove that he lived in his own home.
“You’re lucky I didn’t [expletive] shoot you,” the deputy snarled at the homeowner.
As it turned out, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office went to the wrong home responding to a “suspicious vehicle” call. The Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said his deputies had made a mistake, but then placed blame on the homeowner for being cautious.
“You don’t pound on a door, open it and slam it that way. Put yourself in the deputies’ position,” said Knezovich.
If a hero ever try’s that shit at my house, he’ll be lucky I don’t expletive shoot HIM!
Yup.
The double standard always slays me. If I were to put my hands on a cop – for any reason, even in self-defense – at the very least, I’d be formally charged with “resisting” or some such. But a cop can put his hands on you without any reason – in clear violation of “the law” – and there are no consequences for doing so. He will not be arrested, much less charged or prosecuted for battery. I just posted a video of such an event yesterday (http://ericpetersautos.com/2013/12/24/heroes-just-make-go/). Guy lawfully taking video in public on a public sidewalk. Thug in costume approaches aggressively and bats at his camera and paws him. Try doing the same thing to a “hero” sometime and see what happens. And that’s penny ante stuff. Per your example, a cop can come onto your property, point a loaded gun at you, order you to your knees… without your having committed a crime or there being any reasonable suspicion you may have committed one. The cop can do this – legally – even if he’s got no legal reason to be on your property. And god help you if you do anything other than go limp and submit to him.
Now try approaching a “hero” with a loaded gun at your side. Not even pointed at him. Just at your side.
More bullshit excuses. Wonder what he’d do if it were him in this situation. Probably open the door and start shooting. There’d be a raft of charges I’d throw at them, especially with video.