These people should be honored to be a part of an operation undertaken by those who stand between the darkness and the light. We need these brave warriors to protect us from those that hate our freedoms in this great democracy!

[url=portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/05/264075.shtml]Eugene Police Illegally Raid Homes with Tank; Prompts Federal Lawsuit[/url]

author: Lauren Regan
In the pre-dawn of October 17, 2002, approximately 50 police officers from multiple police agencies swarmed a residential neighborhood in Eugene, Oregon, USA, armed with automatic assault rifles and accompanied by a National Guard military Light Armored Vehicle, which looks like a tank. Now a lawsuit has been filed against all the police agencies involved in this gestapo action.  

For Immediate Release: April 30, 2003
Contact Lauren Regan, AAL (541) 687-9180
PRESS RELEASE
Eugene Police Illegally Raid Homes with Tank; Prompts Federal Lawsuit

The victims of an egregiously false police raid, and their attorneys, announce an impending lawsuit against the Oregon State Police, Lane County Sheriff, Eugene and Springfield Police Departments, Portland Police Bureau, Oregon National Guard and others. In the pre-dawn of October 17, 2002, approximately 50 police officers from these agencies swarmed a residential neighborhood in Eugene, Oregon, USA, armed with automatic assault rifles and accompanied by a National Guard military Light Armored Vehicle, which looks like a tank. Police claimed to be searching for a marijuana growing operation within three homes.

Two couples, Marcella Monroe/Tam Davage, and Elizabeth Redetzke/Jor Havens were awakened by “flash-bang” grenades being hurled into the back yards of their homes located in a densely populated residential neighborhood, which caused immense explosions that shook the windows of surrounding homes. Without knocking, masked and armored SWAT police smashed in the doors of three residences. Police forced the residents from their beds without clothing and placed a black hood over the head of one of the women, while police ransacked their homes for hours.

The police found no evidence of a marijuana growing operation, but, in a blatant attempt to justify this outrageous invasion, arrested and cited the individuals anyway, thereby exposing them to felony criminal charges and the possibility of having their homes forfeited under Oregon drug laws. (See 12/5/02 article in the Register Guard newspaper.) Eventually all charges were dismissed by the State. The raids caused physical and emotional injuries to the individuals, as well as extensive damage to their property.

“The police clearly violated the 4th Amendment, which protects citizens from unreasonable search and false arrest. We intend to hold these police officers accountable, lest we allow them to further erode fundamental Constitutional rights, and put this community in jeopardy of serious physical injury at the hands of law enforcement,” said Attorney Ben Rosenfeld.

Meanwhile, outraged and frightened citizens are asking why military “tanks” and tactics are now being deployed against U.S citizens in residential neighborhoods for purposes of search and seizure. One neighbor, a public school teacher, was walking to her car to go to work that morning, “we opened the front door to find a swath of police officers, a huge armored personnel carrier (i.e. tank), and several men in camouflage lurking around the shrubbery with assault rifles.” said her husband. “I just want to make sure I’m not going to be shot leaving the house,” the teacher said, gesturing toward the men with machine guns between her and her car. “I haven’t shot anyone in two weeks,” responded the officer.

“Either the police just really screwed up, or they should have done far more investigation before entering a residential neighborhood in this manner,” attorney Lauren Regan said. “Before you drive a tank up to someone’s house with 50 SWAT officers brandishing automatic assault weapons, you should be darn certain that you’ve got very dangerous pot growers in that house, and should be equally certain there is not a safer way to conduct such a raid. This, and other recent SWAT incidents, illustrate a total disregard for community safety where police are endangering the lives and safety of the neighborhood residents.” Attorney Lauren Regan said.

The police attempted to defend what neighbors termed their “militaristic” raid in the 12/5/02 Register Guard article; claiming their approach with this raid was not much different, except in magnitude, than other drug raids they regularly conduct. Lieutenant Lee Thoming of the Interagency Narcotics Task Force contended, “Society at large wants us to do this, and the community at large wants us to do this.”

Contrary to Thoming’s assertion, the Whiteaker neighborhood association officially condemned the October raid at 5th and Adams. The Whiteaker Community Council president stated, "We all need to learn more about the encroachment of paramilitarized policing in the United States, we need to watch law enforcement, we need to watch out for each others' civil rights, and we need to work for a genuinely independent police review board. What is at stake is not only the livability of our city, but also -- potentially -- the very life of any one of us or our children."

Critics contend that military tactics, ideology and methodology are replacing traditional American civilian law enforcement. According to reports published by the National Lawyer’s Guild and others, the number of people who have died at the hands of police increased 230 percent between 1990 and 1999. This frightening escalation of militarized police violence has led the cities of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dinuba, California, to completely dismantle their SWAT teams, and Seattle, Washington, and Dallas, Texas, have curtailed the activity of their SWAT units, taking them off drug raids and suicide calls.

“This type of raid is contrary to the way our community wants the police to conduct themselves. The deployment of SWAT units should be limited to extraordinary circumstances such as a hostage situation, a sniper, or a bomb threat. We hope that Eugene will follow in the paths of several other cities and reign in the abuses perpetuated by rogue police agencies.” Regan stated.

“There is a deep sense of betrayal and loss of trust. We believed that our police were supposed to protect our safety and our Constitutional rights. Instead they attacked us with machine guns without cause. They have destroyed my sense of security.” Tam Davage said.

His wife Marcella Monroe added, “How can we ever feel safe again? What is happening to our country?”

Attorneys Lauren Regan of Eugene, Oregon, and Dennis Cunningham and Ben Rosenfeld of San Francisco, California, will be prosecuting these claims on behalf of the homeowners.

drugs are bad...nnnkay

But did all of these brave officer make it home safely ??
These people deserved what they got....they didn't have to live there.

[b]JBT's[/b]  [:(]

First off, Imbro is back!
[banana][banana][banana][banana][banana][banana]



HYUK YUK YUK! [rolleyes]


Who the heck are these people who want this stuff to happen? I haven't met one yet.

Only bad drugs are bad, good drugs cant be bad. [smoke]

Don't you people understand?  It had to be a no-knock raid.  We all know how easy it is to flush HPS lamps and ballasts, along with hydroponic setups down the toilet on a moments notice.

[b]Welcome back, Imbroglio!![/b]

Sheriff Andy Taylor wouldn't have needed all the HOOPLA and HARDWARE to remedy the situation.

Even if they had found a dope growing operation I seriously doubt that amount of fire and manpower was necessary. These guys crack me up.

Welcome Back!

Who let the troll in?

LOL, now the forums are back to 100%, welcome back.

"They are discovering, as others before them, the resolve of a [b]great democracy[/b]."- GWB, September 11, 2002

"Leaders must be responsible, and in our [b]great democracy[/b], the top responsibility rests with the president of the United States."- GWB, October 26, 2000

"I came to encourage you to learn as much as you can about this [b]great democracy[/b],"- GWB, February 10, 2000

"But I go into this fabulous office [the Oval Office] -- by the way, it is just a -- it's a shrine to our [b]great democracy[/b]"- GWB, January 2002

"As the delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia began working on what would become the United States Constitution, they grasped that a [b]great democracy[/b] must be built..."- GWB, September 17, 2001, Citizenship Day and Constitution Week Proclamation

"...the United States is today a symbol of freedom and [b]democracy[/b]."- GWB, July 18, 2002

"...and we must ensure that those Americans who risked their lives to defend American [b]democracy[/b] are never prevented from participating in American [b]democracy[/b]."- GWB, July 31, 2001

"We must not allow such a regime [the Taliban]  to threaten our [b]great democracy[/b]."- Donald Rumsfeld

"Now more than ever, if we want to protect [b]democracy[/b] for future generations, it is vital that nobody speak out about the issues of the day."- Ari Fleischer

"Librarians inform the public, and by doing so, they strengthen our [b]great democracy[/b]."- First Lady Laura Bush

"Today more than ever, the heart of the NRA is cradled in the heart of this [b]great democracy[/b]."- Tanya Metaksa, Executive Director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, May 20, 1995

"I would therefore like to thank you, President Bush, and thank your [b]great democracy[/b]"- Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy, 22 November 2002

"Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."- GWB, September 20, 2001

Try [url]http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/12/05/1a.drugraid.1205.html[/url] for another version of the story with less left-wing spin.

In this case, this was one of a series of raids in a major investigation. While the plants had already been harvested, they found all of the inddor growing tools and the residue from the grow, and the suspects were charged with felony drug charges.

The "tank" was a LAV Command Post vehicle. ANy armored vehicle beats the hell out of a ballistic shield if you expect that people might be shooting at you.

Sounds like dopers whining because they got caught.

Oops, when I read the title, I thought Imbroglio was starting a thread about himself again...

They should have known better to even [i]think[/i] of growing pot. I bet they wont now. Not in [i]our[/i] [b]Great Democracy[/b].

Welcome back, Imbrog|io.  Keep it up!

And did you think he was the former or the latter people referenced in the title?

Knowing Imbroglio, I just couldn't be sure.  I didn't think he was honest enough to admit being the former and I knew he hated the idea of democracy (this being a republic and all) so he didn't think he'd claim the latter either...

Spindoctor Natez,
That is not at all what that link you provided says.

"police discovered several high-powered fans, [b]fluorescent lights[/b], plastic sheeting, timers, potting soil, fertilizer, plant food, sandwich bags, a scale, 24 electrical outlets and a shop vacuum that contained a trace of marijuana leaves, according to the affidavit filed in support of the search warrant."

The cops blew this one.  No one who grows pot for profit uses fluorescents.

"More than a month after the raid, no formal charges have been filed against Davage or Monroe in Lane County Circuit Court. [b]Police have returned the items they seized.[/b]"

Great. Another bold typed anti-cop title from the Spammaster Imbroglio.[insertsmileyjerkingoffhere]

There's NO need for the COPS to go APE SHIT on this one.A few days of surveillance, a few officers to serve the warrant with a swat team nearby out of sight for backup.And all this just for wacky weed.I believe in using deadly force with the element of surprise in drug raids, but in this case, someone really F_cked up in the intelligence Dept.

Here's one vote for the 2004 AR-15 LEGP to be a Russian RPG-7V with tandem anti-armor warhead. Kills JBT APCs dead.

HUH ? WHAT? [>:/]

[img]http://www.arsenal-bg.com/images/defense_police/RPG-7V1.jpg[/img]

Every problem has a solution.

Gotcha ![:D]

[b]BAM!![/b] Dead on. Just substitute anything illegal now, or anything in the future, and that's reality. If it was "illegal Gun Parts" would you still be rah, rah??
That's the 'ol Imbro!

(BTW, it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of communists!! They ALWAYS vote higher tax's, bigger govt. in Eugene.!)

I'm in for two!

Yeah, and that's always been the problem with what passes for logic in Imbroglio's mind.
The whole "today it's chemical weapons, tomorrow it could be my 38 and 22!" mentality.  It's a logical fallacy.  

Uh, drugs aren't (bring in APC's and illegaly detain citizens) bad.


Anyone who sees any logic in what the police did here should be [slap].

Welcome back, Imbro'![beer][wave]

I think that we are all missing the most important part here.

 All the good little JBT's went home safe that night!

 

Are you saying that is good or bad?