denbot
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Sun Jul-10-11 02:19 PM
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Last night around 4am I had an AR-15 pointed at my gut in MY FUCKING DINING ROOM.. |
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Ally and I were woken by our daughter saying that the police were knocking at our door. We got out of bed and I was first down the hall worried that something had happened to Man-Cub forgetting that he had come home just before I went to sleep.
I made it down the hall way to the dining/kitchen area where there were three cops inside the doorway from the front room to the kitchen. One cop had a huge German Shepard, another had her weapon drawn, but held muzzle down to her side, the one farthest in the kitchen had an AR-15 leveled at me. The first thing out of my mouth was "Stop pointing that fucking gun at us". I don't think they liked that statement. I was awake by then, and answering questions like how many persons were in the house. My wife and I said 3, assuming that Man-Cub was spending the night at a buddies. They asked if any of us were outside recently. I asked that what were they doing here and they said they were looking for a prowler, and that our door was open/unlocked, as if that was the reason they were in our house.
Then they asked if anyone was in our backyard, sleeping or camping (???). Again we said no, and the guy with the assault rife (barrel now lowered) repeated that they would not find anyone in the backyard and again we said no. They then said that they were going to look back there, and to lock our doors.
My bed room in at the back of the house and as we went back to bed we could see flashlights all through our backyard. About ten minutes later we heard pounding (about 3) sounds and Alley and I got back up and went to our front porch. There were emergency lights at one end of our block. I told my wife that I was going back to bed. She said that she was going to walk down there and check things out.
When she got to bed she said the police were in our next door neighbors back yard with flashlights..
It took some time for us to go back to sleep.
This morning we all talked about what had happened, comparing stories and my daughter said that she heard our door bell, and loud knocking in her sleep and when she woke up she heard talking in the front room. The kids bedrooms are both in the front of the house separated from the entrance to the front room and dining room area by a short hallway. When she walked in to the front room all three cops had guns leveled at her but lowered them when they realized then had the drop on a 14y.o girl in her pj's. Man-Cub said that he did not wake up until we were talking to the cops, and stayed in bed not wanting anything to do with the mini-circus in our kitchen.
We were so sleepy we really did not react like we would have normally. My wife is Federal Officer with 20 years in service, I normally would have be screaming at a cop that I thought stepped over the line, but neither of us were fully awake during this little visit. What the hell happed to probable cause to enter a house? What would have happened if our (very chicken-hearted) daughter had screamed and made a quick movement?
I am thinking of filing a complaint asking what justification did the police have entering our home. We live in one of the safest neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area, and haven't locked our doors in years. We will now, not because of criminals, which would get in anyway, but to keep our local P.D. from waltzing when ever they feel like it.
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CaliforniaPeggy
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Sun Jul-10-11 02:25 PM
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1. I think a complaint is definitely in order. |
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What a scary scenario.
I do think you should always lock your doors, though. We always have, even though our neighborhood is also very safe. Better safe than waked up in the night by someone who means to do you harm.
I cannot say how sorry I am that you had to deal with this mess.
They had no business coming in your house.
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Curmudgeoness
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Sun Jul-10-11 02:59 PM
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2. Holy shit! I think that you definitely should file a complaint. |
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Don't be rude, don't get yourself in trouble, but file a complaint. I am not sure if this is legal or not, but it was uncalled for.
I love how you said: "AR-15 leveled at me. The first thing out of my mouth was "Stop pointing that fucking gun at us". I don't think they liked that statement. I was awake by then"--------No shit, you were awake by then! It is amazing that you got back to sleep at all!
Sorry you had this happen. I would have been petrified.
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LiberalAndProud
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Sun Jul-10-11 03:35 PM
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But what if the prowler they were looking for had been in your house? Do you think that the police might have been a welcome presence in that case?
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bluesbassman
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Sun Jul-10-11 03:40 PM
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4. With all due respect, your hypothetical is irrelevent. |
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The fact is they were in denbots house, without a warrant, without probable cause, and under flimsy as hell reasons.
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LiberalAndProud
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Sun Jul-10-11 03:53 PM
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We don't know why the police were there, that's true, but I could imagine a scenario where a hostage situation could happen without trying too hard, because such things have happened.
They weren't there to arrest denbot. They didn't search his home. They didn't break down his door. I don't think it was an egregious violation of his rights.
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bluesbassman
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Sun Jul-10-11 04:24 PM
Response to Reply #7 |
11. So you don't mind the police pointing assault rifles at you inside your home at any hour? |
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In the off chance that you may be being held hostage? OK, here's a hypothetical for you: What if this was a home invasion and the homeowner had a gun to his head as he walked into the kitchen. Now we've got a serious issue. Possibly doped up gunman, middle of the night, scared homeowner, and cops with guns drawn. You see this as a good thing?
Look, your point is well intentioned, but I will never be comfortable with cops coming in my house without my permission or without a absolute probable cause situation. This was neither.
The mere presence of them in his kitchen constitutes an illegal search. The fact that they drew down on him in his own home is excessive force.
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WinkyDink
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Sun Jul-10-11 05:04 PM
Response to Reply #7 |
14. WTH?!?! You're OKAY with cops ENTERING YOUR HOME WHENEVER THEY WANT TO??? |
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Edited on Sun Jul-10-11 05:05 PM by WinkyDink
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denbot
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Sun Jul-10-11 04:24 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
10. What if they shot my daughter as she entered her own frontroom? |
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Edited on Sun Jul-10-11 04:26 PM by denbot
They did not see a prowler enter my house or at all I believe. What if, does not justify cops walking in to my home. What if I exited my bedroom armed?
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LiberalAndProud
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Sun Jul-10-11 04:40 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
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Do what you need to do denbot. You were there and I wasn't, so I'm engaging in idle musings at best. I tend to try to find the best motivations for the worst behaviors sometimes. It's a character flaw, I think.
I'm glad neither my "what if" or yours happened.
And I really am sorry that this happened to you. I can't imagine how scared I'd be in the same situation.
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lunatica
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Sun Jul-10-11 03:45 PM
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5. File a complaint. They aimed weapons at your daughter and you |
rurallib
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Sun Jul-10-11 03:48 PM
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6. can't wait to hear what the police have to say. |
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Out of curiosity do you have a gun? Would you have normally come down in the middle of the night with a gun in a situation like this (someone in your house)?
I would have been scared near to death.
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felix_numinous
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Sun Jul-10-11 03:54 PM
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8. Please file a complaint. |
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If people don't complain, this is going to be normal operating procedure. How frightening, I would be freaking out.
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Kali
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Sun Jul-10-11 04:08 PM
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9. probable cause? hahahahahaha |
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Edited on Sun Jul-10-11 04:10 PM by Kali
"I think I want to look" = probable cause
open door is what they already told your, true or not and that will be the story - and from way back when they really DID need probable cause that was one - I remember catching some cops coming in the open front door of a house were we were partying in the back yard - that was the justification
side note the one "adult" at that party didn't get in much trouble and the all they did was drain our keg (sob!) and dump one kid's weed all over the lawn (assholes)
those were the days - when teens having a kegger weren't armed and considered terrorists
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MicaelS
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Sun Jul-10-11 04:36 PM
Response to Original message |
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I'm glad no one in your family was hurt. And I don't care if I lived in the safest neighborhood on the planet, my doors would ALWAYS be locked.
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DU
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Mon May 06th 2024, 10:26 PM
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