These Police Officers Really Screwed Up

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/28011349/detail.html

Summary: Police were called because a pickup had run off the road into a persons yard. Three men tried to remove it and then left. The person who called the police thought they were drunk. The police went to the truck owner’s home (around the corner). He refused to let them in and told them to get a warrant. They then broke down his door and shot him. The officer who shot him though he saw a weapon. These officers have been indicted by a grand jury for charges related to this incident (but not murder?!). Now the parent’s of the man, with the help of the ACLU, are sueing the officers.

As some people reading this may know, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice specializing law enforcement procedures and management. These officers really screwed the pooch on this one. The circumstances when a police officer may enter a home without the resident’s permission are very limited (someone’s life is in danger, if they are in what is considered hot pursuit (they were not) or they have a warrant). They did not meet any of these criteria. They could have called in for a warrant and probably had it in 15-30 minutes. Through their reckless actions they caused the death of another person. They are very lucky this was not a person (or persons) with training. They could have very well ended up dead. If I had been on the grand jury, I would have insisted on them being charged with murder.