Shooting Berwyn Mayor's Dogs Justified, Pr. George's Says

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Washington Post

The Prince George's sheriff's office has concluded in an internal review that its deputies were justified when they shot and killed two dogs belonging to the mayor of Berwyn Heights during a July drug raid, Sheriff Michael Jackson said today.

Jackson released the results of the review in response to a scientific examination of the carcasses of the two dogs conducted by a veterinarian with the Maryland Department of Agriculture at the request of Mayor Cheye Calvo. The necropsy concluded one dog was shot four times and the other twice, including once in the dog's back legs.

A sheriff's department SWAT team and county police narcotics officers burst into the Calvo home on July 29 after police intercepted a package filled with 32 pounds of marijuana addressed to Trinity Tomsic, Calvo's wife.

Police later cleared Calvo and Tomsic of wrongdoing, saying they were innocent victims of a drug smuggling scheme in which drug-filled packages addressed to unsuspecting recipients were intercepted by a FedEx delivery man. . . .



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/04/AR2008090402746.html?hpid=topnews

---

NO. NO. NO. I wrote the governor of Maryland and got a form letter back. He kicked the ball down the street, and said he forwarded my letter to the Prince George's County executive.

I'm writing him again. This is outrageous, and I will not put up with it in the state in which I live.

I hope you will join me in protesting this outrage.

[CC]

1. Why write the Governor? He has nothing to do with

a counties sheriff's department. You would be better off writing to the Prince George's County executive, local legislature representatives or local papers.

[mbperrin]

2. I'll bet the state throws a little money toward county law enforcement

operations.

I'd personally like to invite the officers involved and their ass-coverers to a little shindig where the main attraction is me determining who's a threat and what we need to do about them.

I really do hate people who hate animals, and these Barney Fife wannabes fill the ticket. You'd think they'd at least interview the family even if they didn't give a shit what they thought just to make it LOOK like they actually did something....:spank:

[Faygo Kid]

3. I will do all those things, but Gov. O'Malley is the CEO. The buck stops there.

He MUST make a statement. This is a whitewash. Which was expected.

No way, no how, will I not hold the guv's feet to the fire.

[roguevalley]

27. I would haunt their asses FOREVER. I mean it.

[Captain Hilts]

33. You need to learn more about government. nt

[Clintonista2]

37. lol

[madrchsod]

4. in the octagon with 4 pitbulls for those swine

[LisaL]

5. Those poor dogs. One was running away, just as mayor said.

Disgusting.

[question everything]

6. As far as I know they think that the whole raid was justified

I remember when it was in the news, they could not get any spokesperson to at least admit for their error. The only comment was: we have a drugs problem here.

And someone should look at the whole thing of "no warrant search" - or whatever the term was. And double check the addresses and the occupants. Especially since there were, apparently, six more homes that were used by the druggies.

And what would happen had the occupant would have used his shotgun to blast the "intruders?"

Does Maryland have a "castle law?"

[Hugabear]

15. Too bad he didn't.

From what I've read, this was one of those "no-knock" searches, where they basically just kick in the door. They were also not in uniform. Under those circumstances, why wouldn't he have been justified in shooting?

[High Plains]

46. Ever heard of Cory Maye? Or Ryan Frederick?

They both shot and killed yelling intruders breaking into their homes. The intruders were cops on no-knock warrants. Now Mayes is on death row, and prosecutors in Virginia want to put Frederick there, too.

Can you say double standard?

Read the following from Radley Balko:

http://www.theagitator.com/category/cory-maye/


Cory Maye vs. Sgt. Joseph Chavalia
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

A comparison of what happens to frightened citizens who shoot at threats they can’t see during a drug raid vs. what happens to frightened police officers who shoot at threats they can’t see during a drug raid.

You could substitute Ryan Frederick or Derrick Foster (among others) for Cory Maye. And you could substitute Dep. Christopher Long and a whole host of others for Chavalia.

Police who make mistakes during drug raids get suspended with pay, and ultimately vindicated. Citizens who make mistakes during drug raids go to jail.

Posted in Cory Maye, Police Militarization | 6 Comments »

Your Humble Agitator on the Cory Maye Case
Friday, May 9th, 2008

Here’s the interview I did for reason.tv hashing out some of the broader issues of the case.


Posted in Cory Maye, Forensics, General Drug War, Police Militarization | 3 Comments »

Mississippi Drug War Blues: The Case of Cory Maye
Thursday, May 8th, 2008

So this is the project I teased yesterday–and the reason I was in Mississippi last December.

It’s the latest Drew Carey video, and it’s on Cory Maye. I think it’s really well-done. Warm congratulations to Paul Feine, Roger Richards, and the gang at reason.tv for putting it all together. I know it was a lot of work. It’s the longest Carey video to date, and the one in which the reason.tv staff has invested the most time producing. I think it paid off. It gets quite emotional in places. The scenes with Cory’s mother, and where Melissa Longino reads from Cory’s Thanksgiving card to his daughter still choke me up. It’s beautifully shot, too. I’d recommend watching in full-screen mode.

There’s also a video interview with your humble Agitator about the issues involved in Cory’s story.

Finally, if you want more information on the case, the reason.tv site has a rundown of related articles and links. Or, if you’re really motivated, here’s my archive of posts on Cory’s case.

People frequently ask me how they can help Cory out. Here’s an easy way: Spread this video far and wide. Vote it up on sites like Digg and Reddit (though I’d recommend voting up the reason.tv link, not this one). Email it to people who might be interested in the case. Embed it on your own blog. I think this is the most compelling presentation of Cory’s story yet. It can only help if lots of people see it.

UPDATE: Here’s the Digg entry. Here’s the entry for Reddit.


Posted in Cory Maye, Uncategorized | 23 Comments »

How to Help Out Cory Maye
Saturday, December 15th, 2007

Several people have written to ask what they can do to help Cory Maye and/or his family. There are a few things.

First, I know that Cory’s fund is empty, and that he was hoping to be able to buy his children some Christmas presents. Keep in mind, this is not a legal defense fund. Covington and Burling is covering all of his legal expenses. This is a fund that enables Cory to pay for his family to come visit him, buy things from the prison canteen, and buy gifts for his kids. You can send a check to:

Cory Maye Justice Fund
c/o R.E. Evans
P.O. Box 636
Monticello, MS 39654

[Blue_Tires]

24. having once lived in P.G.

i can say the county is an incompetent mess in almost every facet of government (and corrupt in the others)...

I'm certain that this 'bust' had NOTHING to do with drugs -- it was a political grudge against him from the police or someone else in government...

[Blue_Tires]

25. having once lived in P.G.

i can say the county is an incompetent mess in almost every facet of government (and corrupt in the others)...

I'm certain that this 'bust' had NOTHING to do with drugs -- it was a political grudge against him from the police or someone else in government...

[Blue_Tires]

26. having once lived in P.G.

i can say the county is an incompetent mess in almost every facet of government (and corrupt in the others)...

I'm certain that this 'bust' had NOTHING to do with drugs -- it was a political grudge against him from the police or someone else in government...

[WriteDown]

7. Not unexpected...

Is there no one in the entire state who can stand up to these thugs? What if it was the police chiefs house and dogs?

[Sewsojm]

8. God Damn Bastards

[OwnedByFerrets]

9. It wont bring the dogs back

or help with the trama they went thru, but I hope they sue their fucking asses off. Money is the only thing that will put a stop to this kind of shit.

[Hugabear]

10. Fucking assholes.

Sorry, but when stories like this are more and more common, when you see police around the country resorting to Gestapo-like tactics, then I lose all damned respect for them.

[Faygo Kid]

13. I'm too goddamned old, and too feisty, to let this one go by.

No.

Not this time, not ever. What a piece of crap whitewash. Dammit.

[trthnd4jstc]

11. Once again, this is why we need to end the occupation of the Fascists.

We need community policing, instead of an imposed militia. Ending Tyranny and Restoring Justice, and the Republic means the end of Fascism. We need to all take our turns as community police. We will work in squads of 3, and serve shifts. We need to improve our world. Having professional police who are so militaristic is just asking for continued problems. Some of these people who work as police are heartless, and not really human at all. Some of them are Sociopaths or Psychopaths, just like in the rest of our society, but we should not allow such creatures to be in our police.

[dougkeenan]

12. All over dried flowers

Needless!

[Hugabear]

17. That weren't even meant for them?

So does this mean that if I want to fuck someone over, I can send them a bag of weed through the mail, and the fascist cop-thugs will knock down their door, tear their place apart, hog-tie them, and shoot their dogs?

[petwlkr]

35. Now there's an idea

Quick!!! Somebody mail George Bush some weed!!!

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

14. is this the place where a drunk deputy gunned down an Ikea delivery man?

in cold blood?

[Faygo Kid]

16. Yep. Not sure it was Ikea, but he shot two; one died.

County exec backed him until he could do no more.

That's why I am going after the guv.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

19. unbelievable

What does the law in MD say about the state taking over corrupt/dysfunctional a police department?

[Faygo Kid]

20. That's exactly what I will ask Gov. O'Malley.

Corruption must not be allowed, anywhere.

[brentspeak]

18. It's a given there would be a whitewash n/t

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

21. I saw Sheriff jackson on Monday...

..at the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival. He came down Crescent Road glad shaking everyone's hand. One of our friends who owns several dogs told us we should turn our back on him; now I know why.

I live in PG County and I vote. That I can do for sure.

[Faygo Kid]

22. Thank you!!

I am going to do more than turn my back on the SOB.

I am going after him, after this. His job I mean, of course.

[VeggieTart]

23. Reminds me of the Prince Jones case a few years ago

This PG cop followed him into Virginia--well out of his jurisdicition--on suspicion of a gun charge, but I understand that the victim and the alleged suspect differed greatly in appearance. I'm sure that even in the dark, you can tell someone who has dreadlocks from someone who has cropped hair.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0106.coates.html

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=675879

With the first link, I read just enough to confirm what I remember--that the officer in this case was going after someone who was clearly the wrong man. And he killed the father of a baby.

What the hell is wrong with the PG County police?

I was furious to read of the senseless gunning down of two dogs, and not just because I'm an animal lover. It's another case of shoot first and claim the victim was threatening them. The dogs were running AWAY, hello!

The grief in Ms. Tomsic's face is palpable.

[aquart]

28. They investigated themselves? And found themselves innocent?

That's a genuine surprise.

[sasquatch]

31. I know, that's a shocker

:sarcasm:
And people wonder why I don't call the police.

[Lethe]

29. victims of the drug war - a gallery

http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/08/17/drugWarVictims.html

This shit happens everyday. They kick in doors in no-knock raids and barge in with shotguns, mp5's and wearing black clothes and ski masks.

Then when the resident pulls out a shotgun to defend his family, they either murder him or put him on death row for killing an intruder who they probably thought was a gang member trying to rob them.

If you live in a tough neighborhood, be sure to have your house numbers in very clear and plain sight, preferably illuminated at nighttime.

Check out that link to the little girl they murdered in San Antonio a couple years back. These DEA agents murdered a 14 year old girl for nothing.

[Duppers]

30. a big R

I could kill anyone who'd shoot, without just cause, a dog of mine. Seriously.

[blossomstar]

32. My dogs are like my children, there would be dead cops.

I know that if someone busted into their home, they would try to defend it. If someone shot my dogs for that response to an unexpected intrusion into their own home, I would not hesitate to jump on them and literally rip them to pieces... the cops that is. Make no mistake, they would die if they harmed one of my dogs. I love them as much as any person loves their children and would die protecting them as I know they would for me. This has gone way too far.

[sasquatch]

34. The Mayor should post their home addresses on the internet and warn others of their potential danger

[tiddlywinks]

36. My dog is a person, too! :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

38. Nothing will get done until we have a decent county executive

...one who isn't justanother crony. Maybe Calvo should run for election.

I'd dearly love to see someone with the guts to clean house in the PG Police Department.

[doodadem]

39. Law enforcement is out of control

in many areas of this country.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Dept. is one of them. My experience with them over the past few years has been horrifying, pertaining to the land war with our asshole neighbors that I've posted about previously. We've been forced to call them numerous times, including 3 years ago when I came around the corner on the riding mower, and caught the neighbor and an accomplice trespassing on our property yet again.
A deputy that we'd had trouble with previously showed up, and as usual, talked to the neighbor's first, even though I was the one that had called. He then comes to my house, and demands to see my driver's license and the latest copy of our restraining order, even though I'm still outside on the mower. He then insists on coming into the house with me to get them.

I warned him when he came in, that our little 6-mo. old miniature dachshund was really afraid of strangers, and could be aggressive--that he was a "special needs" adoption from the ASPCA, and had been abused previously. The pup grabbed his pants leg. The deputy freaked out. He started yelling, and then kicked the pup in the head, sending him sailing and yiping. I rounded on him, saying, what the hell is wrong with you? He got even more red in the face, and blustery.

In the house, he grabs me by the shoulder, and twists my arm up behind my back, saying, he was putting me under arrest, and handcuffs me. Said the neighbor claimed I had tried to run over her with the lawnmower. Again, if he'd have bothered to listen, he would have heard my shoulder crunching, where I'd had major trauma to it several years previously, and no mobility in it. He then hauled me out to take me to jail, while the neighbor--still on my property--stood and applauded.

In court for the umpteenth time, our lawyer tore this guy apart, showing a photo of our 10 pound pup, and asking, Is this the dog that made you fear for your life?! (this officer is 6'6, and well over 250 pounds). His sullen response was, I should have shot him.

I ended up with permanent nerve damage to my shoulder. My poor sweet pup died from a rattlesnake bite a few months later.

That's only a sample of what's been done to us here. We're still battling these people. The sheriff's dept. has been completely biased, and that particular officer continued to harass us. They continued to dispatch him to our home, even though we had made an official complaint against him which was under investigation.

[Faygo Kid]

40. Wow. Good luck to you.

Luck may not be enough. Anyway, local law enforcement does indeed often get to do what they please.

[mainegreen]

42. I hope you sued. n/t

[doodadem]

43. I tried.........

No local lawyers wanted to take on the sheriff's dept. in the short amount of time I had left before the statute of limitations ran out.

It's become more outrageous as I've heard stories from other people in our little town that these deputies freely admit they have targeted. Several months before we moved here, a transient that was breaking into some of the tourist cabins, shot and killed a deputy. Individual deputies have told people since that they blame our entire little mountain community for the incident--pulling people over for no reason, detaining them without charges, general harassment and abuse.

No one's interested.

[WriteDown]

44. That is awful...

Sorry, haven't heard your story before. Why do they have it in for you?

[bean fidhleir]

49. Be aware that a cop CANNOT demand to be let into your house

unless he has a valid warrant or there's some "immediate harm" excuse.

BUT if you let him bully you into letting him in, he can do whatever he wants to - search the place, plant drugs, anything. Once he's in, you're screwed. So NEVER NEVER NEVER let a cop in.

[colonel odis]

41. in a way, i'm sorry to say this. but i honestly believe it in my heart.

my dogs are my family. i don't have children and i lost my wife a year and a half ago.

if police officers burst into my home and shot my dogs, i would get even. and, yes, that means i would physically harm the police officers who did it. period. end of discussion. eye for an eye.

it might not be next week. it might not be next month. but it would happen. and it would be ugly when it did.

[Honeycombe8]

45. Ridiculous! Absolutely NO excuse for those weenies to kill those lap dogs! nt

[Fumesucker]

47. Has the mayor spoken out against the drug war yet?

Somehow I doubt it.

[kwolf68]

48. Not been a good week for animals

The cat story from Canada, this story and the ascent of Sarah Palin to the VP slot for the Repukes.

[Vinca]

50. The Sheriff's Department concluded? Fox? Hen house?

This deserves an investigation by the AG of the state AT THE VERY LEAST. Poor police work isn't an excuse to terrorize a family and execute their pets.