Deadly Force: What a SWAT team did to Cheye Calvo's family in the war on drugs.

[Faygo Kid]

This was and is an outrage. Here's the full story of last summer's terrorizing of the innocent family of the mayor of Berwyn Heights, MD, and the execution of their beloved and gentle family dogs, Chase and Payton.

The article asks, "Acting on a mistaken drug trafficking suspicion, a SWAT team broke down their door, shot beloved pets and shattered a happy home. Was it an extreme reaction, or business as usual in America's war on drugs?"

You decide. This article makes it clear enough for me. And no consequences for the cops who ruined this family's life. I remain outraged.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/23/AR2009012302935_5.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009013002471&s_pos=

[madfloridian]

1. That was such a heartbreaking story.

I saw the family interviewed at the time, and I just got tears.

[midnight]

2. The war on drugs, like the war on terror, is another way to take

away are rights. We must wake up and uphold the rule of law for everyone.

[Royal Sloan 09]

3. KnR

Sadly these things continue to happen all around this Incarceration Nation, as this is the Unites Police State of Amerika. The War on some Drugs will bankrupt more of this country and lock up non-violent citizens for a harmless plant, to many life's have suffered grievous damages and the costs of that the Taxpayers bear. This is too much for the resulting failure of this faulty policy. Enough is enough, this is change that can be done, quickily and is really needed for this country, it's a step in the right direction to begin the journey back from the brink of disaster and despair.

[jkshaw]

5. I live in northern Utah and read about this

in our local paper some time ago. The stories that broke early on made the incident look bad for this innocent family and I can remember no mention at all about the murder of those blameless black labs. The death of the dogs, the effect on the mother in law who was just getting herself back together after the years-before helicopter death of her husband, on the young couple, both professionals, haunted me all night last night. But especially the shooting of those beautiful dogs. I never read a follow up story on that outrageous incident, forgot all about it, as did most likely most of the people who read the first reports.

But we've heard about this at last. How many times does this happen to poorer people, people just getting by who are left by economic circumstances to live in deadly neighborhoods and are also innocently raided and scarred for life?

We can only be assured that, for every one of these disgusting invasions, there are numberless others we never hear about. With the useless and invasive "War on Drugs" came a good solid kick in the pants to the Fourth Amendment and the prohibition of unlawful, unreasonable search and seizure was shot right into the waste can.

[Faygo Kid]

7. Thanks for your response. If it could happen to them, it can happen to anyone.

That SWAT team was made up of psychopaths. Secretly, I bet they enjoyed slaughtering the dogs and terrorizing these "organic gardeners." (Read: Liberals).

The SWAT guys are no doubt all avid Rush listeners.

[BanzaiBonnie]

4. With the murder of the fellow in San Francisco...

By the BART cop and all this coming to light, I'm hoping we can make a change in policies that leave police unaccountable for their actions.

[jkshaw]

6. I've grown very old, Bonnie

I can't tell you how hopeless I've become after reading this story, how much my heart aches for President Obama, faced with the dung heap this country has become.