Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Another "We didn't actually investigate

before we kicked in the door" raid. But at least nobody's dead.
Brooklyn Park police were looking for a meth lab, but they found a fish tank and the chemicals needed to maintain it.

And a few hours later, when the city sent a contractor to fix the door the police had smashed open Monday afternoon, it was obvious the city was trying to fix a mistake.
...
"Ohmigod," Adams said as she recalled police breaking down her door and flashing the search warrant. "I just kept saying to them, 'you've got the wrong house.' "

Police soon realized that themselves.


Then we read the obligatory "From a cursory view, it doesn't look like our officers did anything wrong," said Capt. Greg Roehl.
Oh, of COURSE not.
Roehl said the drug task force was acting on a tip from a subcontractor for CenterPoint Energy, who had been in the home Friday to install a hot water heater.

"He got hit with a chemical smell that he said made him light headed, feel kind of nauseous," Roehl said.

The smell was vinegar, and maybe pickling lime, which were clearly marked in a bathroom Mr. Adams uses to mix chemicals for his salt water fish tank.

"I said, 'I call it his laboratory for his fish tanks,' " Mrs. Adams said, recalling her conversation with the CenterPoint technician. "I'm looking at the fish tank talking to this guy."

Isn't it just wonderful? Especially followed by this:
Police say there was no extended investigation, just an interview with the subcontractor.

"Everything this person told us turned out to be true, with the exception of what the purpose of the lab was," Roehl said.
(my bold)

Just friggin' amazing. It says the victims are looking for a lawyer, and I hope they sue the ass off these people.

And I wonder what they'd consider an 'extended investigation': maybe actually looking at the house and, I don't know, investigating before they got a warrant and kicked in the door? And if one of the officers had misjudged or just slipped and killed or crippled one of the victims, we'd still be hearing the "It was a terrible tragedy, but the officers were following procedures" excuse that almost always gets trotted out.

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