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Opps, cops kill wrong guy in drug raid!
The Pima County pigs put 60 bullets in this guy who they claim was shooting at them. One minor problem the safety on his gun was on and he could not have fired the weapon. No drugs were found in the home, or at least the cop are refusing to answer that question. It makes them look bad if they kill a guy on a drug raid and no drugs are found! Arizona veteran killed by police mistaken for drug trafficker, documents show by Sean Holstege - May. 27, 2011 12:41 PM The Arizona Republic Hundreds of pages of documents released late Thursday in the controversial police shooting of an Iraq War veteran earlier this month show that Pima County sheriff's deputies thought they were storming the Tucson home of dangerous drug trafficker. However, it's unclear if any drugs were found in Jose Guerena's home. At least one bag of marijuana was seized from another residence, one of four that officers from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and other agencies searched as part of the operation May 5. A SWAT team arrived at Guerena's home with an armored personnel carrier and numerous squad cars, with lights and sirens, to serve a search warrant mid-morning. After breaking down the door, officers saw Guerena at the end of a hallway holding an assault rifle and thought that he fired at them. [Well they made up the part about him firing at them, the safety was locked in place on his gun, but any lame excuse will do to justify the police murder.] The SWAT team fired dozens of rounds at Guerena, striking him 60 times. He was pronounced dead an hour later, after officers sent in a remote-controlled robot to confirm there was no other threat and after Guerena's wife and young son were evacuated. The case is gaining national attention because two weeks after the incident, the Pima County Sheriff's Department issued a statement that further investigation showed Guerena had his safety on and could not have fired the weapon. Search warrant records and police statements from that day show that deputies recovered numerous weapons, body armor, cash, cell phones, radio equipment and at least one bag of marijuana from four houses searched that day. Among the items seized at the four homes was a silver-plated 0.38-caliber handgun, or a "Super 38," a popular status weapon among Mexican traffickers. [I assume they are hoping the people will incorrectly assume the guns and drugs were found in the home of the guy they killed] Several officers told internal investigators that bullets, glass, wood splinters and stucco chips flew out of the house during the shooting. Pima County Deputy William Fosmire, who was outside the house, told detectives he thought bullets were aimed at his colleagues because "we were briefed before that the muscle of the DTO (drug trafficking organization) was at this house." During the execution of one of the other search warrants that morning, deputies drew their weapons, but did not fire on other suspects in the case.
Our government masters are highly biased toward the police? Probably! Pima County GOP chairman coming under fire Jul. 1, 2011 03:43 PM Associated Press TUCSON - Leaders of the Pima County Republican Party want to remove chairman Brian Miller him from his post. Miller has been under fire from party stalwarts for the past month. The Arizona Daily Star says Miller criticized a SWAT raid in May that resulted in the shooting death of a man law enforcement officers suspected of involvement in drug dealing. Several elected officials and county GOP leaders have complained that Miller's comments pitted the party against law enforcement at a time when city elections are looming and candidates are gearing up for bigger 2012 races. Miller has refused to resign. The party's executive committee voted 10-2 Thursday to call a special meeting on Miller's situation. A two-thirds vote of the elected precinct committeemen will be required to remove Miller from office.
County GOP officials trying to oust party chairman over raid comments Rhonda Bodfield Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star Posted: Saturday, July 2, 2011 12:00 am Pima County Republican Party leaders voted late Thursday to take away party chairman Brian Miller's keys to the GOP headquarters and called a special meeting to try to remove him from his post. Miller has been under fire from party stalwarts for the past month, with meetings called in recent weeks after he criticized a SWAT raid in May that resulted in the shooting death of a man law enforcement officers suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. Several elected officials and party leaders have complained his comments pitted the party against law enforcement at a time when city elections are looming and candidates are gearing up for bigger 2012 races. After raising questions about the amount of police force used in serving the search warrant, Miller said he hoped the incident would foster a community discussion of "the policies that routinely lead to heavily armed and militarized local police invading private homes, and a renewed interest in the civil liberties codified in our Bill of Rights." Miller was given an opportunity to resign but refused, triggering a 10-2 vote by the executive committee essentially stripping him of his powers until a meeting to remove him can be held. Party insiders say to some degree, the fight reflects a rift between some of the more libertarian-leaning members of the party, and other more traditional party members. Even before the SWAT controversy raised hackles, there was some concern over a comment he made after the Jan. 8 shootings in Tucson that left six dead and 13 injured when state lawmakers moved to establish a no-protest zone around funerals. At the time, he expressed concern about infringement on First Amendment rights. Barney Brenner, a member of the committee who voted to seek Miller's removal, said he wished Miller had resigned to help heal the party. Regardless of whether Miller meant for it to happen, Brenner said the chairman's words damaged the party and the ability of its candidates to raise money and support. "This is solely about the best interests of the Pima County Republican Party," Brenner said. Miller, who said he's been consistent in defending the Constitution, said it is the executive committee that has kept the controversy in the forefront, by continuing to call meetings to complain about his leadership. "This is a political witch hunt," he said, adding, "If they wanted it dropped, they would have dropped it three weeks ago." Jill Henderson, a precinct committeewoman who supports Miller, said the email was blown out of proportion. She said she believes some acted because they believe his removal will help stabilize the party, but others, she said, have "ulterior motives." "The latter group is scared of what Brian represents and scared of bringing in new blood and fresh ideas. They feel they can't leash him the way they want to," she said. The ouster meeting has yet to be scheduled, but officials are aiming for the weekend of July 15. Because there is no mechanism to remove an elected officer, a majority of precinct committeemen have to approve a change in bylaws. After that vote, a two-thirds vote of the elected precinct committeemen will be required to remove Miller from office. If the effort is successful, Mike Shaw, the party's first vice chair, will serve as interim chairman until an election can be held within 60 days to name a replacement. Shaw, who said he is considering running for the post, said he is confident the party can heal any rifts. "We all agree to 85 to 95 percent of our issues. We're all conservatives. We just need to concentrate on what we agree on and link arms and move forward," he said, adding the party continues to organize walks for its two City Council candidates. The issue might not go away so easily, though. Miller said if he survives, he will call a special meeting to ask the precinct committeemen to vote on the performance of each member of the executive committee. Contact Rhonda Bodfield at rbodfield@azstarnet.com or 573-4243. |