Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Death of a Slave-Catcher



 
Ogden Police Officer Jared Francom was fatally shot during a raid on the home of Matthew David Stewart last January 4. Francom was part of a twelve-man SWAT team attached to the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, a federally subsidized counter-narcotics squad. 

A few weeks earlier, a woman named Stacy Wilson who had broken up with Stewart called the Strike Force snitch line to report that Stewart was cultivating marijuana on his property. After three attempts to conduct a “knock and talk” search of the home, the Strike Force obtained a warrant for a nighttime paramilitary raid – despite the fact that they didn’t even bother to do a background check on the accuser.

In familiar fashion, the SWAT team knocked on the front door, shouted “Search warrant!” and immediately broke into the home with a battering ram. Stewart barricaded himself in a room and began shooting. Francom was shot six times, although it’s possible he was hit by “friendly fire.” Five other officers were wounded, as was Stewart, who was arrested in a shed outside his home. He has been charged with one count of aggravated murder and seven counts of attempted aggravated murder. The state intends to seek the death penalty.

A search of the home turned up a handful of marijuana plants. Stewart, a veteran, insists that he used marijuana to treat a variety of physical and psychological conditions that are the residue of his time in the military. He also maintains that he didn’t know that the armed invaders – some of whom had long hair intended to make them look like gang-bangers -- were police officers. 

Would you let them into your home? Strike Force members receive an award.

This is a potentially significant detail.

In early September, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill determined that a man named Priest Jemelle Mitchell was justified in killing an intruder named Brandon Saunders – despite the fact that Saunders was unarmed.  Infuriated to learn that Mitchell was involved with his ex-wife, Saunders broke down the door of her apartment.  Mitchell responded by fatally shooting Saunders.

After reviewing the evidence, Gill concluded that the act of kicking in the door constituted trespassing with intent to commit an act of violence, and Mitchell was justified in believing that he faced “imminent peril and threat of injury.”
If this is true of a situation in which an unarmed, jealous ex-husband threatens a man who was in his ex-wife’s apartment, how would the same standard not apply to a man confronting six heavily armed strangers who had broken down his door in a nighttime raid? 

The men who barged into Stewart’s home insist that they identified themselves as police. But the same was true of the people who raided the Sandy, Utah residence of Clayton Green  in early October.  In that case, however, the assailants were private sector criminals posing as their state-licensed counterparts.

Mr. Green was greeted at his door by a man wearing police garb, displaying a badge, and demanding access to their home. A few seconds later, Green and his wife were thrown to the floor and handcuffed with zip ties. They were held gunpoint while burglars ransacked the home. Although the Sandy Police Department admits that this incident was not an isolated case, they refuse to say how frequently this kind of thing happens in Utah. 

A few days after the incident at the Green family’s home, another armed raid was carried out against an elderly couple in Salt Lake City. Michael and Teresa Ryan were terrorized by an armed gang that busted down their front door and held them at gunpoint. This time, it was the police – specifically, a federally supervised joint narcotics task force – who committed this act of terrorism.

According to Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank, the only problem with the second raid was that it took place at the wrong address. Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Frank Smith, whose agency participated in the assault, blithely explained that “law enforcement, unfortunately, is not a perfect science.”
 Todd Blair of Roy, Utah was another victim of the imperfect “science” of paramilitary drug enforcement. 

At about 10 PM on September 16, 2010, Blair was in the basement of his home when he heard footsteps and the voices of strangers at the back door. Apparently thinking that he was being robbed, Blair grabbed a golf club and went upstairs to confront the trespassers – who were agents of the same Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force that would invade Matthew Stewart’s home roughly a year and a half later. 

The no-knock raid at Blair’s home was carried out on the basis of a single, anonymous tip that he was selling meth and heroin. After gunning down Blair, the officers were able to scour up less than half an ounce of marijuana. 

Following the standard perfunctory and predictable official review, the fatal shooting of Blair by Sgt. Troy Burnett was ruled a “justifiable” use of force by Weber County Attorney Dee Smith – the same official who is now determined to execute Matthew Stewart. 



The institutional response to the needless violent death of Todd Blair was the equivalent of a “sucks to be you” shrug. This was decidedly not the case after the death of Officer Francom.

We have lost and brother and will grieve this loss knowing that officer Francom laid down his life for his friends and community,” lamented Weber County Sheriff Terry Thompson during a press conference following the shooting. He also praised “all of our heroes in the public safety family who have stepped up this day to the task of caring for our wounded warriors.”

That expression shouldn’t be dismissed as a specimen of melodramatic rhetoric: Like nearly everybody in their profession, Sheriff Thompson and the members of the Strike Force see themselves as waging war on the population they supposedly serve – and they demand the unqualified support and admiration of that same population. 

Carrying out its duty as a state-aligned media organ, the Deseret News used the death of Jared Francom as an excuse to lecture Mundanes about what we are to consider the peril-forged bond of shared by our uniformed overlords:

“When the shots were fired in a Wednesday night drug raid, killing one officer and wounding five others, the shots may as well have been fired at all of Weber County law enforcement. Those shots also may as well have been fired at all of Utah law enforcement and police officers in this country — such is the solidarity, such is the bond. The men who work the streets, those who moved on to desk jobs, the women on patrol or the detectives who work sex crimes come from one family. And you don't understand unless you've been there.”

Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL described Francom’s death as “a startling example of the dangers drug enforcement officers face.” Naturally, it didn’t describe that fatal paramilitary raid – or the one that resulted in the murder of Todd Blair – as a “startling example” of the dangers drug enforcement officers pose to the public. 

The Sunday following the shooting, the entire Ogden Police Department was allowed to take the day off – with pay – in order to deal with its collective bereavement. Utah Governor Gary Herbert ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. The following month, the Utah Legislature held a brief ceremony to honor Francom. During the ceremony, Representative Brad Dee, who represents Ogden, praised Francom for answering the call “to step between good and evil.” 

Francom’s funeral at Ogden’s Dee Events Center was attended by 4,000 people, including hundreds of police officers, Governor Herbert, and Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee. 

In his remarks at the event, Troy Combs, who was Bishop of Francom’s Mormon congregation, recalled that the officer had grown his hair long as part of his undercover work. In addition to being a police officer, Francom was a Sunday School teacher, Bishop Combs related, and for the kids the experience was like “being taught by Jesus.” This assumes, of course, that the Savior’s day job involved kicking down doors and terrorizing people for consuming substances of which the government disapproves.

“Jared’s was a tragic death,” continued Bishop Combs. “He was murdered in the line of duty. But he did it serving and protecting.”

The first of those statements is an indisputable fact: Jared Francom was an irreplaceable individual – a husband and father – who died in a needless and preventable episode of violence. The second statement is morally unsupportable: Matthew Stewart was defending his home against armed strangers he may not have recognized as police officers, and who in any case were not acting as peace officers. The third statement is unambiguously false: The actions of Francom and his comrades at Matthew Stewart’s home had nothing to do with protecting the rights of anybody. 

Through his work with a paramilitary unit enforcing drug prohibition, Jared Francom “protected and served” the public in exactly the same sense that 19th Century Deputy U.S. Marshal James Batchelder did in his work enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act.

In early 1854, a young man named Anthony Burns escaped the custody of a Virginia man named Charles Settle, who claimed to “own” him. After Burns had settled down and found gainful work, an informant recognized him as an escaped slave and contacted the authorities. Batchelder was sent to Boston for the purpose of returning Burns to his previous condition of servitude.(Interestingly, this process was called “rendition.”) The marshal quickly located Burns and – after using the pretext of a bogus robbery investigation to place him under arrest -- locked him in the federal courthouse.

News of this abduction provoked an immediate response from local abolitionists, who organized an armed posse to liberate Burns from his captors. In the ensuing skirmish, Batchelder was fatally shot, but the police retained custody of Burns. 

Wanting to avoid further bloodshed, Burns – a devout Christian – asked his supporters not to attempt another rescue. A few days later, Burns was escorted to a ship bound for Virginia. The rendition took place under the watchful eyes of 1,600-man military contingent sent by President Franklin Pierce to deter any further efforts to liberate Burns. 

Like Jared Francom, James Batchelder died in the line of duty.  Both of their names are inscribed in the “Officer Down Memorial Page.” 

“To have faced a mob as a law officer, especially in the days of only the gun and the badge -- and little else -- is the very core of bravery no matter the circumstances,” declares a tribute posted in honor of the slave-catcher. “To have taken a bullet in the name of the law deems one a hero among heroes. Long live such bravery and honor.”

Apart from those who belong to the Sanctified Brotherhood of Official Coercion, is there anybody today who would regard James Batchelder as a “hero,” and consider his death a noble “sacrifice”?

Anyone burdened with a conscience should recognize that dying in an effort to enslave another human being is ignominious, rather than honorable. Although few police officers are aware of Batchelder’s “sacrifice,” they routinely celebrate the purported valor of officers who meet their mortal end while employing violence to enforce government policies rooted in a denial of self-ownership.

Drug prohibition is a subset of slavery – in both its philosophical premise (the denial of individual self-ownership) and its role in creating a huge and growing population of people in chains. A hundred years from now, assuming that Jesus tarries and Americans rediscover rational thinking, drug enforcement officers will be seen for what they genuinely are:  The heirs and successors to 19th Century slave-catchers.







Dum spiro, pugno!

43 comments:

InalienableWrights said...

I like to see positive out comes like this. Wish I could be on this man's jury. I pray that FIJA.org blankets the area.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant as usual, Will... "employing violence to enforce government policies rooted in a denial of self-ownership" is an epic quote that I will remember and use for a long time...

Anonymous said...

Christian Individualist, hell. You are no Christian. Christians follow the Ten Commandments. You constantly bear false witness with your loaded 'journalism' and innuendo. You make me want to vomit sometimes.

Matt said...

A person’s *primary* obligation is to determine right from wrong and act accordingly, laws be damned.

Slave-catcher, violent drug prohibition enforcer, drone pilot, etc., etc., etc.

You are *not* determining right from wrong when you're doing these "jobs."

MoT said...

Another anonymous coward above. And I wasn't aware that Christians are bound to the Old Testament and the Law.

Anonymous said...

Will,

Great coverage of the Matthew Stewart raid and shooting. I live in Ogden and have been irritated for the last 10 months over this irrational and completely unnecessary raid.

I was even more bothered by the overwrought and self-serving circus which was Jared Francom's funeral. From the day off for ALL of Ogden's police, to the thousands of officers who attended his funeral, to the closed city streets for his funeral procession, the flags strung over major city streets, etc.

The whole thing was nothing but a celebration of the standing army that our local police have become, accompanied by the local press lecturing the mere mundanes to "honor" this fallen officer.

Ugh.

I appreciate your willingness to expound on this story and get the truth out.

Best wishes.

Kent McManigal said...

I wish every cop would be killed the very first time he tried to enforce some counterfeit "law" on a person. In no time at all, there would either be no cops at all, or there would be a tiny handful of fast learners.
I warms my heart to hear of these predators getting the justice they deserve.

And, in case brave Mr. Anomymous 5:34 PM is wondering, I am not a Christian of any sort. I am an atheist, and I love and respect Will Grigg for the service he provides to all of us who value (and understand) rightful Liberty. And for his unflinching HONESTY (something you obviously fear and despise).

WorBlux said...

“When the shots were fired in a Wednesday night drug raid, killing one officer and wounding five others, the shots may as well have been fired at all of Weber County law enforcement."

If the solidarity is really so strong, why in the world are the police commanders sending officers into these high risk, high profile, search warrent home invasions, while there are low risk low profile methods such as waiting for a suspect to leave the home.

In fact we know there is no factual justification to prefer the high risk method because on three occasions officers felt safe enough to approach the house and knock on the door.

Regardless the final result of charges against Mr. Steward, whoever ordered the home invasion was criminally negligent and should be held for manslaughter.

willb said...

I agree with the slave analogy.
The drug war has produced nothing but senseless violence
committed against our natural rights and fundamental liberties.
I would take the analogy even further and compare it to the
Salem witch hunts. The ignorance of it all is mind boggling,
that is until you arrive at the logical conclusion that it's not
about drugs or witches but simply control and force and violence.

Matthew 7:16
Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Anonymous said...

Francom is now a 'good' cop.

whitebuffalo said...

As always Mr. Grigg, another outstanding article.

But I would like to optimistically disagree with the hundred years from now part. I think that it will only be twenty years. The next generation will be shaking their heads at these moronic laws and the useless loss of lives and liberty and money.

The question is, Who will be the last one to die in this unwinnable "war on drugs"? A citizen or a cop?

Colorado's recent vote for recreational pot is going to be interesting to watch. Will they have the stones to stand up to the feds? My guess will be no. But it is at least a punch thrown so I'll take it.

TWOD is indeed a world wide racket and will not go down easy but I think when it does fall it will be extremely fast. It is just too idiotic to continue.

Anonymous said...

Comrades these sort of problems will be a thing of the past now that the lightbringer messiah has been relected. The messiah can reincarnate the slain officer if you ask nicely.

MoT said...

@WorBlux.."...there are low risk low profile methods such as waiting for a suspect to leave the home."

Bingo! As with Waco, and countless other examples, there is never any need to go in "guns ablazin". This is all about using shock tactics on the masses to perpetuate the "warrior" mythos. If it were to be done peaceably then the lies and excuses for their departmental budgets would appear as bloated as their waistlines.

Anonymous said...

I wish all Police death on these raids. ALL POLICE ! No victim no crime. Ogden needs to step it up and support this Hero that was in fear for his life. How dare these thugs do what they did. It's too bad the rest of them were not gunned down and burried.

Demian said...

Seconded.

Anonymous said...

"When the shots were fired in a Wednesday night drug raid, killing one officer and wounding five others, the shots may as well have been fired at all of Weber County law enforcement ... at all of Utah law enforcement and police officers in this country ... ”

This statement is repulsive, considering law enforcement has sworn an oath to serve the populace, not the other way around. The shot(s) that murdered Todd Blair, the assaults that terrorized the Ryans or the Greens, these may well have been enacted on all persons in their communities, or all citizens of the state of Utah, or all citizens of the United States. Such is the solidarity of a People who - for the first time in human history - have dared to institutionalize self-government and individual liberty.

In this country public servants are sworn to uphold the rights of their constituents, and yet they treat individuals as insects; murdering them without a second thought while decrying defense of one's very life as some atrocity.

The paramilitary-style raids, the mindset of dehumanization of the public, and the solidarity with which 'law enforcement' ignores its own crimes while vilifying the natural rights of the public leave room for one conclusion: these public servants traitors, waging war against those they have taken an oath to protect. They are the brown shirts of a dictatorship and are anathema to a free country.

Every "federalized" law enforcement organization needs to be abolished if we are even to restore freedom to the country.

Anonymous said...

This article is spot-on ... the drug laws evidence a form of servitude. The difference is that the servitude is technically voluntary, and judges take quiet notice of your "volunteering." Evidence that you "volunteered" include things like birth registration, socialist slavestate number, driver's license, marriage license, voter's registration, etc. These all attach to a statutory "person" and not to a Freeman. For more info google "Bursting Bubbles of Government Deception" and watch for free on youtube.

Pete

Chris said...

Anonymous @ November 7, 2012 5:34 PM - as opposed to YOUR innuendo? Why do you read his articles then? If you are willing to condone the murder and enslavement of innocent men and women, you're the one's whose faith should be questioned. Mr. Grigg does a great service exposing the unaccountable. Bearing false witness? Hyperbole.

LiveInLiberty said...

Another point to the Todd Blair murder was that the raid is supposed to be planned a certain way and the SWAT team and OPD did not follow procedure. The raid was set up incorrectly and they got away with murder because of it. I knew Todd. He had drug issues that he had been fighting most of his Life but he didn't deserve to be gunned down for it.

Bill said...

Thanks for writing this. These events are outrageous on so many levels...

thanks for shining a little light on them.

Anonymous said...

Will,

You should start a "People of the United States Down Memorial Page" to memorialize those killed by the state.

You should also create an appended “Officer Down Memorial Page” much like Barry Bonds' record home run ball has an asterisk on it, that many of those people were not honorable people in how they conducted themselves when they died, if it's in tabular form, it can be a much-needed academic resource in correcting the mainstream propaganda about "how dangerous their job isn't".

Patrick Henry said...

As usual spot on Will,

I've got a few more points to the issue, you hear all the statist whiners saying, well pot is illegal which is total horse manure.

To prohibit Alcohol a constitutional amendment was needed and I haven't seen one enacted since the one on alcohol was repealed, anyone care to show me?

Therefore no probale cause to even issue a warrant and no lawful "cause of action" for any of these thugs to be busting down a mans door like criminals in the night.

After the murder of Todd Blair by the same exact "team" and the totally covered up vindication of the murder by themselves (self investigation is oh so handy, huh?)
What man in his right mind wouldn't shoot these guys if he heard them say police after they had already broken in and were scouring his home. I would've shot them too and my .50 Desert Eagle unlike Matts 9 mm wouldn't have left survivors.

Violently invade my home with no notice and opportunity to defend then you'll reap what YOU'VE sown.

Their act created this entire problem and the murders not Matthews. All you Terrorist loving supporters of the police can go live in Red China or North Korea if you don't like America along with the supporters for the Patriot Act and the NDAA all null and void on their face. I'm a 17 year vet and didn't defend this country for some gung ho retard to bust into my home in the middle of the night on contrived charges by a malicious ex-girlfriend. I did it to protect all of your and my families rights to certain delineated standards that are being perverted and dismissed at every turn today by treasonous bungholes, whose salaries we pay to protect and "serve" not attack and destroy.

Better get a clue so called "peace officers" because the people are awakening and you will run out of criminals long before we run out of "The People" when we do exactly like Matthew David Stewart and start protecting ourselves "FROM YOU."

Freedom, Love and Peace to all honest Americans.

Anonymous said...

They should give him a medal for killing a worthless, POS cop. I always enjoy hearing about dead cops.

William N. Grigg said...

I applaud armed self-defense in all circumstances, but I don't take pleasure in seeing any human life ended by violence.

Tanya Stone said...

I wonder what will happen to the official narrative the day the SWAT team exercises one of these attacks on a house inhabited by a cop.

willb said...

The only legitimate role of government is maintaining the peace.

The drug war is nothing more than a minority force of will, the
product of which is always violence then failure.

I am appreciative of the national motto "In God we trust." but
as this has become an obvious hypocrisy I suggest we change it
to "Fuck you and the horse you rode up on." which is
a motto we can all live with, honestly and peacefully.

Scott said...

Excellent article. Well done. Wake up the sheeple.

certainquirk said...

Great article Mr. Grigg, thank you. I agree, I have seeing human life wasted in violence. On the other hand, I'm a firm believer in self-defense. This video by from Larkin Rose and CopBlock.org, "When Should You Shoot a Cop" seems appropriate and timely. It's time to have this conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cElTyqJkMEw&feature=youtu.be

liberranter said...

I wonder what will happen to the official narrative the day the SWAT team exercises one of these attacks on a house inhabited by a cop.

The incompetence and stupidity that permeates the average "police department" should logically make the occurrence of such an event a near certainty. The fact that, in so far as we know, it hasn't happened yet (and probably won't in the foreseeable future) testifies to the complete absence of justice in the universe we inhabit.

Doc Ellis 124 said...

Check out the story of Officer James Davies from Lakewood Police in CO.

One of his own whacked him during a raid.

This looks like an example of how a goon whacks a goon event gets reported.

Anonymous said...

I am a simple man and I live by simple truths. If you violently break through my door you are going to be shot. I do not care what you are wearing or what you might be yelling as you do it. And I will be using something a hell of a lot more effective than a 9mm sidearm.

Anonymous said...

There's a follow-up story in today's Standard Examiner, the local newspaper in Ogden, Utah:

http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/11/10/stewart-shootout-ogden-25-nightmarish-minutes

Anonymous said...

I understand the story, and agree with defending against intruders (regardless of profession),
but this situation changes completely once he started shooting at Police Cars in the street.
I am very interested in a better example of someone defending themselves in the home
(where nothing illegal is found at all - like a wrong address no-knock search),
and the defensive shooting is stopped as soon as the perps leave the home.
Then, I want to see how the Judge, Jury and media handles that case.
Once it is clearly determined that they are Police (right or wrong in what you think they are doing)
then it becomes a different matter all together if you keep shooting.

Also, given the number of injured Police Officers,
I am amazed that this guy is even alive to stand trial.

I do agree with all the other commentary made in the article
and it is hard to miss the fact that if you are not a member
of the Police fraternity, you are an outsider.
When you fight back against the Police Fraternity
you will be targeted for retribution and
if they don't kill you on the spot then the Judge will
send you away to prison. So, fight back or don't fight back -
either way you have no freedom (In some sense, your home is just a minimum security prison,
and if you dare stand up against "Authority" for your right to defend it,
then you get killed or sent to the maximum security prison).

To my way of thinking, any police officer who enforces immoral laws has sold out.
Regardless of whether or not the Officer is trying to be moral
in other aspects of thier lives. If you can't say no to your boss on moral grounds
(then you are not moral), or for fear that you will
loose your job (and pension) then you have sold out for money.
If an Officer (or Christian in authority) does this,
and opresses another person (or fellow Christian)
then they can only be a Judas.

Anonymous said...

As per usual, Control Freaks will use ANY excuse to control the populace. They will make up all kinds of laws to keep everyone under their thumbs. Kinda reminds me of when the Savior admonished some about stupid rules from Talmudic Law.

http://controlfreaku.com/wordpress/freak-of-the-week-01-13.html

DannyE said...

No knock warrants are anathema to the fundamental tenets of the Constitution.

A citizens highest duty is to resist tyranny by the state. Mr. Stewart should be considered a hero and lauded as such.

After reading the article, I suspect Francon died of friendly fire. Its hard to shoot straight from behind a barricade. With all the firepower they had and the spraying of bullets....but that will never be investigated.

The members of the jury should deliberate about 5 minutes and return a not guilty on all charges.

Cops should not be able to run these no knock warrants on such flimsy evidence. And when they do screw up, they should face greater charges than citizens. Its the duty of care they have. They are supposed to be trained to know better. But it seems time after time we have a gang of trigger happy thugs shooting anything that moves. Time for this to be stopped.

I support Stewart in every way possible.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for such a good article. It shows that there are people out there that believe in justice. Todd Blair didn't get justice, many other people have also been on the losing side of the police brutality that exists all over this country. In the case of Matthew Stewart, no one has heard to whole truth and nothing but the truth. You can count on this, all of the conspirators who were involved in this fiasco, this miscarriage of justice and the intentional murder of Matthew are going to be held accountable. You all know who you are. Karma is a bitch and when it happens you wont realize it until the last minute. Mr. Francom was not murdered. It has never been proven that Matthew Stewart killed anyone let alone shot that many people. The truth is going to come out just stay tuned.

Anonymous said...

I am curious now that so much evidence has been disclosed under GRAMA if you have reviewed it and revised any of your statements. This was a drug task force, a team of investigators, not a SWAT team and their raid was not paramilitary. They did not have the gear or training of SWAT officers. They had a knock and announce warrant after four attempts to get the suspect to answer the door on four different days and times had failed, not an arrest warrant but a property warrant. Stewart did not barricade himself in a room. He listened carefully as officers cleared the entire basement and three of the five rooms on the upper level of the home, shouting "police search warrant" in each room, then ambushed them from the doorway of his bedroom using the door of a linen closet as cover, but not until they were within five feet of him. He shot the first officer point blank in the face. He then fired 50 plus shots at officers trying to evacuate the house. Jared Francom was killed while engaging in containment fire covering for the other officers to get out. The first shot to him was made through a drywall wall to his concealed position. The fatal shot was made while he was being dragged with another wounded officer out of the house and down the driveway and Stewart continued to shoot at officers in marked cars in the street. And Stewart's "handful of plants" was not a few terra cotta pots but actually an entire grow system that retails at $1200 to start without any of the required chemicals and other equipment. His risk level on a threat matrix was scored at 16 (25 was needed to deploy SWAT) based on his petty criminal record. There are plenty of places you can pick apart mistakes by police officers. The mistake here was relying on incomplete information from an informant and the basic assumption that people are decent and honorable and sane. Stewart was none of those.

William N. Grigg said...

I've not had the chance to review the material released under GRAMA, but after doing so I'm sure that I'll have more to say about this atrocity.

The fundamental moral mistake made by the Ogden PD and those who defend its actions lies in assuming that there is something "decent," "honorable," or "sane" about attacking a man in his home because of his gardening habits. That won't change, irrespective of recently revealed details about this misbegotten operation.

Anonymous said...

http://www.case-files.standardnetlive.com/ This website set up by the local newspaper has 1800 pages of information and 7000 photographs released under GRAMA. The intent doesn't seem to have been to attack Stewart, but to enter what they had been told was, and what appeared to be, a vacant residence used for a drug operation. This in order to serve a property warrant on a legitimate felony crime.

Kent McManigal said...

Since when is anti-drug "law" violation a "legitimate" crime of any sort? (hint: never has been and never will be)

Anonymous said...

The only thing anonymous said that was true is the "Gang" that attacked Matthew in his home was a "Strike Force" unit. First off he did not fire the first shot. It was one of the officers who fired first and wounded Mr. Stewart. It was also one of the officers who shot one of their own in the face. You must be either one of the gang or you believe what you read in the media or one of them told you their side of the story which was a total lie. Get the story straight before you make any comments that you know nothing about.

Anonymous said...

I remember the day well when the cops had the party for there fellow thugs death..Some friends and I also had a party but we celebrated that this thug was now dead and could not hurt/kill again

Anonymous said...

I remember the day well when the cops had the party for there fellow thugs death..Some friends and I also had a party but we celebrated that this thug was now dead and could not hurt/kill again