Comments on: Cop Convicted Of Lying About Shootout

An Atlanta Woman, 92, Was Gunned Down Mistakenly In A Botched Raid

[usmcvn2]

Posted by brianbwb at 02:32 AM : May 21, 2008


Good ole Detroit, USA. Shirley Open School, Holcomb
School, Harding School, Redford HS! Left Detroit for
the MC in 2/67. Its a shame what happened to Detroit
over the years. I have been back a couple of times
in recent years, the old Brightmoor area is a complete
burned out area now. The whole West Side, the same.

[brianbwb-2009]

"It seems that since the Bush admin has been in charge this kind of thing has been more and more frequent. Could it be that the Justice Dept. has let the hounds of war run free?" Posted by rebelscout

I would differ slightly. It is not more common, it is only now more commonly reported.

If you grew up in 60s Detroit as I did, you would remember a special police unit called S.T.R.E.S.S., an acronym for "stop the robberies, enjoy safe streets". Their method? select a random "Black" person, shoot him twice in the head, and leave the body at an intersection. You might also remember the "Algiers Motel" incident, when the police simply ran wild, shooting and torturing more than thirty people in a single night. One victim was kicked to death, kicked so violently in the head that his eyes popped out of their sockets.

But then all the victims were "Black" and that did not sell papers, it was "normal".

[rebelscout]

It seems that since the Bush admin has been in charge this kind of thing has been more and more frequent. Could it be that the Justice Dept. has let the hounds of war run free?

[brianbwb-2009]

"To the others on here the police are taking action against these officers. Apparently they have been conducting an investigation of this incident and now are ready to go forward and prosecute. The police should be held to a higher standard and i think overall they are. Give credit wher it is due. If they were not doing there jobs this story would already be forgotten." Posted by ranger1948

I do hope you are right, Ranger, I know you from your posts to be a level headed, logical person, and as such I trust you won''t take my comments personally, it is just that I have personally seen far too many acts that would be called police corruption, and as far as the information in this article, I see no mention of the aspect of drug possession and misuse, which to my eye is an important set of questions that must be answered.

The article mentions this; "Tesler was stationed at the back of Johnston''s home and never fired a shot during the raid, according to testimony. He testified that his former partners, Smith and Junnier, planned the cover up, and said he feared they would frame him if he didn''t go along with their plan."

This seems to be indicative of a deeply entrenched mafia like climate of corruption, that an apparently "good cop" like Tessler fears the others could successfully frame him, is it a common practice within this group? One wonders how many innocent people are in jail because of these people.

[ranger1948]

brianbwb
Nice Post.
To the others on here the police are taking action against these officers. Apparently they have been conducting an investigation of this incident and now are ready to go forward and prosecute. The police should be held to a higher standard and i think overall they are. Give credit wher it is due. If they were not doing there jobs this story would already be forgotten.

[ranger1948]

brianbwb

[brianbwb-2009]

"They said Smith handcuffed the dying woman and planted three baggies of marijuana in the basement of her house. He then called informant Alex White and told him to pretend he had bought crack cocaine at the house, they said."

So Smith just "happened" to have three bags of hemp on him at the time?

The prosecutor apparently did not think this strange, what part of "possession of a controlled substance" does not apply to cops?

A blood test would establish whether the cop was a hemp user, and if he wasn''t, then the question becomes did he procure the pot with intent to frame someone? From where did he get it, and if it was from the cache of confiscated drugs held by the police, then who is responsible for letting it out?

This incident cracks the door to police corruption, and no one is forcing it open, the courts are once again protecting criminals in uniform.

[cantshutup]

this makes me sick and enraged...i cannot imagine the horror this poor, poor 92 year old woman was going through in her last moments on this earth...bless her heart...
i''m so sorry that these NAZI''s, these SCUM, these LIARS and MURDERERS...pretend COPS, murdered this poor,innocent woman...we all need to arm ourselves because this is our present and future--a police state where these NAZI''S patrol and raid the houses of American citizens!! for what? a made up story for a continued "WAR ON DRUGS"??? if the dopers want to fry their brains SO WHAT? Your house is your castle, these "COPS" should be put to death!!!
I''m sorry for this woman''s family...a 92 yr old woman is a JEWEL, a resource of knowledge and wisdom and should have been honored and cherished NOT GUNNED DOWN IN HER OWN HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mcv57]

Some police organization are worst than others (the Southern boys are the KKK under a invisable mask). This episode is only a slap on the hand (political propaganda - sacrificial pig). Cops shoot and kill people every day.

Look at Drew Petersen, murdered his two wifes and still retired on a $70,000 pension. Is that a slap on the face to Law and Order; then again what law, and the only order is corruption these days.

[rushlimpdrug]

A cop that lies?

Pass the donuts. . .

mmmmm. . . . I love the glazed ones. . .

[ranger1948]

As tragic as this was, at least the system does work somewhat and some of the time. Maybe they didn''t receive enough punishment for it, but the police did investigate and prosecute their own. If it becomes where they don''t then we have all lost in society.I am pro police but i do believe they should be held to answer for wrongdoing just like anyone else.

[bobnjersey]

[The botched raid also led to an investigation of the Atlanta Police Department, which forced the department to tighten its warrant requirements, and led to a shakeup of the narcotics unit. ]

maybe the investigation will lead to better methods of abusing others rights and airtight cover-ups that will allow this to happen again w/o risk of detection.

glad to see they took this 92 year old ''enemy combatant'' off the streets ... i feel safer already.

[michellem99-2009]

I think the cops are given too much power. It is shot first then ask ?s. Glad they sent the asre up to the big house. I told in my house to shut my mouth by a man. He torn out to be a cop. I could not see him and he never told me he was a cop. That was years ago. I DO NOT ALLOW GUNS IN MY HOME AND WHEN A COP ENTER HE/SHE BREAKING MY RULES. I am blind.

[idnnsg]

This woman is another innocent victim of the "war on drugs". This "war" puts the cops at war against the people of this country. They no longer "protect and serve"; they now assault and murder (and then lie to cover up their criminal actions). And we let them get away with by not demanding accountability. Holding the cops responsible for this woman''s death by imprisoning them for murder would be a good FIRST step. Then we have to end this stu.pid "war".

Think about it: we have a "war on drugs", a "war on crime", a "war on cancer", a "war on terror", etc., etc. NOT ONE of these "wars" has ever led to victory, and no such war ever will. The whole approach is totally wrong-headed, ineffectual, and nothing more than an excuse to make war on the people of this country, to keep us too afraid to stand up for our rights while the rich get richer and the working class and poor get poorer and poorer.

[mcv57]

Posted by cbsblogger

You sound so naive. Most urban police personnel are animals, some are recruited straight out the Marines (kill or be killed mentality). Some are as crooked and violent as criminals.

Most law enforcement establishments adopt a mafia creed - we protect our own. The system - judges, politicians and police unions - cover-up their tracks to avoid civil and often criminal activity. I hear the law enforcement agency (including the FBI) are worst than Al Capone. Southern politicians hide behind their establishment even in the face of Congressional investigation of corruption - Southern congressmen and politicians use the confederate political tactics to guard themselves against Federal Corruption Charges.

What is the White doing about it? Nothing, the Bushwacker will have enough problems when the international community go after him on "crimes against humanity."

Our government is wallowing in corruption! The FBI and CIA are helpless.

I wish Michael Moore would do reseach on how bad the law enforcement corruption is. Perhaps he is avoiding that issue because he knows he will be killed - police are animals.

[stn_sage]

According to another report I''ve read, the suspect who the police claim stated drugs were being dealt from her house, NEVER said that! The no-knock warrant was phony as a three-dollar bill! The lady was defending illegal, armed entry by police, was shot at dozens of times, and brutally murdered by police!

ALL three of these "police officers" should be given mandatory life prison sentences! Anything less is a ''slap in the face'' to the public and cause for concern on our part!

When is the court system going to punish police who commit brutal acts of murder, instead of protecting them? Until it does, WE---the public---will NEVER be safe!!

[cbsblogger]

Cops should NEVER do a door busting / night time break in unless they have strong suspicions that innocent victims are held at risk. It should never be done based upon suspicions of non-violent crime.

[cbsblogger]

It is still far more important for police officers to be held to a standard of "protect, serve, and defend" the citizens than being cowboys in the pursuit of criminals.

In other words citizens should depend on the protection of law enforcement much more than they need to be afraid of being co-opted and attacked by overzealous officers in an effort to take the bad boys off the street.

[cbsblogger]

It is still far more important for police officers to be held to a standard of "protect, serve, and defend" the citizens than being cowboys in the pursuit of criminals.

In other words citizens should depend on the protection of law enforcement much more than they need to be afraid of being co-opted and attacked by overzealous officers in an effort to take the bad boys off the street.

[michellem99-2009]

Good they took a bully COP out. That poor lady.