No Bail For Woman Accused Of Killing Agent

Wife Of Suspected Drug Dealer Allegedly Shot FBI Agent During Pa. Raid

(CBS/AP)  A judge denied bail on Thursday for a woman accused of killing an FBI agent during a drug raid that led to her husband's arrest on cocaine-dealing charges.

Christina Korbe, 40, was arraigned early Thursday on a homicide charge in the shooting death of Special Agent Sam Hicks on Wednesday.

Korbe told investigators she thought her home was being burglarized and that she was shooting at an intruder.

Hicks and other law enforcement officers went to Korbe's home to serve a warrant on her husband, Robert, as part of a drug sweep.

Christina Korbe called 911 during the raid and said her house was being robbed and that she had fired at a burglar. She was arrested while still on the phone with an emergency dispatcher.

She later told investigators that she never heard police announce themselves, according to a criminal complaint.

CBS station KDKA in Pittsburgh reports that local residents who know the Korbes were shocked to learn of the raid and shooting.

The Korbes often dined at the restaurant next door to their family-owned convenience store on Main Street in Sharpsburg, according to KDKA.

"It's real hard to understand," said one woman who works in the restaurant. "It's just something, you know, when I met her here, you know - very nice - when she had a meal here."

The Allegheny County Police Department, which filed the homicide charge and participated in the raid with the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, said the team that went to the home to arrest Korbe's husband knocked on the door around 6 a.m. and shouted "police!" several times.

Hicks was shot almost as soon as he entered, shouting "I'm hit!" before falling to the ground, police said. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but was wounded just above it, authorities said.

Christina Korbe was with her 10-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son when agents arrived and may have feared for their safety, said her attorney, Sumner Parker.

"It became very chaotic and confusing and based on some other things taking place. ... My client may have taken actions that she thought was appropriate and ultimately called 911 to get local police to her house based on what she thought was happening," Parker told The Associated Press.

Robert Korbe, however, knew police were at his door, according to a police affidavit.

He told investigators that, when he heard and saw agents pounding on his front door, he ran to the basement to retrieve some cocaine and pour it down a drain, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly told investigators that, when he was finished, he was surprised that no police were in the basement, so he ran into his backyard, where he was arrested.

Parker, who also represents Robert Korbe, said he can't explain why the husband appeared to realize police were raiding his home when his wife didn't.

Robert Korbe, 39, was one of 35 people charged Wednesday in the 27-count indictment that accuses the defendants of conspiring to traffic cocaine and crack from October 2007 through September. Christina Korbe was not named in the indictment.

FBI Director Robert Mueller III was in Pittsburgh on Thursday to meet privately with Hicks' family and colleagues.

[usclimey]

OK gunnies, here''s another relatively normal situation aggravated by the presence of a gun. What''s y''all''s take on this one?

[mytoosense]

I would be inclined not to believe this women if I could forget about Ruby Ridge and Waco.

[usclimey]

Shave her head! That way, it''''ll be easier to electrocute her!

Posted by tj217

Execute her for making use of her 2nd Amendment rights? Hmmm that''s interesting.

[usclimey]

go fish for a debate by the sewers..if you are looking for your kind of fish..sh*t

Posted by obamasNUTZ

NUTZ is right.

[usclimey]

btw..how would you run a raid?? with a flyswater? do drug dealers have flyswaters too?? how has a bigger flyswatter??

how about your limey?? do you have a flyswater?

Posted by obamasNUTZ

No, but I have two very big Rottweilers who wouldn''t take too kindly to being woken up by a stranger at six in the morning.

[usclimey]

every right has responsibilies and accountability attached to it..everybody should have the right to bear arms..but doing so does not dismiss you of your responsibilities that comes when you carry a firearm and rifle..

Posted by obamasNUTZ

So you would contend that it is up to the homeowner to ascertain who the intruder is before shooting?

[missingamerica]

OK gunnies, here''s another relatively normal situation aggravated by the presence of a gun. What''s y''all''s take on this one?

Posted by usclimey at 03:53 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Methinks it is more appropriate to say it is a situation exacerbated by drugs and drug laws.

Dealers - and the people who live with them - no doubt know that they are prime targets for often homicidal robberies. The thought, of course, is "What is the dealer going to do - call the cops?".

That fact leads to itchy trigger fingers, especially if someone feels the need or duty to protect children.

Methinks the cops should have phoned ahead rather than bust the door down, particularly since children were involved.

And particularly since in an hour or so the kids likely would have gone off to school.

Either they had enough to bust the guy from their "sweep", or they didn''t. Busting in just to get evidence gets people hurt...and it is sadly not unheard of for the cops to bust into the wrong house, to boot.

Poorly planned, poorly executed, poorly lead.

[usclimey]

my point is..you cannot argue that the gun agrivated this situation..

the police just have to match what the crimianls have

Posted by obamasNUTZ

One report early on said the FBI guy didn''t even have a gun. Not sure how true that is.

[usclimey]

in los angeles i am not sure if you heard of the battering ram hitting the wrong houses..

Posted by obamasNUTZ

Yeah, I lived in LA for 25 years - I remember one of those, not to mention numerous debateable shootings during such raids. If I remember the cops won''t even pay for damages.

[usclimey]

Poorly planned, poorly executed, poorly lead.

Posted by ibsteve2u

Nice post. Thanks. Question is, should the woman be held without bail? Given the laws in this country, I''m not even sure she''s guilty of anything if she didn''t know what her husband was doing.

[missingamerica]

Nice post. Thanks. Question is, should the woman be held without bail? Given the laws in this country, I''m not even sure she''''s guilty of anything if she didn''t know what her husband was doing.

Posted by usclimey at 04:35 PM : Nov 20, 2008

That "suspicion" thing, ya know. She could be telling the truth and have absolutely no knowledge of her husband''s dealings, and she would still be held on "suspicion".

That tool is useful enough that giving it up for one person isn''t worth it.

Besides, might be best to hold her until things cool down a little. Vigilante civilians - and cops - are not unheard of.

Especially not after a year or so of powerful people running around talking about who is and is not a "real American" - or even a terrorist.

And with gun sales skyrocketing as a result...

[usclimey]

this raid was a mistake..raids in residential sectors should NOT be done in the morning..away from children..

Posted by obamasNUTZ

Agreed 100%. Especially when the FBI is involved as they don''t generally advertise their presence quite as spectacularly as the local cops.

[JRC_903]

I guess the police are in a no win(no knock) situation when they are trying to catch the bad guys with their pants down (so to speak). Perhaps this is something like reverse collateral damage. And, as we all know, when they (police) inflict direct collateral damage, they just laugh it off and that is that. So if by definition you are trying to sneak up on someone---by not telling them who you are--- wouldn''t you expect to be on the wrong side of a firearm from time to time.
In my state, you learn at an early age--to never threaten someone with deadly force unless you are ready for their response. When the police break down someones door without warning, they are threating someone with deadly force.

[JRC_903]

Since police are not the only ones who use police tactics these days, people sometimes do not know what they don''t know. I for one, would not care to be the on one side of the door while the person on the other thinks I am just some common Mexican drug gang hoodlum pretending to be a cop in SWAT gear. A piece of paper might say I have a right to do what I am doing, but can that piece of paper stop a bullet? It can not. Therefore, I think it incumbent on the "paper_pusher" to find someway to prevail without getting people KILLED--including the cop, the suspect/s, or the suspects'' children-merely wishing it--will not make it happen.

[gramto8]

If I had a gun and had kids at home, I would probably have responded the same way this lady did. You come in my home uninvited, expect consequences. Her kids had to come first.

[spredbury]

This is the reverse of the normal case where a cop kills an innocent civilian. The cop gets a paid vacation and is then found innocent of anything because he "feared for his life". This woman will probably receive a hasty trial, found guilty and sent to prison of a very long time where she will be further persecuted by prison guards because she "killed another cop". Remember cops take care of other cops. I''m sorry this cop got killed but I really think there is reasonable doubt about what this woman thought. I just hope the facts come out and she gets a fair trial but I doubt that will ever happen, remember cops and prosecutors are all just alike and will take care of one another. Cops and DAs are like dogs, they all lie together.

[sensiblejack]

As a law and order person i am conflicted...if serving an arrest warrant it would seem prudent to have waited to get this guy as we was leaving the house vs an armed incursion....even a rudimentary level of investigation would have revealed home occupied by children ( and those not on the warrant).

Not saying her guilt or innocence can be determined one way or another, could be she knew it was a raid and was protecting her husband , or might genuinely be that she was unaware....... although now she weill be crucified either way.....seems like offical arrogance/incompetence on the part of LE here cost this FBI agent his life.

[JRC_903]

As far as this lady is concerned. She might be able to convince a jury that she did not know that the police where about to launch a "secret assault" on her house.
And therefore argue, that she believed a a criminal enterprise was about to kill her and her children. To attack her defense the government might argue that she knew the raid was coming and therefore her response was premeditated. But if they did that would would say about the competency of the police? Not much. In the end, no one kills a cop and walks away free--even in the unlikely instance that they are "absolutely" innocent. So, she is going away for a while-- reduced sentence perhaps.

[slim1h2o]

Christina Korbe called 911 during the raid and said her house was being robbed and that she had fired at a burglar. She was arrested while still on the phone with an emergency dispatcher"

Yup, so the round-up of inocent people has begun!

What did she do wrong? Nothing, she was protecting her home, That''s it. And some of you people out there cheer on the "War on Drugs"?

This is the most assanine aspect of it.

You go in with a no-knock warrant, expect this outcome.

Release the woman pronto!

[pbcityvet]

It''s funny how everyone assumes this and that when the investigation hasn''t been completed by anyone including the police and media. Led the investigation run it''s course before targeting the police or Mrs. Korbe.

[tbuckl]

As long as the police engage in behavior that causes people to be suprised someone will die. I guess it is okay when it is the citizen but not good when it is the cop. Why not just arrest him as walks to his car, while at the red light, steping out the car to go in the house, why in the early morning hours unless thats what you really want, that moment of fight or flight. Some run, some do not, this behavior will cause death. The cops know this, they want to engage, they want the show down aggressive push till it pops moment. Sad to say but that will get someone dead, life wasted due to hast. Perhaps the Art of War should be required reading for law enforcement, the idea of taking the enemy intact would be a good start.

[guadalcanal3]

Kill an FBI angent...and suffer the consequences...

[pachamaxi]

you have to look at this side too:
the lady protecting her children and the cops going to arrest the drug lord.
why the husband sells drug? he is the one who put his familly in danger, this day it was a cop who did his job and get killed wich is unacceptable but if it was one of his kids.....
And when the police came he knew they were there he was busted but he went on his basement and try to throw away the drug instead of: ok my familly is in the house i am busted let''s comply!!!!
the only one to blame here is the drug dealer and not the cops or the lady.

[cockamammy]

My thoughts go to the children who were most certainly traumatized during this police action. It is deplorable that a raid took place when children were present. SensibleJack is right in his opinion that if there was a rudimentary investigation uncovering the fact that children were present then an armed incursion would be deemed imprudent to say the least. The War on Drugs and its immoral governing laws have made it unnecessary for police to practice no-knock raids in the hopes of securing evidence anymore. We now longer are innocent until proven guilty regarding complicity in drug cases. Considering present wire tapping laws and other surveillance activities by the police, there is no reason to bust down doors to make sure no white powder gets flushed down the drain. Circumstantial evidence is enough to convict in America''s courts. So, not only is this action unneccesary, it is criminal in itself considering the suffering inflicted on the innocent in this situation.
It is the gung ho mentality of cops that caused this tragedy.

[slim1h2o]

It is the gung ho mentality of cops that caused this tragedy.

Posted by cockamammy at 06:22 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Exactly, and well said.

They need to stop this illegal war on drugs. By extension, they have committed war on U.S citizens, which is prohibited in the Constitution.

So this "Police" action toward our citizens must stop.

[slim1h2o]

Posted by obamasNUTZ at 06:33 PM : Nov 20, 2008

First of all, they need to go to the southwestern border states and get a handle on whats going on there, before they start breaking down doors in the northeast. You know, the point of entry, the kidnappings,, etc,,etc,,

Secondly, they need to legalise marijuana and there would be no need of these other drugs. The way it is now, if you are going to do something illegal, might as well go for the big(good stuff).

But my thanking is that, pot is far safer than all this other stuff going on. Like Meth. Coke, etc,,etc.

People would just stop at weed and be done with it, if it were legal.

[slim1h2o]

the effect of unregulated drugs on society has a greater impact on society that this incident..

Posted by obamasNUTZ at 06:33 PM : Nov 20, 2008

BTW, Unfettered Legal drugs are a problem in this country as well.
They have pain medication out there that is far more dangerous than weed ever thought of being, yet they keep weed illegal.

Where''s the thought on that? It''s all about the money, nothing more, nothing less. Well, and control the masses as well.

[cockamammy]

It is the gung ho mentality of cops that caused this tragedy.
Posted by cockamammy at 06:22 PM : Nov 20, 2008
******
no it is not..its those idiot drug dealers who brings these drugs home and surround thier family with it..

then you go on to post...
Posted by obamasNUTZ at 06:30 PM : Nov 20, 2008...I am against this kind of early morning raids specially in residential areas where kids are involved.
Posted by obamasNUTZ at 06:29 PM : Nov 20, 2008
-------
obamaNUTZ you completely contradict yourself here when you state you''re against the cop''s gung ho mentality but you are against early morning raids of this kind. Get your story straight!

[JRC_903]

On further consideration, I think that women in this story may have a case for her actions. Why? I can not see why any sane person would resist the police with firearms. I do, however,see why someone would resist what they believe are criminals. I don''t think this women is stupid--and cocaine or no cocaine-- taking on someone you know is a cop is not too smart. Therefore, she must have believed her life and the life of her children was truly in danger. Yes, you don''t often hear of a civilian using the defense that "they feared for their lives..." i.e as in cops justification for using deadly force. But in this case, it may work.

[Druidfaith]

Obamasnutz said:
...the effect of unregulated drugs on society has a greater impact on society that this incident..
______________________
______________________
Indeed, and that is EXACTLY WHY most drugs should be decriminalized, regulated and taxed, and further drugs made by Pfizer, Bristol-Meyers-Squib, etc., et al, should also be reevaluated for their efficacy and their patents, should appropriately be allowed to expire and become public domain information, after 30 years as they were orignially intended to.
Think about this Ritalin is essentially a form of Methamphetamine as are so many other "ADD/ADHD" drugs. You don''t want your kids using Meth, but, many people don''t even think twice about pouring Ritalin down their kid''s throats like M&M''s... Just a thought, for the record, before anybody starts flaming me for this post. I DO NOT ADVOCATE DRUG USE, I MERELY RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT DEER, MICE AND MOST ANIMALS WILL EAT POISONOUS FOODS/PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS THAT GROW WILD IN NATURE, AND HUMANITY IS MERELY A SELF AGGRANDIZING ANIMAL.

[cockamammy]

I do realize that cops should be smarter than that..so they are NOT EXPEMPT from part blame...they have to do thier jobs.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GUNG HO MENTALITY when you do this kind of job..who do you want tod o this
"a peave loving pacafist"?
Posted by obamasNUTZ at 07:09 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Ok, obamasNUTZ you''re making a little bit more sense than your previous posts. Of course, cops can''t act like ''a peave loving pacafist'', but some common sense should be applied. Unfortunately, it is not applied because cops get high off of busting down doors. Its their drug; that adrenaline rush they get is directly related to this gung ho mentality. Last but not least: You do realize that there is a spell check in this forum (see above quote) so please use it in future posts. Intelligence is equatable to grammatical ability so please use it.

[newsjunky5]

People used to do this over beer.

[swingset4u]

Parker, who also represents Robert Korbe, said he can''t explain why the husband appeared to realize police were raiding his home when his wife didn''t.

Christina Korbe was not named in the indictment.


Ummm, I know I may be going out on a limb here, but is''nt this how it usually goes down: Husband deals drugs, wife is oblivious to the fact and so when the hous egets raided she thought she was getting burglarized and SHOT the FBI agent. Ehh, I would have done the same if someone came crashing thru my door. The husband sounds like he was the ONLY one who knew what was going on. He is the guilty one. Not her....Dumass cops.

[mike18881]

he''s a drug dealer, who''s breaking into his house? the cops,or someone who''s trying to steal his drugs. they''re crimminals.

[babooph]

These "warrents" allowing trashing peoples homes on "searches" must be radically reduced-I recall the feds murdering some fool longhair in Cal. for Nixon -he was guilty of running from what he thaought were armed hippy nuts !!The "agent" was rushed out of town & never charged for the murder-bet this one gets no trial !!

[babooph]

Notice all the crooked CEO guys are not busted at 6am with no knock warrents & sent to real prisons-they only steal billions & destroy the economy of the nation !

[harbinger09]

"Parker, who also represents Robert Korbe, said he can''t explain why the husband appeared to realize police were raiding his home when his wife didn''t."

This reminds me of several occasions when I or my husband got interpreted the same situation differently. One time, he overheard me and a friend shouting and rushed to my defense--it took a minute for him to realize we were not fighting but both excited about something and had both been discussing it, before we were in polite speaking distance.

another time, we had to deal with work personnel and it was astounding how each of us interpreted the remarks/situation totally differently.

In other words, just because the hubby knew who was at the door and why and rushed to destroy evidence does not mean the wife heard the same thing or even knew about her hubby''s drug involvement. Married couples are not the borg--they do not speak or interpret things with one mind. The premise of her thinking and/or knowing the same things as her husband(and thus reacting accordingly) is ridiculous. Definitely in her favor is that she did not keep shooting the others and that she did call 911 either before or as she was shooting.

[harbinger09]

meaning you cannot stand in a middle of a crowded plaza and scream FIRE..and if there is a stampeed that resulted because of that..THEN YOUR ARSE IS GRASS

Posted by obamasNUTZ at 04:22 PM : Nov 20, 2008


No aspect of home invasion laws require homeowners to id intruders before they defend their home--now just imagine burglars/rapists/serial killers etc invading a home and identifying themselves as police to disarm/distract the homeowners. You go into someone''s home uninvited you run the risk of getting shot no matter what you holler out--the risks are too great to a home owner to ask questions after the fact.

[harbinger09]

And therefore argue, that she believed a a criminal enterprise was about to kill her and her children. To attack her defense the government might argue that she knew the raid was coming and therefore her response was premeditated. But if they did that would would say about the competency of the police? Not much. In the end, no one kills a cop and walks away free--even in the unlikely instance that they are "absolutely" innocent. So, she is going away for a while-- reduced sentence perhaps.

Posted by jrc_903 at 05:46 PM : Nov 20, 2008


If she "knew the raid was coming" she would have not been home--neither would her husband or her kids.

[harbinger09]

he''''s a drug dealer, who''''s breaking into his house? the cops,or someone who''''s trying to steal his drugs. they''''re crimminals.

Posted by mike18881 at 10:16 PM : Nov 20, 2008


or.... just like what happened to that family from Conn. (where the doctor was thrown down the basement stairs while his wife and daughters were repeatedly tortured and raped and set on fire) the "intruders could have been just criminals unconnected to the drug trade--after all, there is no law or signs that would prevent other criminals from victimizing people who sold drugs.

One thing is sure--the people who should have been in the home were there and those who busted in were intruders--the question is--how safe/smart is it to check id of intruders before trying to shoot/repel them from your home?

[slim1h2o]

One thing is sure--the people who should have been in the home were there and those who busted in were intruders--the question is--how safe/smart is it to check id of intruders before trying to shoot/repel them from your home?

Posted by harbinger09 at 05:06 AM : Nov 21, 2008


I agree,, Just think if that Doctor was in a position to put a cap in those two scuzz buckets, as they entered their home, they''d still be alive.


What I can''t grasp, are these anti-gun people who feel that home owners "do not" have a right to protect themselves. Anybody who busts down doors to gain access to a occupied home, I don''t care who you are, without proper notification, deserves what they get.

[attheapex]

An all-white jury found Lima, Ohio, Police Sgt. Joe Chavalia not guilty on all counts in the January shooting death of 27-year-old Tarika Wilson during a January SWAT team raid on the home of a low-level crack cocaine dealer who was her live-in boyfriend. Wilson was shot and killed as she cowered at the door of a second-floor bedroom holding her infant child, Sincere Wilson, in her arms. The child was also hit; he had a finger amputated because of his wounds.

The officers defense was that he heard shots fired and feared for his life.The shots fired were fellow officers shooting a dog.

[attheapex]

Oddly enough this officer was only charged with misdemeaner counts and faced only 8 months at the most if convicted.Why can''t the police nab these people while they''re out of the house and then search instead of the home invasion tactics which also are increasing used by criminals.

[slim1h2o]

As I said before you have a right to protect yourself but do you need a gun for that purpose? Guns are not designed to protect people. They are designed to kill them.
Posted by truthrocks;

In short,Yes.
The people that are breaking in, just might have a gun, so you''d need one to even the odds.

[kittykatsky]

Her husband knew it was the police. And waht did she think was in the filing cabinet---powdered sugar for Christmas cookies? She won''t fry, but I hope she goes away for a long time.

[evian_ycnan]

These are a whole lot more fun when the cops pull a no-knock on the wrong address and the first guy through gets plugged.

Kitt Hurst. Best one of all. Son of the Chief of Police; 1970s; out to make a name; kicks in the door of the bedroom of a house they did a no knock on.

Wrong address; 70-year old woman puts a 45 in his brain pan.

[evian_ycnan]

Posted by truthrocks at 02:26 PM : Nov 21, 2008

"She" is a woman. "She" has kids present. If the intruders are big enough to kick in a door, then "she" is already as a severe physical size disadvantage.

"She" merely equalized the situation.

"She" may not be at fault.

[evian_ycnan]

Parker, who also represents Robert Korbe, said he can''t explain why the husband appeared to realize police were raiding his home when his wife didn''t.


Piece-o-cake. He was sleeping on the couch in the den having fallen asleep watching Jay Leno. Happens to me 2, 3 times a week. That''s why he knew they were cops and she didn''t.

All that "Cops" no-knock nonsense and the Hubby STILL managed to flush his stash!

[evian_ycnan]

Evian said "Wrong address; 70-year old woman puts a 45 in his brain pan."

Let me tell you the outcome in a home without guns. The old lady screams. The police realize they are in the wrong house. They apologize and leave. She could still sue and make a ton of money. No one gets killed. She doesn''''t have to live with killing an innocent man.

Posted by truthrocks at 02:57 PM : Nov 21, 2008

Court refuses to hear the lawsuit, police state ensues.

Guns keep everyone honest... at a price, but honest.

[slim1h2o]

The homeowner was the shooter.

Posted by truthrocks at 05

That''s what happens when you kick-in somebodys'' door unanounced.
Next time they should knock!!

BTW, you still on here, talking how much courage a criminal has?