Overkill & Overstepping Boundaries: I Have Some Questions...

[michaelm101]

Firstly, I am a staunch supporter of our police and law enforcement personnel. Here's the story::

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA- Our friend and housemate (56 years old, 5'5", 140 lbs) left for work on Friday morning, June 29, 2018. As he exited the front door, I heard an abrupt LOUD howl of a police siren. As our friend exited the front door, six parole officers had guns drawn and sighted on him with his hands up in the air. I saw all of this through the window. Within minutes, I saw that my long-time neighbors were able to witness this spectacle.

Since we have known him for over two years to be a gentle and kind person, who assists us in nursing stray and abandoned puppies and kittens, we had no idea why this was happening. I came outside to see what it was all about...

Apparently, he was in violation of his parole for a non-violent conviction back in 1997.

The lead officer then told me they needed to search his room and asked me, "Do you have any guns?"
To keep things simple, I said, "No (I keep my family at the mercy of intruders and bad people)."

I allowed them to search the upstairs room he rented. I locked the master bedroom.

When they came back downstairs, they asked to enter the garage that I had converted into a home office, tennis-racket-stringing, bicycle-repair area with adjacent sleep quarters. It was readily accessible (with no means of locking from the other side). So, of course, I allowed them access.

They snooped around and saw my photographic lenses on my desk and asked if I was a photographer. I replied, "Yes (bring your wife over for a complimentary nude session LOL)."

They opened a file cabinet drawer and discovered athletic undergarments and socks and asked, "Who lives here?" I replied and told him it was my retreat when my girlfriend and I have a dispute.

They asked me to present my driver's license, and asked where I met our housemate, how long I've known him, etc, etc, etc...

I have realized that law enforcement has consistently overstepped their boundaries and abused their authority resulting in millions of tax-payer dollars in the settlement of various law suits.

I have a few questions:

1) Why were SIX officers summoned to do this (other than to waste tax-payer money)?
2) Why were all of their guns drawn at my housemate?
3) Why was I asked if I "owned guns."
4) As they had already found their man, why did they need to search my housemates room?
5) Why did they search my garage area?
6) Why did they require me to give them my driver's license?
7) Why did they require the telephone numbers of my girlfriend and our other housemate?

Any help would be very much appreciated!

 

[quincy]

Firstly, I am a staunch supporter of our police and law enforcement personnel. Here's the story:

Our friend and housemate (56 years old, 5'5", 140 lbs) left for work on Friday morning, June 29, 2018. As he exited the front door, I heard an abrupt LOUD howl of a police siren. As our friend exited the front door, six parole officers had guns drawn and sighted on him with his hands up in the air. I saw all of this through the window. Within minutes, I saw that my long-time neighbors were able to witness this spectacle.

Since we have known him for over two years to be a gentle and kind person, who assists us in nursing stray and abandoned puppies and kittens, we had no idea why this was happening. I came outside to see what it was all about...

Apparently, he was in violation of his parole for a non-violent conviction back in 1997.

The lead officer then told me they needed to search his room and asked me, "Do you have any guns?"
To keep things simple, I said, "No (I keep my family at the mercy of intruders and bad people)."

I allowed them to search the upstairs room he rented. I locked the master bedroom.

When they came back downstairs, they asked to enter the garage that I had converted into a home office, tennis-racket-stringing, bicycle-repair area with adjacent sleep quarters. It was readily accessible (with no means of locking from the other side). So, of course, I allowed them access.

They snooped around and saw my photographic lenses on my desk and asked if I was a photographer. I replied, "Yes (bring your wife over for a complimentary nude session LOL)."

They opened a file cabinet drawer and discovered athletic undergarments and socks and asked, "Who lives here?" I replied and told him it was my retreat when my girlfriend and I have a dispute.

They asked me to present my driver's license, and asked where I met our housemate, how long I've known him, etc, etc, etc...

I have realized that law enforcement has consistently overstepped their boundaries and abused their authority resulting in millions of tax-payer dollars in the settlement of various law suits.

I have a few questions:

1) Why were SIX officers summoned to do this (other than to waste tax-payer money)?
2) Why were all of their guns drawn at my housemate?
3) Why was I asked if I "owned guns."
4) As they had already found their man, why did they need to search my housemates room?
5) Why did they search my garage area?
6) Why did they require me to give them my driver's license?
7) Why did they require the telephone numbers of my girlfriend and our other housemate?

Any help would be very much appreciated!

What is the name of your state?

No one here can answer any of your "why" questions, by the way. We have no way of knowing why the officers did what they did.

 

[quincy]

Thank you for adding your state name to your original post.

My previous response stands. No one here can tell you why the officers responded as they did. Perhaps your "gentle and kind" friend is suspected of committing a heinous crime.

You could either ask the agency to explain (which they might not), or you can watch the news for a report that might provide insight, or you can have your friend tell you what it was all about, when/if he is released from custody.

 

[Shadowbunny]

1) Why were SIX officers summoned to do this (other than to waste tax-payer money)? Just to make you mad? Or, perhaps, you don't have the full story, as you didn't even know he had a warrant.

2) Why were all of their guns drawn at my housemate? Because even "non-violent" parole offenders have been known to be carrying weapons.

3) Why was I asked if I "owned guns." To ensure their safety.

4) As they had already found their man, why did they need to search my housemates room? Because you let them. And, because, they were dealing with a known criminal.

5) Why did they search my garage area? See answer #4

6) Why did they require me to give them my driver's license? So they could see if YOU had any warrants.

7) Why did they require the telephone numbers of my girlfriend and our other housemate? What did they say when you asked them?

 

[quincy]

You did a remarkably good job of answering unanswerable "why" questions, Shadowbunny. Applause.

 

[justalayman]

A slight addition to a couple responses;

Why did tbey ask if you had any guns;

There are multiple answers. First and foremost it is likely based in their safety. If there were guns in the house the next question would have been where are they. If you carry they would have asked to hold it until they left. If you didn’t have it on you they would tend to insist you stay in the open areas of the house where they could watch you just to make sure you weren’t heading to get a gun. Then, they would want to make sure it was not accessible to the felon.

Why they searched his room; because they could and they wanted to make sure a guy on parole was following the rules... whoops, apparently he wasn’t which is why they were there. They probably wanted to see if he was doing anything else he wasn’t supposed to be doing


Why did they search your garage;

Because it seemed like a nice place to hide weapons and other contraband and since it was accessible to the parolee, it was fair game to do so.

Why did they require you to provide your id; did they actually require you to or did you simply comply with their request? As to why they would want to see your id; it makes it real easy to check for warrants for you


Why did they require phone numbers; again, did they require it or did you simply comply with a request.

They like phone numbers. It was nice you gave them info you didn’t have to. It makes it easier for them to know what phone numbers to seek warrants for the records if they are investigating your friend and they believe he may have used your phones for illicit activities.

 

[quincy]

Okay. Okay. I take back my earlier comment that no one can answer the "why" questions.

 

[michaelm101]

Thanks, justalayman for your sensible and logical reply. Yes, I complied simply because I'm on the side of the law. Our housemate had a conviction of destruction of property during a heavy downpour; a vehicular accident, and fleeing the scene. It was a rock garden on a traffic island in a well-to-do suburban community.

So, there's a consensus that six armed officers to handle this is efficient use of funds? Whatever happened to guys like Harry Callahan who did it all toting a single wheelgun? ....Oh, I forgot, that's just Hollywood, of course!

 

[quincy]

Whether six armed officers were necessary depends on what he did that led the officers to your house.

 

[michaelm101]

Whether six armed officers were necessary depends on what he did that led the officers to your house.

He skipped parole...

 

[quincy]

He skipped parole...

By "skipped parole," what do you mean? Did he move to a different area or to a different state without informing the parole office?

 

[michaelm101]

Moved to a different area...I'm assuming there was no notification of the relocation.

 

[quincy]

Moved to a different area...I'm assuming there was no notification of the relocation.

I think from the described officer response, that is a fair assumption.

I also think you might not have known your friend as well as you thought you did.

 

[Shadowbunny]

So he not only broke the law, making it necessary for him to be ON parole, then he disregarded the terms of said parole. So he's a criminal twice over. 6 officers doesn't seem to be all that out of line.

 

[justalayman]

Okay. Okay. I take back my earlier comment that no one can answer the "why" questions.

Well, all we can really do is guess as to why. We can’t say with any certainty why they actually did do what they did.