What were they thinking?????

[PistMist]

My dad and grandmother share a house, Last night around 1:00am the Salt Lake City Police Dept. came with a search warrant and raided my dad's house. They kicked in the front door which was %50 glass, my dad ran towards my grandma's bedroom thinking he was being robbed, they tackled him before he got there, the police were than going to kick in the next door which leads into my grandma's kitchen but my dad screamed "just unlock it!" Thankfully they did. The next door was to my grandma's bedroom, which she does keep locked, they kicked in her door and 4 masked officers dressed in black stormed into her room. My grandma's bed is no more than 6 feet away from the door they just destroyed. My grandma is 80 years old, has a history of heart problems, and this is 1:00 in the morning. She jumped out of bed and started screaming. Until she realized they were police. She was led out into the front room and seated on the couch, confused and shaking uncontrollably. My dad asked the officers if they were aware of the fact that his 80 yr old mother lived with him, the officer responded "we had heard reports that she did".The officers ended up calling an ambulance for her. The paramedics took her blood pressure and suggested she go to the hospital. She refused because she was worried about my dad.
Anyway, they arrested my dad for paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. The officers contacted me around 2:45am and asked if I would come stay with my grandma. I arrived there at 3:30am, the house was destroyed and my grandma was still sitting on the couch in shock. About a half hour later she started complaining of pain and tightness in her chest. So I immediately took her the ER. She spent the day there, the doctors gave her plenty of Nitro Glycerin and regulated her blood pressure before releasing her later that evening.

I guess my question is--- Doesn't someone investigate who lives in a house before they go kicking the front door????????????
Does my grandma have the right to sue???????

(Sorry for the length of my story)

PistMist

 

[Mikedani]

I guess my question is--- Doesn't someone investigate who lives in a house before they go kicking the front door????????????
Does my grandma have the right to sue???????

PistMist

Answer:
Yes.
Yes, she should sue her Son for dealing and using drugs in her house. What kind of man would jepordize the health and safety of his Mother by conducting this type of activity under the same roof.
How is it that you have twisted this around to blame the police for stopping someone who is a detriment to society.
Stop protecting and condoning your fathers behavior. It's ugly.

 

[PistMist]

What happened to "innocent until proven guilty"

It's judgemental people like you that make our justice and correctional system the revolving door it is today. I suggest getting all the facts, I don't condone anything. My point is that it would probably be a good idea, before you send 10 heavily armed men in ski masks into a house, maybe someone should find out who lives behind the doors of that house????????????

Using the same tactics and procedures in every case, whether your a cop, lawyer, doctor or bus driver, is how innocent people get hurt.

 

[Mikedani]

So are you saying that your Dad doesn't sell drugs or have a drug problem?

Denial or Enabler...stop looking to blame the police.

Sure it sucks that your Grandma was is the house when it got raided but whos fault is that? Your Dads.

 

[Mikedani]

Dude...Check it out, I'm just chillin with my homies...throwen back 40 oz.ers and whatnot. (yeah right)...

DRUGLORD give me a break...I wasn't knocking the drugs, I was knocking PistMist who wants to blame the police instead of her Dad. You know how well druggies and DRUGLORDS 'play' their family.

DRUGLORD you know whats up...I'm sure your a Man about it...when you get caught you pay the price. It's the cost of doing business. Dad got caught. But don't blame the police.

 

[PistMist]

Mikedani-

What law school was it that you went to??????????????????//

 

[JETX]

PistMist.....
What would you have liked the police to do??? Would you feel better if they had come to the door (before 9pm of course), knocked and asked, "Is granny home??".

Or maybe they could have called ahead and said, "Ah, were going to do a surprise drug raid on your house tonight... would you make sure that Granny is prepared so that she doesn't get upset??".

Simply, any way other than a 'shock knock' wouldn't work.

Here are the facts taken from your own post:
1) Your father DID have "paraphernalia" and WAS in "possession of a controlled substance".
2) Your father made the conscious decision to HAVE and POSSESS in the home with his mother who is
"80 years old, has a history of heart problems".

YOUR father did this, assumingly with full knowledge. He is the one who put your grandmother (and very possibly her home) "at risk"!! The police did their job. YOUR father set the location and circumstances. Place your blame where it belongs. You need to step back from the emotions of this. You will realize that your anger towards the situation that your grandmother was placed in is misdirected.

Oh, and let me answer your earlier questions:
Q1) "Doesn't someone investigate who lives in a house before they go kicking the front door????????????"
A1) Usually, yes. But the officers don't set the location, the 'druggie' usually does. And while on this subject, let me add... the reason that they 'hit' the house was they probably got a tip that sales were going on there. The police normally get the suspect where the 'action' is... so that they can recover the evidence. And the fact that they 'hit' the house, means that your father may very well have been selling from that house. There is no way that they could have been driving by and see him using drugs... then decide to hit the house. SOMETHING led them there!

Q2) "Does my grandma have the right to sue???????"
A2) Sue who??? The police? No. The court for the warrant? No. Your father for doing illegal activities in her home?? Possibly.

 

[Mikedani]

Halket,

Thanks...Nicely said.

 

[Vincent Cosent]

And could the police confiscate the home or does that depend on whether granny knew that drugs were present and or on the quantity of drugs found??????

 

[JETX]

The 'drug seizure' laws are pretty inclusive... and (personally) somewhat unfair. Simply, the can seize a property declaring that it was used in, or the result of, committing a drug crime. They simply declare that the property is a 'criminal' and seize it. And since 'it' isn't a person, it has no 'rights'.... especially the right of 'innocent until proven guilty'. The property is guilty first, making it the owners responsibility to prove "it's" innocence. That is a long, expensive ordeal.

So, yes, it is possible that the authorities could seize the house, depending on the specifics of the charges filed and the agencies aggressiveness.