Radley Balko continues his crusade against police using excessive force with this video.
Watch it. Is this really America? These guys are out of control.
And all over some pot.
More prosaically, whatever you think about the wisdom of the drug war, how can this sort of thing possibly pass any sort of cost-benefit test? Several cops spend several hours, all on overtime because it is at night, to execute this raid. Plus they kill the pets and scare the kids, probably making them distrust the police the entire rest of their lives. Worth it? Over some joints? What's the money value of keeping this guy from smoking pot? I don't even think it is positive, but even if you do, can it possibly exceed the costs?
Good job to the Economist's DIA blog to publicizing the video outside of libertarian-land as well.
Addendum: more on the reaction from the Columbia, Missouri - home of the University of Missouri - police to the public consternation about the video. The police chief does not really seem to get the point.
One of the dogs was a Corgi. See the link below.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/search?q=corgi&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
If you were wearing SWAT armor would you even be threatened by the Pit Bull much less a Corgi? #democracyfail