America Tonight / Al Jazeera America – 2014-08-19 01:41:31
http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/2014/8/the-deadly-resultsofarmingamericaaspolicepartone.html
The Deadly Results of Arming America’s Police: Part One
America Tonight / Al Jazeera America
(August 17, 2014) — Ferguson isn’t the only police department with military-style equipment and tactics. Propped up by billions of Homeland Security dollars and free military equipment through the Department of Defense, police departments across the country are becoming more and more militarized.
Over the last few decades, the number of SWAT teams and SWAT-style raids has skyrocketed and they’re increasingly sent out to perform routine tasks. Correspondent Sebastian Walker heads to a rural town north of Los Angeles to understand how a bust that turned up a small amount of marijuana could leave an elderly man dead in his home.
A Tour through ‘Real Ferguson’
America Tonight / Al Jazeera America
(August 17, 2014) — Ferguson isn’t the only police department with military-style equipment and tactics. Propped up by billions of Homeland Security dollars and free military equipment through the Department of Defense, police departments across the country are becoming more and more militarized.
Over the last few decades, the number of SWAT teams and SWAT-style raids has skyrocketed and they’re increasingly sent out to perform routine tasks. Correspondent Sebastian Walker heads to a rural town north of Los Angeles to understand how a bust that turned up a small amount of marijuana could leave an elderly man dead in his home
Deadly Force: Arming America’s Police,
Documents behind the Investigation
The Fault Lines Digital Team
To read the documents, go to this link.
(February 28, 2014) — In Fault Lines episode, “Deadly Force: Arming America’s Police”, airing Friday, February 28, at 9:30p ET on Al Jazeera America, we profile two deadly incidents involving SWAT teams.
The first was a drug raid that took place in Los Angeles County, CA, on the morning of June 27, 2013. It resulted in the death of 80-year-old retired Lockheed Martin engineer Eugene Mallory He was shot six times, five of which struck him in the chest.
Los Angeles County detective, Patrick Hobbs, suspected that Mallory’s house was an underground meth lab. Below is the search warrant that allowed police to storm Mallory’s property.
Police officers claimed that Mallory was standing up in the doorway to his bedroom and holding a gun when they encountered him. The investgator’s narrative on page 28 of the document below states that by the time he examined Mallory’s body, it had been moved from the floor, where Mallory reportedly fell, to his bed.
“It appears the decedent collapased near the bedroom entry way and was moved by paramedics to the bed prior to my arrival.”
In January of this year, the Los Angeles County district attorney sent a letter to the county Sheriff’s Department saying that it had concluded that the officer who shot Eugene Mallory had acted in defense of himself and of one of his fellow officers.
The second incident featured in “Deadly Force” took place on January 5, 2011, in Monterey County, CA. Roger Serrato was inside his family’s home as a SWAT team descended, believing was involved in an recent shooting.
During the standoff, Serrato would die of smoke inhalation from a flash bang grenade thrown into the home by the officers outside. He was not connected to the earlier crime.
Fault Lines producer Sweta Vohra emailed the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for a statement about its handling of the case, it responded with the following letter:
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
