The Blaze – by Elizabeth Kreft
A Jacksonville homeowner thought she may have been robbed Sunday, but realized instead her home had been altered by a SWAT team.
Deborah Franz was told to leave her home by police during a standoff with her neighbor over the weekend. According to WTEV-TV, Franz overheard loud fighting next door, and then saw SWAT team members swarm the street.
“The cop goes ‘You all need to leave, you can’t be in your house,’” Franz told the station.
Police and SWAT teams gather on Franz’s street to track down her neighbor (WTEV screenshot).
The standoff lasted nearly six hours, but after the scene was cleared by law enforcement, Franz was able to return to her home and was under the impression everything was back to normal.
That’s when she was taken by surprise.
“I was the first one that came in the door and I stopped – I froze – because I realized somebody had messed with my TV,” Franz said. Her television and her game console had been moved and unplugged, her blinds were open on several windows, and blankets she had covering some walls were thrown on the floor.
After taking a quick inventory and realizing nothing was missing, Franz could only assume it was the police that had been in her house. “They were the last people I (saw) around my house,” she said.
Then she called the station to confirm her suspicions. “When he did call me back and he said ‘Yeah Ms. Franz my men did come in your house,’” said Franz.
Even worse, the mess in Franz’s house didn’t help the cops’ cause; after a near 6-hour standoff that blocked off access to most of the neighborhood, the police finally realized that the suspect had escaped the residence and and the SWAT team effort missed him completely.
Usually law enforcement officials need a warrant or permission to enter a home, but one attorney WTEV interviewed said it appears the team used Franz’s home to gain an edge on the suspect.
“It seems they only entered into the home to gain a tactical advantage. I think if there’s any violation that would probably be it,” criminal defense attorney Miguel Rosada Jr., said.
For now, Franz simply wants an explanation and an apology. “If you’re going to come in my home and use my home, at least let me know or at least try to contact me,” said Franz.
According to Rosada, it would be difficult to bring forth a case because there were no damages but he said the JSO should have at least notified her.
See Franz’s story here:
The tactic is similar to one used by Massachusetts authorities during the aftermath of the Boston bombing. At the time, police outfitted in tactical gear swept full neighborhoods while looking for the suspects.
The story also reflects some of the concerns over increased police militarization. On Tuesday,TheBlaze reported on a Des Moines, Iowa, family that had their doors knocked down by a local SWAT team serving a search warrant. According to the family, they would have consented to the search had the officers simply knocked.
“This is over property purchased with a stolen credit card,” the homeowner said in the Iowa case. “It doesn’t make any sense to go to such extremes for something that simple.”
Police never found the items they were looking for in the Iowa case but did make two arrests on unrelated charges.
(H/T: WTEV Jacksonville)
If anyone thinks that America is degrading into a third world hell hole, don’t look now, but it already is practically. I never heard of this kind of nonsense when I was growing up. Sure, there were reports of things like this going on in COMMUNIST countries. We really should not call so many people in this country “sheeple”, we should call them JACKASSES! Why? Because the founding fathers warned us about letting tyranny run rampant in our Republic!
Oh Yea, that is how they do things. They totaly destroyed my place back in the 80`s and they validated it because they found a keepsake bong from the 60`s I forgot that I even had – it was the first bong I every bought!! unused for many many years and forgotten about for about 10 or so years even. Yea they threw every thing on the floor – if it was in a drawer or a cup board it ened up on the floor like a bunch of pissed off vandals at the very least. Yea silver ware, clothes, plates, cook ware, bedding LP records, photo albums – everything!! Yea, my placs was ransaked and destroyed, them bastards een took the covers of from light switches on the walls and put large holes in the walls – and they justified it because of a GD bong that I had forgot about years before. Yea that is how they work. 👿 🙁
“Usually law enforcement officials need a warrant or permission to enter a home, but one attorney WTEV interviewed said it appears the team used Franz’s home to gain an edge on the suspect.
“It seems they only entered into the home to gain a tactical advantage. I think if there’s any violation that would probably be it,” criminal defense attorney Miguel Rosada Jr., said.”
Hmm….gee….No shit, Sherlock! And how long did it take you to figure that out? I don’t even need a law degree to know that, dumbass.
“For now, Franz simply wants an explanation and an apology. “If you’re going to come in my home and use my home, at least let me know or at least try to contact me,” said Franz.”
BAHAHAHA!! Sheeple, Sheeple, SHEEPLE!! When will you ever learn to know and enforce your rights?
Don’t get mad that the police violated your 4th Article Right and entered your home, which is completely illegal and unconstitutional and they all should be imprisoned and sued up the ass. NO NO!!! That’s OK! What’s not OK is why this insurgent army didn’t come up to you and “apologize” for doing it.
(shaking my head in disbelief at the stupidity of this person and the rest of the sheeple out there)
Like the cops coming in and stealing your money and raping your daughter and then saying, “No I don’t want them arrested or imprisoned. I just want to know why they didn’t apologize for it all.”
UNFRIGGINBELIEVABLE!!!! COWARDS!!! Where the hell is your pride, your self-esteem, your brains, your strength, your humanity, your soul? Wake up! Stand up for yourself. Stop acting like a slave and start taking action, dammit!!!