A Minneapolis police SWAT team kicked in the wrong door yesterday during an early morning raid, prompting the man of the house to grab his gun and open fire on the officers who entered the house.
“He took out his shotgun and he said if they are bad guys I’ll shoot, I’ll scare them away,” Dao Khang, the brother of the homeowner, Vang Khang, tells the Star Tribune. “He fired first, he told me it was two shots.”
Dao Khang says his brother was trying to protect his wife and six children. No one from the family was hit during the exchange of gunfire. Vang hit two officers, but the Pioneer Press says they were protected by ballistic vests and helmets.
"I must've heard over 20 or 30 shots, I swear, it was scary," Ruth Hayes, the family's next-door neighbor, tells [WCCO-TV](http://wcco.com/crime/shots.fired.officers.2.611952.html). "It was like 30 SWAT guys out here ... it was crazy it was just like havoc."
KARE-TV reports that Vang was detained at the scene and released a few hours later. Police say there may have been a “language barrier” between the residents and the officers.
“It was some bad information that was received on the front end that kind-of trickled all the way through,” police Sgt. Jesse Garcia tells the station. “It’s unfortunate because we have officers that were hit by gunfire and this truly, truly could have been a much worse situation.”
Police haven’t decided whether they’ll try to charge Khang with a crime. KMSP-TV says the Khang family is consulting with a civil attorney.
I must’ve heard over 20 or 30 shots, I swear, it was scary," Ruth Hayes, the family’s next-door neighbor, tells WCCO-TV. "It was like 30 SWAT guys out here … it was crazy it was just like havoc.
(old lady describes havoc as anything that isnt her cats or an om pah pah record.)
maybe im dumb (Which im not), but neither of your posts made sense
There is a lot to the situation that should determine whether or not he should be charged. Once the police identified themselves (if they did), if he kept shooting, then yes, I think they should press charges…
If they never identified themselves, then charges should not be filed
when have you ever heard of a raid where they don’t announce “police search warrant” before they bust a door or anything, they had to go through the legality of getting a warrant, and they busted the wrong door got shot why not take responsibility for fucking up, he wouldnt of had a gun in his hand if someone wanst trying to bust down the door,maybe im dumb (Which im not) but isnt there some kind of illegal search and seizure even if they did have a warrant.
swat dosent announce themselfs before they enter, they are a quick force … if they went to a drug house and banged on the door couple times saying hey we r swat… the scum bag[s] inside would flush the drugs or run out of the house… or get a weapon cocked and loaded…
they would lose the element of surprise
they might say it while they r kicking the door in on ur face but in reality it could be very confusing…
edit I’m not leaning on the side of the guy that shot the police - or the police’s side… but i would say that they dont clearly announce themselfs to the degree of knowing wtf is going on…
but they have to announce before the breach either way it could be 2 seconds between
“police search warrant” and BOOM. they can do it as they say it, but they have to announce
Absolutly right, without a warrent or probable cause they tresspassed which nulls there rights as cops to be there guns drawn.
They also said there was a language barrier, either way, this is the police’s fault and therefore charges should actually be filed on them, not the man defending his home.
This guy is LUCKY he had some tactical skills because the chances of him getting dead in that kind of exchange are fucking HIGH. Cops mistake could have cancelled the life of 1-4 innicent civillians. Dumb Ass cops are damn lucky too.
Sorry, can’t justify the charges. In fact, I probably would have opened fire on them myself.
I’m picturing myself sound asleep and being jolted awake by the sound of a door being kicked in and my dog going nuts. If they yell “swat search warrant” as they kick the door down I don’t hear it because I’m in the 1-5 seconds of instantly waking up where your brain can’t process everything.
That sets up an awful situation. One, since I haven’t done anything that would warrant a swat assault on my home even if I hear them yell swat I’d believe them. If I come out gun drawn, high powered flashlight aimed to blind the attacker, now what do I do? I see it’s a legit swat team, but now I have a gun pointed at them. Assuming I did get the drop on them, which isn’t a big stretch considering I know the layout of my house and they don’t, plus I have a real good idea which door they’re coming from, what do I do next? Try lowering my weapon and hope they don’t shoot? Take the shot on the first guy, fall back into the bedroom, and hope I can talk out a surrender then hire a real good lawyer?
Either way I’m probably fucked which is why these assholes really need to be 100% sure they’re breaking down the right door. Anything short of a hostage situation there is no reason they can’t sit on the house long enough to see the person coming or going.
EDIT: Before you guys think I’m about to fall off the map, buy a shack in the woods and start writing a manifesto you should understand something. I grew up in a VERY small town in a VERY rural area. The nearest police force was 18 miles away so people where I’m from grow up with a very different sense of how to keep your family safe. Calling the police in my home town meant anywhere from a few minute response time to ten minutes or more depending on where the nearest state police patrol was. Ten minutes means if someone was breaking into your house the police weren’t going to be there in time to help. Once you grow up that way it’s not something you just forget because you’re in Amherst with sub 30 second police response times.
