AZ: Marine killed in misdirected SWAT raid

[seamusTX]

In Tucson, Arizona, May 5, a 26-year-old Marine who served two tours in Iraq was killed in a SWAT raid that somehow went to the wrong address.

The man was asleep at 9:30 a.m. after working the night shift. When his wife woke him up and told him that men were surrounding the house, he armed himself with an AR-15 rifle.

He ended up shot to death by police, reportedly with 60 gunshot wounds; and the police reportedly kept medical personnel away from the house for over an hour.

The powers that be of course have clammed up. Today they claimed that officers found contraband, drug paraphernalia, and uniforms (in the home of a Marine). The second link below contains some of the most hideous writing errors ever seen on a self-styled professional web site. I am quoting it because it probably will be changed without comment:

Today, News 4 Tucson's Greg Dingrando heard a very different story from they attorney representing the SWAT team.

Attorney Mike Storie says that contrary to what the Guerena's wife's attorney said, the SWAT team made it very clear they were police and they were there to serve a search warrant.

Storie says they used lights and sirens, and eventually pounded on the door for about 45 seconds before going in. Once inside, Storie admits the victim did not fire at the SWAT team, but he says the victim's actions still warranted the response that law enforcement took.

"Independently, three them here him say ‘I have something for you,' raise his weapon - and that's all they need because they have to assume at that point this person has not complied," Storie says. "He's heard their police, he's seen their police and he raises the weapon towards them. They immediately fire."

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/a ... e9e4b.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.kvoa.com/news/pcsd-responds- ... ntroversy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Although the man's name is José Guerena, he is a native of Tucson and doesn't even "look Mexican."

- Jim

[seamusTX]

Also Tucson has a TV station with the call sign KGUN:

http://www.kgun9.com/story/14674077/mar ... ons-dupnik" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.kgun9.com/story/14643812/thi ... an-be-drug" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[Oldgringo]

...somebody better investigate soon...

- Bob Dylan, "OXFORD TOWN", circa 1962

Somehow, nothing except faces and places ever change.

[puma guy]

...somebody better investigate soon...

- Bob Dylan, "OXFORD TOWN", circa 1962

Somehow, nothing except faces and places ever change.

I ardently support law enforcement, but I am beginning to question the veracity of all the SWAT involvement in drug SW. The guy may be guilty as sin but the intelligence should have indicated the guy worked shift work. Maybe arriving when he wasn't home would have been less dramatic, but maybe safer too. If they needed evidence to arrest him wait 'til he drives up and execute the warrant with him in custody. I harken back to Waco when Karesh could've been taken while jogging.

[SC1903A3]

Lest you forget Sheriff Dipnik came out looking like a complete idiot with the Gabrielle Gofords shooting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCsPvWGJ ... detailpage

[C-dub]

I read about this a couple days ago. It is horrible. Either that SWAT team was supposed to hit four places that morning or they had four separate teams. They refused to let the EMT's enter to help the Marine. They said it was because the scene was still unsecure. They just let him bleed out. The Marine's wife was on the line with 911 and trying to get help.

[seamusTX]

I'm not psychic, but I predict this will get buried like the killing of Erik Scott. Years from now, the county's insurance company will cough up enough to satisfy the family.

- Jim

[puma guy]

[philip964]

The police departments official statements are that the Tucson police did nothing wrong and everything right.

Bad guy, right address, found evidence they were looking for, bad guy was holding his assault rifle pointed at them, made threatening statements as they yelled "police", fired his weapon at them, it was not a no knock search warrant, they clearly identifed themselves, after they used deadly force to neutralize an armed bad guy, they feared other bad guys were in the house, so they cleared the house and that took and hour or so, so they were unable to allow the paramedics into the house to attend to the mortally wounded bad guy, who died.

End of story.

Except bad guy was a Marine veteran with two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, husband and father, holding down a night job at a mine. (do most criminals hold down tough hard jobs) He didn't fire his weapon. His wife says she did not know they were police and feared it was a home invasion, Swat stayed out side and really didn't clear the house, so the paramedics could come in. The Swat officers now have an attorney.

So is it a former Marine gone bad taken off the streets and Tuscon is now safe from home invasions and drugs, or a regular guy defending his family, being portrayed as a bad guy to save the image of the police in Tuscon, who was mistakenly murdered him in a botched serving a warrant to the wrong house or based on bad information?

Like Las Vegas, so many questions, with no answers.

This made the Drudge Report, the Erik Scott case never made Drudge.

[C-dub]

This is the article I read.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/a ... e9e4b.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Three other homes within a quarter mile of the Guerena house were served search warrants that morning as part of the sheriff's investigation. The addresses and the names of people who live in the homes have not been made public. However, the Sheriff's Department has said they found drugs and money.

It just doesn't say if they were found in this Marine's home.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

I read about this a couple days ago. It is horrible. Either that SWAT team was supposed to hit four places that morning or they had four separate teams. They refused to let the EMT's enter to help the Marine. They said it was because the scene was still unsecure. They just let him bleed out. The Marine's wife was on the line with 911 and trying to get help.

Well, if the initial report was correct in stating that the Marine was hit with 60 rounds,
I doubt that even immediate EMT attention would have prevented him from bleeding out.

SIA

[philip964]

I read about this a couple days ago. It is horrible. Either that SWAT team was supposed to hit four places that morning or they had four separate teams. They refused to let the EMT's enter to help the Marine. They said it was because the scene was still unsecure. They just let him bleed out. The Marine's wife was on the line with 911 and trying to get help.

Well, if the initial report was correct in stating that the Marine was hit with 60 rounds,
I doubt that even immediate EMT attention would have prevented him from bleeding out.

SIA

It shows intent.
Kind of like when it is suggested you call 911 and ask for an ambulance before you call your attorney.

[C-dub]

True. Unfortunately, he may have died immediately, but leaving the wife alone in the house speaks volumes to me. If her account is true it sounds like they were standing around outside getting their story straight. It just doesn't make any sense to me that if they were the least bit concerned about anyone else in the house they would have not secured everyone in the house before standing around chit chatting.

[McKnife]

I have NEVER heard of any person being shot 60 times out of 71 attempts...even as part of a clearing drill.

This was intentional premeditated murder.

He must have known something that police didn't want shared or he might have had something that police wanted more.

[seamusTX]

Here's a Tucson editorial on the issue:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article ... 03286.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What the police claim to have found are "guns, body armor, a piece of law enforcement clothing, [and] a portrait of Jesus Malverde, 'the narco saint,' under his bed."

Clearly it is not illegal to own firearms, and in Arizona it might be unusual not to. It is not illegal to own body armor, and many soldiers who were in Iraq or Afghanistam bought their own or got them as gifts from private parties. A "piece" of clothing could be almost anything. I see people wearing black T-shirts that say SWAT or FBI who most likely are not police officers.

Malverde is like a Mexican version of Robin Hood. (It's not even certain he was a real person.) Cheap portraits and statuettes of him are common in Mexican markets.

Also, gangsters rarely have clean criminal records or hold full-time jobs; and they usually have a pattern of ostentatious spending that is easy to detect.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the public is getting the full story here.

- Jim