Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have sued Virginia police and other government officials after a request to carry out a “welfare check” on a 58-year-old man resulted in a two-hour, SWAT team-style raid on the man’s truck, a wrongful arrest, and a 72-hour mental health hold. According to the complaint, police acknowledged that they had no legal basis nor probable cause for detaining Virginia resident Benjamin Burruss, who was preparing to depart on a camping/hunting trip to Montana, given that he had not threatened to harm anyone and was not mentally ill.
Nevertheless, a heavily armed police tactical team confronted Burruss, surrounded his truck, deployed a “stinger” device behind the rear tires, launched a flash grenade, smashed the side window in order to drag him from the truck, handcuffed and searched him, and transported him to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and mental health hold. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, against the County of Albemarle and five Albemarle County Police officers charges government officials with violating the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments as well as state law.
More @ The Rutherford Institute
I think I told you of it a year or so ago, but our county experienced a very similar situation four years ago. A brother requests a welfare check for his sibling who just broke up with a girlfriend. Deputies who had just completed "SWAT" training a week earlier respond. They knock on the door, the guy inside says he is fine and wants to be left alone. Deputies continue to persist for him to open the door. More deputies arrive, decision escalates, and the decision is made to use tear gas. Two canisters are shot throught the wall. Somehow the gun inside manages to hold out twenty minutes before opening the door with a pistol in hand. He fires two shots with a single shot revolver (in no particular direction) and he gets "lit up" with the departments shiny new, DHS funded KRIS sub-machinegun. The guy is dead and the case is still being litigated by family who originally called for the check.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember that now. Thant.
Delete"According to the complaint, on Nov. 21, 2013, Albemarle County police officers were contacted by Benjamin Burruss’s employer and asked to conduct a “welfare check” on Burruss, who was reportedly “stressed” over work and marital difficulties."
ReplyDeleteLesson here. cops are not babysitters or nannies. If you're concerned about someone go check on them yourself. Not that this is any excuse for this nazi behavior.
Wtf.
100%
DeleteI guess Burress should count himself lucky they didn't force him to undergo a
ReplyDeleteanal probe at the hospital and then bill him for it. Like they were doing in NM.
Really.
DeleteIf he had just told them that he was a Syrian refugee here for the jihad, they would have left him alone.
ReplyDeleteMaybe even gave him money for gas and food, plus a few flash-bangs thrown in for good measure.
You know, just helping a brother out.
Central Alabamaian
Or play the race card whether he was white or black, after all if you are white you can say that you feel you are black and scream racissstttttt! :)
DeleteHope a bunch of Enforcer....disregarding the Constitution SWAT TEAM....runs into a suicide Muzzie...compound.....they may treat people right again then.....after getting their ass blown away...
ReplyDelete:)
Delete