Police, wrong house, kill homeowner in error

[shafter]

First and foremost, a massive communications failure, and possibly an error in navigation. From the article, it seems that the responding officers weren't even sure they were at the correct objective up until the point of no return. Could the homeowners have made better tactical decision? Sure. But in the end, they were reacting to a situation that they should have never been forced into, and I bet they were scared beyond belief the whole time. An unmitigated rush to catastrophe. This led to a shooting that was fatal to a citizen in his own home. Total mission failure, and I have no idea if the actual domestic call was even addressed, or how it may have ended- was another victim injured or worse while a random homeowner was being shot to death? A weapon discharged is a bell that can never be un-rung. If something comes out the end of your gun, you own the responsibility for it, for better or worse. Serve and protect.

The police got dispatched to a hot call. There is urgency in those types of calls to get there as quickly as possible. They knocked on the door to ascertain if they were at the right location as many houses are poorly marked and have no clearly displayed number. Sometimes the callers themselves aren't even sure of the correct number. Once they began knocking they also identified themselves. They didn't try to make forcible entry.

If they had been serving a no knock warrant then I'd agree with you, but in this case the police did what they are supposed to do. It's not their fault they had a gun pulled on them. I plaxe the blame entirely on the homeowner who made a catastrophic mistake.

 

[Dirtybob]

I don't think assigning blame is fruitful here (neither judge nor jury). Objectively, it was "total mission failure" or a 'perfect storm' if you prefer.
I think it's a safe bet that the parties involved are pondering what they could have done better (unless missing a conscience or plain stupid).

 

[lemaymiami]

A word here about police work that everyone needs to remember when looking, after the fact, at an incident gone very wrong.... First off it's an absolute tragedy for all involved... The few officers I've known had difficulties with having shot someone - even when it was justified (and I'm included in that group..). I can't imagine how the ones in this situation coped with the "afterburn" of a "bad shoot"... Just one more reason for the suicide rate in current and former officers (and that includes combat service veterans who might have similar incidents to remember..).

Secondly always getting dispatched to the right address or even having accurate information about what's going down there is something that most citizens expect - but not always the case in real life... The "armed robbery" in progress call is a drunken young man outside a bar waving around a firearm (but no robbery, no shots fired, and not one victim in sight... just a young fool who needs to be disarmed safely, hopefully...). The call about a minor disturbance turns into a very real and deadly pre-planned ambush - designed to kill first responders... An officer hearing an alarm call at a closed business early in the morning in broad daylight walks into what looks like an open business - clipboard in hand, and right into a very real armed robbery actually going down -and is shot dead because he believed (and everyone else on duty assumed) it was one of bunch of false alarms and part of a routine morning They never knew how wrong they were until someone called in "officer down"...

Lastly, take a look around the neighborhoods in any city or town and pay attention to the number of residences with not even the slightest address info readily apparent in front (or even on the mailbox...). Teaching young officers about this sort of stuff is a very important part of training in after their Academy... Make a mistake as you approach and the quiet "neighbor" you walk right by as you go to the wrong house - might be the real trouble you were sent to deal with (and he's armed and behind you...).

To state it mildly - the unexpected you might run into by mistake (or simple misunderstanding between officer, dispatcher, and whoever it was that called in a complaint or problem..) might just keep you up at night if you let it.. Days and nights with nothing much going on - happen all the time - then you get one of those shifts where very bad things happen and quite often you have no idea as you approach what you'll find - somewhere between laughing and crying afterwards...

 

[shafter]

A word here about police work that everyone needs to remember when looking, after the fact, at an incident gone very wrong.... First off it's an absolute tragedy for all involved... The few officers I've known had difficulties with having shot someone - even when it was justified (and I'm included in that group..). I can't imagine how the ones in this situation coped with the "afterburn" of a "bad shoot"... Just one more reason for the suicide rate in current and former officers (and that includes combat service veterans who might have similar incidents to remember..).

Secondly always getting dispatched to the right address or even having accurate information about what's going down there is something that most citizens expect - but not always the case in real life... The "armed robbery" in progress call is a drunken young man outside a bar waving around a firearm (but no robbery, no shots fired, and not one victim in sight... just a young fool who needs to be disarmed safely, hopefully...). The call about a minor disturbance turns into a very real and deadly pre-planned ambush - designed to kill first responders... An officer hearing an alarm call at a closed business early in the morning in broad daylight walks into what looks like an open business - clipboard in hand, and right into a very real armed robbery actually going down -and is shot dead because he believed (and everyone else on duty assumed) it was one of bunch of false alarms and part of a routine morning They never knew how wrong they were until someone called in "officer down"...

Lastly, take a look around the neighborhoods in any city or town and pay attention to the number of residences with not even the slightest address info readily apparent in front (or even on the mailbox...). Teaching young officers about this sort of stuff is a very important part of training in after their Academy... Make a mistake as you approach and the quiet "neighbor" you walk right by as you go to the wrong house - might be the real trouble you were sent to deal with (and he's armed and behind you...).

To state it mildly - the unexpected you might run into by mistake (or simple misunderstanding between officer, dispatcher, and whoever it was that called in a complaint or problem..) might just keep you up at night if you let it.. Days and nights with nothing much going on - happen all the time - then you get one of those shifts where very bad things happen and quite often you have no idea as you approach what you'll find - somewhere between laughing and crying afterwards...

This is all very true. Information is rarely complete and accurate and that's just the way it's always been and probably always will be.

 

[Kleanbore]

Could the homeowners have made better tactical decision? Sure. But in the end, they were reacting to a situation that they should have never been forced into, and I bet they were scared beyond belief the whole time

They could hardly have acted less prudently.

The fact that this was an officer-involved incident is not really the important thing. We have discussed before the idea of answering the door with gun in hand. It is a terrible strategy, regardless of who may be at the door.

a resident walking to his door with gun in hand should stop, ask himself "what do I intend to do with this thing?", and do something else.

 

[jmorris]

No excuses for such incompetence leading into such a catastrophic consequence by a public servant.

Life would be a safer place if this is the worst tragedy that ever took place because public servants made a mistake or even a series of mistakes.

I hope the domestic violence victim(s) made out better than the innocent home owner they killed and are not also a casualty of no one making sure they were at the right place.

 

[The Night Rider]

I've said this before multiple times. I have beat this dead horse to a pulp. I don't have a new way to say it.

If you don't know who's outside your door don't open it

 

[NMexJim]

First and foremost, a massive communications failure, and possibly an error in navigation. From the article, it seems that the responding officers weren't even sure they were at the correct objective up until the point of no return. Could the homeowners have made better tactical decision? Sure. But in the end, they were reacting to a situation that they should have never been forced into, and I bet they were scared beyond belief the whole time. An unmitigated rush to catastrophe. This led to a shooting that was fatal to a citizen in his own home. Total mission failure, and I have no idea if the actual domestic call was even addressed, or how it may have ended- was another victim injured or worse while a random homeowner was being shot to death? A weapon discharged is a bell that can never be un-rung. If something comes out the end of your gun, you own the responsibility for it, for better or worse. Serve and protect.

I will add that the speed with which one of the officers responded to seeing the gun was very fast. I don't fault the officer - that was a visceral reaction to seeing a gun at a supposed Domestic call. I would have liked to have seen just a bit more time taken before the trigger was pulled. But, as you say, for better or worse.

 

[Tinman357]

I wonder how many times the homeowners had been robbed, harrassed, burglarized, or had his home invaded to have him answer the door like that. Sounds like he'd had a home invasion crew beat on his door and yell "police, open up". That tactic has been used often.

The fact that the wife was also armed right behind him as he went out, leading with his pistol, makes me believe that they had been victimized multiple times and were fed up and felt on their own.

Don't open the door for anyone you don't know. If in doubt that it's the police, call 911. Make sure your home address is clearly marked and plainly visible.

 

[old lady new shooter]

My home address is clearly marked and visible.

I have steel security doors over all my exterior doors, which are kept double-deadlocked. This enables me to crack open the wooden door if the bell rings unexpectedly to see who's there without any danger of them being able to get in. I prefer this because at least in L.A. where I used to live the standard m.o. of BG's was to ring the bell and if nobody answered assume that meant nobody was home, upon which they would go around the back and break in.

 

[Old Dog]

I plaxe the blame entirely on the homeowner who made a catastrophic mistake.

As one who's responded to many, many calls of (potential) DV, I'm gonna disagree just a little here...

This was bad, bad training on the part of the city PD. The fact that the officers were not sure they were at the right address and still attempted contact is a problem. The officers made no further verbal warnings ("Farmington PD!") or directives after the door was opened by the resident. Additionally, every agency I've worked for or am familiar with, will not dispatch officers to a suspected DV incident without notification (radio or MDT) that the resident(s) own firearms (and/or have CPL/CHL/CCW license), which changes the dynamic of the initial contact significantly.

 

[shafter]

As one who's responded to many, many calls of (potential) DV, I'm gonna disagree just a little here...

This was bad, bad training on the part of the city PD. The fact that the officers were not sure they were at the right address and still attempted contact is a problem. The officers made no further verbal warnings ("Farmington PD!") or directives after the door was opened by the resident. Additionally, every agency I've worked for or am familiar with, will not dispatch officers to a suspected DV incident without notification (radio or MDT) that the resident(s) own firearms (and/or have CPL/CHL/CCW license), which changes the dynamic of the initial contact significantly.

I've also been to hundreds of these calls. Of course they attempted to make contact. That's how you find out if you are at the right location. Police knock on doors all the time for all kinds of calls. Sometimes it's a simple fishing expedition or a "knock and talk."

Not all states are able to confirm firearm licenses. My state doesn't. Most homes have firearms anyways so its assumed they may be involved.

The officers announced themselves as law enforcement multiple times in a non aggressive way. They were also in uniform. When the door opens the video indicates there wasn't any time for talking. The officers reacted appropriately and tragically.

The homeowner could have survived by looking out the window, answering the door without a gun visible or not even coming to the door at all.

 

[Old Dog]

All I can say to that is, your agency clearly has differing protocols than the agencies I've worked for...

Previous reporting on this incident indicates that the officers involved did not hear any response from the residents inside. Nor, as I noted, did the officers repeat their verbal IDs and commands as, and after, the door opened.

 

[Old Dog]

The homeowner could have survived by looking out the window, answering the door without a gun visible or not even coming to the door at all.

BS. The person firing the shots is to blame.

The officers reacted appropriately and tragically.

Not if they had no knowledge that the resident understood they were police officers. Not when the responding officers were not even clear -- as evidenced by the radio call transcripts -- that they were at the correct location.

 

[starnbar]

Opening the door with gun in hand is a bad idea no matter who may be knocking.

I'll go with that too.

 

[bdickens]

BS. The person firing the shots is to blame.

Not if they had no knowledge that the resident understood they were police officers. Not when the responding officers were not even clear -- as evidenced by the radio call transcripts -- that they were at the correct location.

Really? Are you serious? Someone opens the door pointing a gun. What are they supposed to do? Wait until one of them gets shot and possibly killed?

How about the homeowner finding out who is at the door before trying to play Billy Badass?

 

[The Night Rider]

I keep coming back to the fact that had the homeowner identified who was knocking on his door before he opened it we wouldn't be having this discussion

 

[DeepSouth]

One thing to remember is that anyone can buy a police “costume” and say “This is officer Holmes with the London PD!” So there is that, obviously that’s not common, but it’s still a possibility.


I also remember growing up most mailboxes had a last name along with the street number. It isn't as common today, at least around here, maybe that’s not a bad idea, would give 2 layers of identification.

 

[citizenconn]

Many folks must stop answering or even approaching the door for totally unexpected and unscheduled guests.

Yes, I agree totally. I get lots of solicitors despite the no soliciting signs all over the neighborhood. I ignore them and they usually go away. If someone continues banging and does not go away after a reasonable period of time I slip out a concealed rear entrance and approach from a tangent side of the property that is wooded and most people think is part of the greenbelt behind our development. From that vantage I can clearly see who is at the front of the property but they can't see me. I am armed, of course, though not brandishing. Almost all of these persistent knockers are with the water or gas departments wanting access to the back of my property which is locked. If I can't tell who they are I just watch until they go away. So far they have always gone away. Once it was the neighbor down the street whose daughter had backed into my car somehow even though it was in my driveway.

I have not felt the need to install any kind of video camera at the front door yet because we do not use that door, and it is locked, barricaded and shielded from the inside. We don't have any family living within 230 miles of us so we don't have to worry about surprise guests. But everyone please be very careful about who you open your door to.

 

[citizenconn]

Additionally, every agency I've worked for or am familiar with, will not dispatch officers to a suspected DV incident without notification (radio or MDT) that the resident(s) own firearms (and/or have CPL/CHL/CCW license), which changes the dynamic of the initial contact significantly.

This is an interesting point. I live in Texas, don't have a carry permit, so how would the police know whether I do or don't own firearms? Is your experience from a state or municipality that requires firearms registration?

 

[DeepSouth]

This is an interesting point. I live in Texas, don't have a carry permit, so how would the police know whether I do or don't own firearms? Is your experience from a state or municipality that requires firearms registration?

I called one in once, that was the second question after “what is the location”

 

[Blue Jays]

So what happens when law enforcement incorrectly arrives to the Blue Jays residence for an alleged serious called-in DV situation and instead finds a quiet, lighted, and well-trimmed home with no signs of disturbance?

AKA: They meant to visit 123 Main Street and accidentally visited 123 Maine Street…

What if the residents opt to NOT answer the door? Or are down at the lake fishing and canoeing?
Is the suggested plan for police to knock the door down to make a live verification no DV is occurring?

 

[wayneinFL]

This is an interesting point. I live in Texas, don't have a carry permit, so how would the police know whether I do or don't own firearms? Is your experience from a state or municipality that requires firearms registration?

I don't think the police in Florida can access the Department of Agriculture's license records. So how would they know whether you have a permit? And even if you didn't have a permit, you can buy a gun from a private party without a FFL. And you don't need a license to have a pistol in the glovebox. You could be a convicted felon and not even be allowed to possess a firearm, and still have a firearm. I always just figured cops assume anyone might be armed in any interaction.

 

[shafter]

BS. The person firing the shots is to blame.

Not if they had no knowledge that the resident understood they were police officers. Not when the responding officers were not even clear -- as evidenced by the radio call transcripts -- that they were at the correct location.

So what happens when law enforcement incorrectly arrives to the Blue Jays residence for an alleged serious called-in DV situation and instead finds a quiet, lighted, and well-trimmed home with no signs of disturbance?

AKA: They meant to visit 123 Main Street and accidentally visited 123 Maine Street…

What if the residents opt to NOT answer the door? Or are down at the lake fishing and canoeing?
Is the suggested plan for police to knock the door down to make a live verification no DV is occurring?

If no one comes to the door and there is no sign of a disturbance they will be allowed to knock, briefly wait for a reply, and absent a reply they will have to retreat to the public road or sidewalk and apply for a warrant to enter. Provided they didn't find out the address was wrong in the meantime.

I'd likely speak to them through the door, no firearms visible. I understand some would choose not to speak and that's their choice but if they have the wrong location and someone actually needs help somewhere I don't mind telling then they're in error.

 

[Blue Jays]

A complication that one can envision by entertaining a conversation at all is subsequently being ordered to step outside for a "conversation" that the person at the incorrect address does not want or deserve. What happens when one totally overlooks the knife clipped to his/her jeans pocket? "Knife! Knife! Knife! Subject has a knife!”

Increasingly in this crazy world…my comfort level exists with my family and a tiny circle of very dear friends.
Trustworthy and wonderful people I have known my entire life or at least multiple decades at a very minimum.

Per the OP subject…all this can be prevented by simply continuing to cook dinner, watch television, do a healthy workout in the home gym…and continue to remain safely behind locked doors ignoring the doorbell.