How his home came to be raided should be of great concern to every American. All media accounts suggest that he was informed on by a fellow citizen who apparently had few facts correct (no “machine gun-style firearms,” handguns, or large caches of ammunition were recovered) and a police officer who felt not liking how the election turned out, having security cameras, and being a “prepper” constituted a threat that needed to be responded to with a combined-arms raid of infantry, armor, and air power.
Fashionably attired and heavily armed agents from the Baltimore FBI SWAT team exit the Washington Co. (MD) Special Response Team’s $240,000-$300,000 Lenco Bearcat G3 armored vehicle to perform a raid on non-violent suspect Terry Allen Porter.
Porter’s crimes were so severe that he is already out on bail.
Whatever Porter’s criminal history of 20 years ago, only the crackpot informant who made the initial charge against Porter described him as a threat. Neighbors felt he was a good man with a mistake in his past who was unfairly targeted:
Heather Hamilton, 35, who lives at 18809 Burnside Bridge Road, around the corner from Porter’s house, said Friday that a Maryland State Police trooper went to her home Thursday to talk to her about what was going on and mentioned that it was regarding a man she had known since childhood.
“You had helicopters flying over, SWAT crews down here, excavation equipment was brought in, and armored vehicles,” she said. “It was ridiculous for (the man), who would not hurt another person for anything. Unless you would attack him, he’s not going to go after anyone.”
She said she viewed the operation as “a big waste of taxpayer money.”
…
Allen Crampton, 40, who lives on Mills Road, said he and Porter attended Sharpsburg Elementary School at the same time, although in different grades.
“He doesn’t deserve what happened to him yesterday,” Crampton said.
As an individual, I couldn’t care less about Terry Allen Porter.
As an American, I am appalled that an informant (who rather frankly appears to have been a liar) and scant evidence brought forth by an undercover cop who saw no actual criminal activity were enough to launch a massive paramilitary raid against a citizen without a history of violence.
It’s just the latest example of a police state run amok, where agencies use overwhelming force where it isn’t remotely needed to justify the $202 combat pants, $240,000-$300,000 Bearcat G3 armored vehicles, real machine guns, helicopters, military-grade body armor, and other “toys” rarely needed by law enforcement, but pimped out by an over-reaching and ever-more invasive Department of Homeland Security and Inappropriate Touching (DHSIT).
Luckily, Porter wasn’t home at the time of the raid, or he likely would have ended up as dead as Jose Guerena Ortiz.
If I agree with this post will my house be raided?
yes.
so I will also say I agree.
my address is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Wash DC
Nothing to see here..moving right along…but only when radical leftists and Islamists are involved. However,an avid huntsman who happens to hew to a right wing drummer, let’s bring out all the big guns.
Left wing anarchists can create a witch’s brew in their homes and the police wouldn’t think of stopping by. Ditto the garden variety Muslim who ‘sympathizes’ with Al Qaeda, in more ways than one.
And if one thinks that the over the top police action was not part of a concerted action against right wing persons – as a warning shot – then this blogger has a bridge to sell you too.
Welcome to Obama’s ‘Amerika’ – http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/10/27/obamas-america-entering-the-parallel-universe-of-radical-politics-gone-haywire-a-short-path-to-dictatorship-addendum-to-gunning-for-tea-party-activists-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/ -
On the larger question I agree, on him as an individual I can’t. Felony conviction involving drugs, automatic revocation of right to own firearms period. That’s been the law for nearly 30 years both Federal and State. Now depending on his state’s laws he maybe could have applied in court to have the conviction sealed out and had his rights restored. Although for a class A or B felony I doubt it. He did not do that he just kept getting guns when he had to know he was doing it in violation of the law. As to the armed officers, the clear implication is they are “Thugs, gov jack boots” when in fact we know two things felon and armed. Let the author go knock on his door and take the weapons then I will be impressed. The #1 job of cops now days is just get to go home. Over reaction? Maybe hard to tell from a bias report in the media.
If he only served six mmonths in jail, he may not be a convicted felon. He may have gotten arrested for felony possession of cocaine, and pled the deal down to a misdemeanor with a 6 month sentence. As a retired cop, I’ve seen that happen quite often. All things considered, it appears to me like he was set up, and hopefully justice will be served and the charges dropped… and his proerty repaired, I am sure the swat guys and FBI dudes did some damage.
How about some probable cause? An unconfirmed tip, unhappiness with the recent election outcome, and of course the worst possible crime trying to prepare for the worst case!
“There is no rational justification for a massive combined arms raid on a single man without a history of violence.” Make the case that refutes that statement, in the instance described.
Further the only one who described the officers as, “Thugs, gov jack boots,” was you. The author described them as poorly trained, which comes from being poorly led, which ends with poor weapons control and innocent casualties. If you think not you have not been paying attention. The level of incompetence in this whole affair is staggering! They (the Police) didn’t bother to put surveillance on this dangerous crazy man before their raid! They had time. Where was he? What was he doing? Incidentally, incompetence is not the same as evil, but just as deadly.
So hard to judge on so little evidence.
Gun laws i know of if you get a felony you are out of the game. I have seen people turned away at the local gun sporting goods shop because of non payment of alimony or child support complaints. Maybe unfair to the individual who just was trying to purchase a hunting rifle.
There are limits somewhere here. Not everyone can legally posess or puchase a firearm right?
Maybe with this guy a couple of uniforms at the door could have got the situation resolved without all this drama, happens every day. This time they went overboard .
There is a legal process for restoring civil rights after conviction. The story here didn’t say whether he did it, but an ex con can, after being released, ask a judge to restore his rights, including the right to vote and the right to bear arms. With a clean record, most judges will do it.
Hey, he voted against Mr. Obama…he deserves what he got. This is what your American Left thinks and they are passionately concerned that this is what would happen to them if the Right were in power (wasn’t Bush in power for 8 years?). In psychiatric terms, this is known as “projection.”
If you are a right wing American, you’d better watch out…now that you see how the left rolls. You’re not just wrong, you’re evil and well, prison is warranty and even death might be appropriate.
I was speaking to an American gal in our company and mentioned that I thought a lot of Americans are ‘brainwashed’ into their political beliefs and she replied, “Well, some peoples’ minds need to be washed–they will see the Obama light one day.” Yikes.
Yet another reason I hate the Drug War. And I missed the clause the 2nd Amendment excluding anyone ever convicted. Once the sentence and probation have been served I lose my enthusiasm for casually relieving people of their rights.
You got that right.
When your country has the world’s highest prison population, both in percentages and in absolute numbers, I’d say it’s time for either secession or emigration.
No, I’m not talking about Iran or North Korea here.
There’s also no clause in the Second Amendment saying that people in prison have no right to be armed, despite being part of “the people”, and therefore having an un-infringeable right to bear arms.
And yet nobody, from the Founders on, has suggested that it recognizes or enshrines such a right.
Much as the First Amendment does not make libel or fraud laws Obviously Unconstitutional despite the lack of any clause allowing them.
It’s almost like the plain text of the Amendment is insufficient to answer legal questions like this, and has always been so…
The number one job is getting home safely? Seriously? Protecting the public used to rank right up there, but now you’re saying that putting the public at risk is acceptable just as long as cops get home safely.
You do know that law enforcement is not at the top of the list of dangerous jobs, right?
[What the blazes does the error message "You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down" mean? Show me how to click slower.]
Marie, I think that message is a “fairness” thing – so those of us who actually learned to touch type won’t “drown out” everyone else. Sigh. Competence always sinks to the bottom these days…
The scary thing about the police these days is that, if a gang of armed men suddenly invades your home, you really don’t know whether they are a bunch of hoodlums or duly constituted law enforcement – except that the hoodlums are probably better armed.
And you cannot trust in the competency of law enforcement. I have a constant worry that I will someday get a hostile visit from the local SWAT team – there is a known nutjob in the area whose address only differs from mine in being “Circle” rather than “Place,” and I used to get his juvenile probation officer knocking at my door every so often. Quite disconcerting when they say “I’m from the probation department and need to talk to your son,” when your son is only twelve. Thank goodness I have a first-rate son that I know could not possibly have a probation officer.
“Let the author go knock on his door and take the weapons then I will be impressed. The #1 job of cops now days is just get to go home. Over reaction? Maybe hard to tell from a bias report in the media.”
Dude. How about the cops call him on the damn phone and ask him to come in? It’s pretty unlikely they’ll get shot over the phone. Cops have lost any semblance of common sense.
Peej: I’m a retired federal police officer and I am dismayed when I see police actions like the one reported in this article. Not to brag, but I’ve taken dangerous criminals armed with automatic weapons by myself and without armored cars, choppers, swat teams, etc, etc. On several occasions my partner and I freed hostages in the custody of armed criminals by ourselves and without firing a shot. The police officer’s first duty is not to come home that night, but to protect and serve. I think I am getting more afraid of cops than I am of crooks. And as for despising Obama – who has violated the Constitution for four years and plans to do so even more violently in the next four years – any loyal American could and should.
And a bad law it was also …Law enforcement has been handing out domestic distrbance citations like candy… The new gestapo (Police) will be the enemy of the future. The must be curtailed or the citezens of the country will lament the day the allowed law enforcement just a little more power.. That is our future… the book 1984 is coming true..
Felony conviction involving anything. Break the encryption on a DVD to make a back up copy of a lawfully purchased movie for your kids? Lose your RTKBA. Copy a few thousand songs from a friend’s iPod? Same thing. Jailbreak an iPad so you can install non-Apple approved software on it? Lose your RTKBA.
But I’m guessing you’re ok with that because “the law is the law.”
In North Carolina larceny of pine straw (the stuff that falls off of pine trees that isn’t pine cones) is a felony.
Really Larry, just picking up pine straw from the woods? Where do Home Depo and Lowes get their supply?
“scant evidence brought forth by an undercover cop”
I would like to see an honest, thorough evaluation of the police Corporal. We won’t see it, of course. We won’t even learn his name. (Which is okay, since he works undercover.) However, it does seem he too told what was, in essence, a lie.
How did the policeman determine that Porter was angry about the election results? Did Porter launch into a tirade on his own initiative? Did the officer fish around a bit, asking questions until he got an answer which fit? (Meaning, which fit his preconception of Porter’s character.)
This reminds me of the execrable tactic of “swatting” where someone uses a spoofed or anonymous number to call the police and say they’ve just murdered their family, make a bunch of threats, then give the address of the target. Naturally a full swat team responds and kicks in the door. In the best case scenario it results in property damage, psychological trauma to the target, waste of police time and resources etc. In the worst case scenario the target and or members of his family wind up dead from the trigger happy cops. The tactic has been commonly used on conservative bloggers, kind of like how the guy in this article was targeted. If I had to guess he pissed off some liberal in a discussion on politics and they decided to get back at him by filing an embellished anonymous tip knowing full well that this would likely happen as a result. Is it any surprise that leftists who salivate over wielding unbridled state power would stoop to this sort of thing?
Look up the name “Brett Kimberlin” in connection with swatting
The difference being that this was completely legal, and had the cooperation (and even complicity) of law enforcement.
Welcome to the police state. Bob Costas probably loves to hear stories like this.
Hm. All that for someone who did six months in jail 20 years ago? Looks to me like the local PD has too many bodies with way too much time on their hands. Time for some serious budget cuts and layoffs.
“up to 10,000 rounds of ammunition”
Or, as I call it, “enough for the weekend”.
Amen.
“and “openly admitted to being a prepper,” the document said”
Why would that be relevant in court documents? Is it criminal?
See: Homeland Security memo.
With the wonderful capabilities and responses of FEMA to emergencies, why would anyone feel the need to prepare for a disaster?
I have about a 4-week supply of food in my basement, just in case there’s a storm, flood, etc. Should I be worried that I’ve crossed some threshold? Will I get put on a government watchlist if I increase it to a six-week supply? Please tell us, oh government, what is the legal amount of food we can have in our basement without incurring your wrath?
Sounds like a clear cut cast of police incompetence subject to this guy winning the lotto compliments of the taxpayers.
Someone in a decision making position with the police department needs to be fired for this. Consuming huge amounts of resources and endangering the public and law enforcement personnel on a hunch without some basic investigation is inexcusable.
I’d love to believe that it was JUST police incompetence, but how’d they sell it to the FBI? Why did the FBI buy off on it and send two armored cars and a SWAT unit out to the location?
You all do realize, I hope, that we have arrived at the point where anonymous, unsubstantiated “denunciations”, and harmless expressions of dissatisfaction with the ruling party, constitute justification for arrest, seizure of property, imprisonment, and permission to use deadly force. In fact, all police are now permitted to use deadly force in an unprecedented range of situations. The weakest of all possible evidence that someone “might someday” commit a crime, is now good enough to justify use of overwhelming deadly force. Police action used to require hard evidence that an actual serious crime had already been committed.
Compound this with the huge number of trigger-happy blood-thirsty SWAT teams whose life ambition is to blow away “bad guys”, then consider that every government agency, including the Dept of Education!
We are always told that it is hard to understand how Germany was so easily transformed from liberal democracy to fascism. Now you know. Liberal democracy is the necessary and sufficient prerequisite for fascism. The only preventative is rigidly Constitutional republicanism and federalism. We have abandonned the American Revolution in favor of the French Revolution.
Several years ago I was on business in Chicago. As I walked down the sidewalk in the Loop area I found myself walking near and in the same direction as another pedestrian. A man wearing a suit and tie and looking very ordinary walked past me a slightly faster pace and stepped astride the nearby pedestrian. As he did he said in a very controlled tone “police officer, you are under arrest” and simultaneously revealed his holstered sidearm and badge. Two “bystanders” who were obviously cops joined the pair and the man was led away. No one else even noticed the incident. Very quietly done and quite professional. No helicopters, K-9s, SWAT teams, body-armor, machine guns, etc. Took about 30 seconds start to finish. It would be interesting to know why the situation involving Mr. Porter could not have been accomplished is similar fashion. Why would the police attempt to apprehend someone thought to be armed and dangerous at the location of his weaponry where he could precipitate a shoot-out? Why not do so quietly as he went about routinely? Maybe a police professional will set me straight on this. At this point the whole thing seems to counter common sense.
Remember the sheriff of Waco saying he would have dealt with the Branch Davidians by waiting for them to come into town and having a calm discussion?
Anyone know if the local PD’s budget is being reviewed? State?
Sooner or later, no matter how much a person wants to live off the land or live off the grid, they all eventually end up at a grocery store.
(My first post in a week and I’m being told I’m posting too quickly and need to slow down.)
If you had all of those expensive toys wouldn’t you want to take them out and play with them occasionally?
Because they failed to learn the Lesson of Waco!
If Porter was convicted of a felony, he’s a few miles up the legal creek in a concrete canoe without a paddle. Some states have a legal process whereby convicted felons can petition courts to have their convictions expunged and civil rights restored. How many states? Is Maryland among them? Fully or partially restored civil rights? Only well versed lawyers could answer such questions.
The feral government had a similar program; most unfortunately, representatives of the Democratic [sic] party have defunded it for years with the stated purpose of preventing former convicted felons from exercising the right to keep and bear arms, so it’s non-existent for all practical purpose.
If Porter was convicted of a misdemeanor rather than a felony, which isn’t at all clear from the article, I sincerely hope he’ll hire a very aggressive, seasoned assault lawyer to take those agencies to court for many millions in damages.
Once again, I’ve been informed: You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down. What the heck goes on here?
I have often pondered whether the reason every new criminal law creates a new felony is so that the government can deprive ever more people of their votes and their second amendment rights.
These lifetime bans seem to amount to bills of attainder, which are specifically prohibited in the Constitution, and I hope someone takes the issue all the way to SCOTUS – preferably, before King Barry changes the balance of the Court.
Welcome to the future. More conservatives need to wake up that the government considers them terrorists and will use all the laws being used now against Al-Queda and its ilk against them.
That’s the thing, lefties really aren’t afraid of muslims. They could blow up a WTC sized building every month and it wouldn’t phase them. But right wingers with guns scare them.
“How about some probable cause? An unconfirmed tip, unhappiness with the recent election outcome, and of course the worst possible crime trying to prepare for the worst case!” So Robert you know all the because you got all that from the Probable Cause Affadavit which no doubt you read before placing all this verified information on line? Good or bad there had to be a search warrant so somebody convinced a judge to issue it. Also some misdemeanors like Domestic assault convictions also preclude gun possession and in some states misdemeanor convictions with intent to sell narcotics also fill the bill. We don’t know but the cop haters will take from this what ever helps them feel justified in their hate. Bottom line is NO ONE knows the full story from this one article it has an agenda.
You chastise Mr. Owens for assuming information not reported.
Good call.
And thank you for telling us what “really” happened based upon… what, exactly? The voices in your head? Still, thanks for letting us in on all the detail you claim nobody else knows.
Given the information in Bob Owens’ post, there seems to be a weak case for there being probable cause to conduct this level of search. Some continued surveillance and more contact by undercover police would be warranted.
I don’t think anyone is trying to say the police shouldn’t take tips and vague suspicions seriously—I hope they do. The problem is the level of law enforcement response given the little evidence they apparently had. Even if Mr. Porter’s possession of a firearm is illegal, it does not warrant putting him in a situation where he could easily be killed.
Six months for a felony? Something isn’t right here…. It doesn’t matter what you are charged with. Only the charge you are convicted of matters. I suppose a misdemeanor battery conviction with a restraining order would disqualify the guy from owning a firearm…. hard to tell what is going on here.
Seems to me somebody decided this guy needed to be arrested to determine if he was a criminal or not. Or maybe it was just the seriousness of the charge. Where have I heard this crap *logic* before? Oh, yeah… liberal-think.
Whatever the case, seems to me that the local state-approved paramilitary militia had to garner a little press. Or maybe burn off a little testosterone. Or maybe just put on a ‘show of force’ for the local indigenous personnel. And in keeping with the season… Baahhhh
Maybe after the 100+/- Muslim Jihadis started attacking at Benghazi someone should have just called in an anonymous tip that they might be right-wing crazies, then maybe someone would have done something other than sit with their thumbs in all their mouths the whole time.
Here is the new standing with soldiers willing to attack American citizens They are loyal to politicians, not the Constitution. It’s a Statist’s dream.
A raid under warrant, under circumstances wherein the probable cause can be made up to suit the occasion. Any killings resulting from the action can be ignored or at worst, paid off with tax dollars. No prosecutions or demotions or terminations, medals for all law enforcement participants for “team building” and “partnering” purposes.
These people have decided that they no longer have to obey the constitution and bill of rights, and that they can kill you if they want and nothing will happen to them.
A situation tailor made for freedom and liberty, obviously.
I don’t understand. What judge issues a warrant based upon hearsay “evidence” from an anonymous source? This apparently means we are all in jeopardy from a neighbor who might harbor a dislike for us. A phone call to local “law enforcement” brings down a raid by the storm troopers. This country is becoming crazier by the minute.
Com’on guys! What fun are these things if you never take them out of the toy box? They got to play dress-up and pretend they were going after a “hardened criminal.” It’s just boys being boys.
Here’s a clue, MOVE THE FLUCK OUT OF LIBERAL STRONGHOLDS. This is where the Second Amendment repression will Begin, in already neutered states like Maryland and Massachusetts. Red states are burgeoning with those former blue stater’s not willing to live under tyranny. Let the east sink in it’s own stink, IMHO they were always too metro-European for my western tastes anyway. Also, cities in general, tend to breed stupid liberal donkeys en-mass. Avoid them. Small towns in red states will do better resisting federal overreach then anyone else IMO.
Unfortunately the Blue States are so rotten that even the liberals who created the mess are moving to Red States and starting it all over again.
Amen. My wife and I crashed out of MD last summer, adding our droplet to the $1.2b “expense” to the state which the Great Tax Exodus has already cost what is laughingly called “The Free State.” Cities, yes, get out of them, as well. They are breeding grounds for a mental disease whose worst symptoms we now recognize as “death-loving” and “sterility-worshiping” and whose name is Statism.
There are several vital facts which are missing in the article. But from what is presented, this was a gross example of police behavior, excessive force, and possibly a felonious police report. Sharpsburg, Maryland, is the site of the bloodiest one day battle of the Civil War (The rebs called it the battle of Antietam, the name of the blood filled creek which drained the slaughter of 23,000 dead, wounded and missing Americans.)
Social conflict is created whenever a population loses faith in their government’s judgment and fairness. As police morph into paramilitary organizations, with the proliferation of massive lethal aggressive tactics against citizens, they rule, not by common trust, but by terror. The Maryland police forces have a problem. Maryland citizens have a problem.
Nice rifle. I used less sophisticated weaponry while in Baghdad.
It is inevitable that if police have the paramilitary gear and programs, they will have to find an excuse to use them in order to justify their expense and existence. So, the larger question is why so many police departments have SWAT teams and military equipment when apparently they really do not need them. The answer is get tough on crime legislation passed by the US Congress, along with a great deal of pork spending which was supported by conservatives because it was for law enforcement. Of course the kind of authoritarian overreach exhibited by the police is also supported by and large by the legal system itself–likely if someone were killed in the raid there would be few legal courses of action that could be taken to punish the police or the informant, and the chances of success in getting justice would be small. Again, this comes from people–conservatives–supporting tough laws on criminals and giving a free hand to the police, because they mistakenly feel that these tough laws and free hand will be used against “criminals”, without stopping to realize that in modern America, everyone is a criminal. Everyone is ultimately a statist–liberals, conservatives, libertarians, all. Everyone is in support of some unnecessary government intrusion into life. Only the issues change.
It’s apparent a paranoid government comprised of left wing loonies has contaminated the state of Maryland.
The victim of this raid by morons with a badge should make him a very rich man, that is if you can find an honest judge that is not as crazy as the state officials.
Well, Republicans and conservatives sponsored, supported and enacted the DHS, the TSA and the subsequent militarizing of civilian police agencies…including raising the DoD budget that helped to militarize our civilian police agencies.
You got exactly what you asked for.
Now, how about a patriotic cheer for that freedom and liberty lovin’, small government, fiscal responsibility party, eh? Doin’ pretty good, here, aren’t you. What a proud moment for the party that supports and defends The Constitution, eh?
Can you say “poisoned fruit”? If the search was for fullauto’s and they found none the warrant is void.
All those guys for ONE GUY.. The jack boots are going to be real busy when the day comes they have to come for 10-20 million of us. yup.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
This is what we get for Paying the Beast all our Tax Dollars, and electing the Liberal Commies to Office..We will all be on the Radar soon enough, when the Wheels come off the Bus…and the Non-Preppers go around looking for Food, cuz the Snap cards won”t be Working…The police are now nothing more than Fed/Gov Puppets paid to carry out the Orders, to crush any and all Resistance!