.jpg)
An armored truck purchased by the taxpayers of Calvert
County, Maryland, waits on standby on Solomons Island
last April -- apparently just in case civilians attending a
peaceful spring celebration get a little too "unruly."
(Photo taken by author)
Before they kill us all.
Thankfully, a potentially deadly situation in southern Maryland was averted this week when the state's attorney called off a state police SWAT team before it killed another civilian who was threatening or harming no one.
The nutshell: A woman allegedly calls police around 10:00 p.m. saying her son has been shot somewhere in the vicinity of her house. Police arrive at the house and see a woman alone holding a weapon. Police doubt the "viability of the call" based on the woman's behavior but nevertheless proceed to erect a barricade around the property and evacuate nearby homes. Maryland State Police Special Tactical Assault Team Element (S.T.A.T.E.) "was to arrive on the scene at about 11:50 p.m."
S.T.A.T.E. is synonymous with SWAT, but you have to love the sheer audacity on display here. I guess "SWAT" just doesn't adequately convey the feeling that the government is ubiquitous, ready to meddle in virtually every aspect of our lives.
It's unclear in the report whether or not the police paramilitary unit made it to the scene before the state's attorney called off this standoff on grounds that there was no crime, but it really makes one wonder what little it takes these days before police reflexively dispatch their SWAT teams.
Even if you believe the state should have a monopoly on policing, SWAT units are only warranted under extreme circumstances like hostage or fugitive situations, or under similar circumstances where there is an immediate threat to innocent life -- like when a gunman takes up position on a roof across from an elementary school. In other words, the SWAT team itself should not be the primary threat when it arrives on the scene.
For all the terrible decisions made by government law enforcement agents, the state's attorney clearly made the right call during this incident. Unfortunately, however, it's highly likely that he only rendered this judgment due to eerily similar events two years ago this month, when Maryland state and local police murdered Jamie Dean after needlessly escalating a standoff to the point where they could justify shooting an innocent man.
Thanks primarily to the "war on drugs" and the arrival of "homeland security" departments across the country after 9/11, the number of paramilitary police units has not only risen dramatically across the U.S. since the 1980s, but they have been called upon much more frequently in recent years. And instead of being used to protect civilians, they are today being used primarily on civilians.
As the fallout from the tragic Dean episode and this past summer's unprovoked attack on Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo indicates, public police agencies are almost never held accountable for immoral, unilateral, violent attacks on their innocent, nonviolent targets.
Until Americans rid themselves of the statist parasites known as government police and instead take responsibility for protecting themselves by either acquiring arms or hiring private security firms that actually have an incentive to keep their customers alive, innocent civilians will continue to find themselves enemies of the state.
Comments
Here in Texas, as in many other states, law abiding citizens are encouraged to arm themselves in order to have the ability to defend themselves should the need arise. But whose going to protect the unfortunates who live in those few states that discourage firearm ownership. For example, I can't help but feel sorry for those who voted Bloomberg, the present Mayor of New York into office. They can be sure that the Mayor isn't going to rush over and protect them.
James Jones: Texas has always been a righteous state not like those mamby-pamby New England or Left Coast states. Like they say don't mess with Texas. By the way what ever happened to the Joe Horn case? Hopefully they gave him a medal!! We need more Americans like Joe Horn!!
Perhaps the 'government' should consider a policy change and call Trevor Bothwell the next time there is a report of an armed person, deranged or not, who may pose a threat to the lives of everyone within range... or maybe just post warning signs in a 1/4 mile perimeter. No, wait! Here's a better idea. Require people deranged people to register with the local library every year, and to wear a name tag that says, "Caution - My presence may be a threat to your life!" Get a life!
Trevor I am with you all the way on this. You know that! I agree with you Trevor.
Dirty Harry,
Joe Horn was not charged by the Grand Jury. They found he was well within his rights. YEA TEXAS!
A disarmed population is a population of sniveling idiots at the mercy of the government.
Poor Trevor. When it comes to the police, or people taking responsibility for their own safety and protection, Trevor just dosen't get it. I'm sure that Trevor is not stupid, on the contrary, he's reasonably articulate.
But somehow, he seems to have lost his way. Mr Buckley (see below) has a good suggestion concerning Mr. Trevor, unfortuately it's not pratical.
Somehow I get the feeling that Trevor is not supplying all of the facts, as is typical of media types who espouse such simplistic points of view. Just let the STATE team not respond, and have a truly gruesome incident transpire. Then this moron with a keyboard and an opinion would scream bloody murder the other way.
While I am unclear where Mr. Bothwell obtained the information he conveyed as facts in his December 4th column, “Abolish Government Police,” I will clear up at least one of his uncertainties. After police responded to the call concerning the woman with the gun, the State Police commander at the Leonardtown Barracks called the commander of the S.T.A.T.E. Team, which, as Mr. Bothwell so mockingly described, is our special weapons and tactics unit. Both commanders discussed the information known at the time and the S.T.A.T.E. Team commander determined, in cooperation with the barracks commander, that this was not a situation they needed to respond to.
It was the Maryland State Police who decided the S.T.A.T.E. Team would not respond. The team was never at the scene and was not called off by the state’s attorney.
The dedicated men and women of the Maryland State Police are not above criticism. We just ask that the criticism be based on fact, not fiction.
Greg Shipley
Spokesman
Maryland State Police
Thanks Mr. Shipley for your clarification. We will all wait for Mr. Bothwell's correction.
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