SWAT teams under fire after fatal PS3 shooting
After sacking Cpl. Christopher Long for killing 18-year old Peyton Strickland during a raid on his house, the concept of SWAT teams is now being questioned. The SWAT team was about to arrest Strickland in connection with a robbery case involving two PS3 consoles when things turned tragic.
SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics, formerly Special Weapons Assault Team) is a specialized unit in many police departments. These teams are trained to serve high-risk arrest warrants, perform hostage rescue, prevent terrorist attacks, and engage heavily-armed criminals. The five-man Leland Police Department’s SWAT team has never been involved in any of the critical scenarios it was meant to handle.
A SWAT team is like an insurance policy, according Leland Police Chief Osey Sanders. “You may go quite a long time and never need it, but once you do need it, it’s invaluable.” Was the PS3 console robbery case one of those instances? Was arresting the unarmed Strickland really called for a SWAT team?
Joseph McNamara, a former chief of police, noted that SWAT teams are increasingly becoming paramilitary tools for serving warrants, drug busts, and even patrolling. The line between SWAT tactics and conventional policing have been blurred.
In the Strickland incident, the SWAT team was requested by the University of North Carolina Wilmington police. After seeing a photo of another suspect, Ryan Mills, on the Internet with a shotgun, assault rifle, and handguns, he was considered likely to be armed. Why the SWAT team decided to batter down the door of Strickland’s house remains unclear since Strickland was not in the picture.
A criminology professor said such raids are reserved for high-risk situations to prevent suspects from arming themselves or destroying evidence. The PS3 cannot be flushed down the toilet like cocaine.
Critics say SWAT teams themselves can make situations more dangerous, especially in raids on homes because the margins for error are small and mistakes can have tragic consequences. Unfortunately for Strickland the critics proved right.
After sacking Cpl. Christopher Long for killing 18-year old Peyton Strickland during a raid on his house, the concept of SWAT teams is now being questioned. The SWAT team was about to arrest Strickland in connection with a robbery case involving two PS3 consoles when things turned tragic.
SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics, formerly Special Weapons Assault Team) is a specialized unit in many police departments. These teams are trained to serve high-risk arrest warrants, perform hostage rescue, prevent terrorist attacks, and engage heavily-armed criminals. The five-man Leland Police Department’s SWAT team has never been involved in any of the critical scenarios it was meant to handle.
A SWAT team is like an insurance policy, according Leland Police Chief Osey Sanders. “You may go quite a long time and never need it, but once you do need it, it’s invaluable.” Was the PS3 console robbery case one of those instances? Was arresting the unarmed Strickland really called for a SWAT team?
Joseph McNamara, a former chief of police, noted that SWAT teams are increasingly becoming paramilitary tools for serving warrants, drug busts, and even patrolling. The line between SWAT tactics and conventional policing have been blurred.
In the Strickland incident, the SWAT team was requested by the University of North Carolina Wilmington police. After seeing a photo of another suspect, Ryan Mills, on the Internet with a shotgun, assault rifle, and handguns, he was considered likely to be armed. Why the SWAT team decided to batter down the door of Strickland’s house remains unclear since Strickland was not in the picture.
A criminology professor said such raids are reserved for high-risk situations to prevent suspects from arming themselves or destroying evidence. The PS3 cannot be flushed down the toilet like cocaine.
Critics say SWAT teams themselves can make situations more dangerous, especially in raids on homes because the margins for error are small and mistakes can have tragic consequences. Unfortunately for Strickland the critics proved right.
