Date: Tue, 16 May 95 16:17:47 CDT
From: [g--y] at [unirsvl.rsvl.unisys.com] (Bill Gray )
Subject: Re: More Jackbooted activites

> For those of you that dont' believe there is a problem...
> 
> In the San Jose Mercury News of Monday, 15 May 95 on page 7B is a
> commentary piece by Linda Seebach of the Valley Times in Pleasaton. 
> 
> However in the article she speaks  of "An elderly couple in Minneapolis
> who died in a fire started by police who blasted into their apartment in
> a drug raid.  Sorry, wrong address." The couple died in the fire.
 
This was Lloyd Smalley and Elaine Weiss.  They were killed when Minneapolis
PD pulled a BATF imitation.  They allegedly had an informant buy dope
at that address, so they got a no-knock warrant.

They served the warrant by throwing a "flash-bang" grenade into the back
bedroom, intending to drive the "drug dealers" out of the front of the
dwelling.  Trouble is, the bomb landed in the bed the two elderly black
invalids shared.

These so-called "distraction devices" supposedly "save lives" by temporarily
blinding and deafening the victim.  But the explosion reaches 2500F.  It
started a dandy fire, which did, in fact, drive the "drug dealers" running
out of the unit screaming for help.

Into the waiting arms of the cops.  Who, of course, did not believe their
story about the two old folks roasting in the back room; after all, these
are just low-life drug dealers lying to try to get away, right?  Only
after neighbors begged the cops to _try_ to rescue the two roastees
did they begin any rescue efforts, but it was too late.

We can hope that the intense concussion of the explosion knocked the two
old cripples unconcious before they could enjoy the full benefit of the
smoke and flames provided for them by MPD.  Of course, we won't know
until Judgement Day.

> Looks like the NRA is right on target.

While I agree that NRA is using strong medicine on a dangerous illness,
the atrocity described above was brought to you by the Minneapolis Police
Department.  All the officers involved are still on duty, keeping the
city safe from marauding donuts--all but one.  The raid commander was
fired recently, several years after the fire.  Seems he was moonlighting
as a security guard and had to subdue a hockey player.  (The hockey player
was a patron at a bar the cop was protecting.)  The hockey player got
knocked about a bit more than he liked, so he sued the city and won
$400,000.  The mayor fired the cop in the aftermath.

Of course, the hockey player was white.

Anyway, the point is that BATF was not involved.  The secondary point is that
the Ramboism that has ruined the BATF is not confined to that agency;
however, BATF may be the vector of this dread contagion, so a strict
quarrantine (permanent would be ok, but at least until it can prove it
is cured) should be imposed on them.

But credibility is the only coin we have to spend, so we must not tar
BATF with the misdeeds of others.

Regards,

Bill