SWAT team kills another homeowner in a "drug raid"

The question isn't whether a Pembroke Pines police officer was justified in fatally shooting Vincent Hodgkiss in his home early Thursday morning, or whether illegal drug activity was taking place there.

The real question is this: Was a paramilitary-style dawn raid the best way to go about serving a drug-related search warrant?

Deputy Police Chief David Golt defended the use of the Special Response Team, Pembroke Pines' version of SWAT, to carry out the 6:30 a.m. raid that left Hodgkiss, 46, dead.

"We use SRT to serve all narcotics warrants," Golt said Friday. "You never know what you're going to encounter."

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What will it take to put an end to these unconstitutional raids? Large numbers of dead SWAT cops?

No, an increase in dead SWAT members would just mean they would stop knocking before they kicked down your door.

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from someone who new vincent hodgkiss thinks it really is bad when the investigation to his death is hush hush. we have the right to know what actions are being taken to ensure that his life wasn't taken to no reason at all.

This is crazy. Using a SWAT team for a drug raid? This makes no sense at all. Cops who kill innocent civilians in their home need to be jailed for LIFE. Drug Use or even Growing Drugs in your house is NO reason to kill or even use lethal force of any kind. Why are police raiding homes suspected of growing/dealing marijuana anyway? Marijuana, the most harmless drug EVER. This just pisses me off to read about another victim of todays worthless police forces around the country. Why dont they go out and catch some REAL criminals like rapists or murderers? Drugs are not the problem, the laws and law enforcement personnel who think that military style raids and shooting first asking questions later, are. This needs to END now.

I dont know about over there but Police in my area dont knock before they bust your door open when SWAT is involved. I have often wondered about these type situations in relation to other specific situations that have been reported. first off, within the last few years my state & surrounding states have been passing what is known as "Castle" laws. pretty much changing the rules for claiming self defense. the other situation involves drug addicts & thieves dressing as Police/SWAT & "raiding" known dealers & effectively robbing them. with these situations in mind there seems to be a fine line between defending your "castle" and murdering Police. maybe that was the ultimate goal?

I dont condone shooting Police officers in any way. I just see the possibility of a situation where a law abiding citizen could shoot Police officers while his only intent is defending his home. how many errant raids on the wrong house have we already seen happen?

Remember how we used to lambast other countries for being "a land of the knock on the door in the middle of the night?" Into 'night and fog' Hitler used to call it. Well you don't hear those comparisons anymore. Just another sign of the crisis at hand.