Sad but true: School 1958 vs 2008

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Salisbury News: SCHOOL -- 1958 vs. 2008

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.

1958 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2008 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Read more here: SCHOOL -- 1958 vs. 2008

20090208 School 1958 vs 2008

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Deadly Farce

Deadly Farce

February 1, 2009

Read what happens when the police shoot your dogs, handcuffs your elderly Mom, and then lies about it all - - and gets away with it with no consequences. All in the name of protecting you…

WaPo mag Deadly Force http://tinyurl.com/ald8a6

What a SWAT team did to Cheye Calvo's family may seem extreme. But decades into America's war on drugs, it's business as usual.

Acting on a mistaken drug trafficking suspicion, a SWAT team broke down their door, shot beloved pets and shattered a happy home. Was it an extreme reaction, or business as usual in America's war on drugs?

LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

By April Witt Sunday, February 1, 2009; Page W08

Read the entire Washington Post magazine article here: Deadly Force

This is what I had to say in my August 13, 2008 The Tentacle column:
They shoot dogs, don’t they? http://tinyurl.com/8vjaaq By Kevin E. Dayhoff
In Prince Georges County on the evening of July 30, the home of the Berwyn Heights’ Mayor Cheye Calvo was the scene of a home invasion…

Also, be sure to watch: 20080729 SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house
20080729 Minneapolis SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house This is bizarre...

I'm NOT making this up!: WCCO-TV http://wcco.com/ Minneapolis MN: July 29, 2008 Minneapolis SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house

http://wcco.com/iteam/swat.team.honored.2.783216.html WCCO-TV Minneapolis, MN: "On Monday, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan handed out honors to a team of officers involved in a botched raid at an innocent family's home more than seven months ago...

*****

Hat Tip: P Kenneth Burns - MD Politics Today: “Inside the Botched Police Raid”

Mr. Burns is “continuing to call for the apology and resignation of Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael A. Jackson (D) in addition to the apology of now former County Police Chief Melvin High (he retired,) but Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife Trinity Tomsic are continuing to leave their lives in the same home where officers from both agencies completely botched a raid where they did not have a no knock warrant as High and Jackson had originally claimed.”

And for good reason. It would appear that there essentially no consequences for the behavior of the police agencies involved or the leadership of those agencies.

Mr. Burns calls to our attention:

"In this week’s edition of The Washington Post Magazine, they are the cover story. It’s a look at before, during and after the raid on Calvo’s home.

"Also of note, a new facebook group “Friends of Cheye Calvo” started this weekend. In addition, Calvo and the writer of the Post Magazine article, April Witt, will be having an online discussion tomorrow (Feb. 2) at 12noon to discuss the article."

The Beltway Progressive has also picked up the story:

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Our government's War on Dogs

"Nope. That's not a misprint. The POst today covers an incident of police incompetance, ineffectiveness, and lies in todays Magazine. It's just one example. The overuse of paramilitary forces occurs regularly in the US and our own neighborhoods - 16 botched raids in VA, 8 in MD, and 2 in DC.

"In this case, the government lied about having a no-knock warrant.

"They lied about having any warrant at all.

"They lied about killing the beloved pets that were running away from them. One of the two dead dogs was shot in the back.

"According to the report "Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America," US police squads do this all the time, to people who are less photogenic, less rich, and less connected than the Mayor of Berwyn Heights. See how many raids went wrong in your neighborhood on this interactive map."

Read the entire post here: Our government's War on Dogs

20090201 Inside the Botched Police Raid

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Minneapolis SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house

Minneapolis SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house

This is bizarre… I’m NOT making this up!:

WCCO-TV Minneapolis MN: July 29, 2008 Minneapolis SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house

http://wcco.com/iteam/swat.team.honored.2.783216.html

WCCO-TV Minneapolis, MN: “On Monday, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan handed out honors to a team of officers involved in a botched raid at an innocent family's home more than seven months ago…

“Just days before Christmas, the sound of intruders breaking into their home in North Minneapolis prompted Vang Khang to grab his shotgun to protect his six children. His terrified wife called 911.

“Khang fired several shots at the "intruders" who turned out to be members of the Minneapolis Police Department's SWAT team. The officers returned fire. Their protective gear prevented them from being harmed by the bullets.

“No one was hurt in the shootout last Dec. 16 and the Minneapolis Police Chief ordered an internal investigation. The house was left riddled with bullet holes and broken glass. Two days later, Dolan apologized to the family and launched an internal investigation to find out how the SWAT team wound up in an innocent family's house in the middle of the night.

“The investigation determined that the team had gone there looking for a gang member's guns after an informant gave investigators in the department's Violent Offenders Task Force bad information. The investigation is ongoing.

“On Monday, Dolan recognized members of the SWAT team for their bravery and how they handled the raid. With Mayor R.T. Rybak and other city officials looking on, the chief handed out medals and commendations.

Read the entire account here: http://wcco.com/iteam/swat.team.honored.2.783216.html

See also:

20080730 Berwyn Hghts Mayor home invaded

Law and Order Lunacy

More: I-TEAM: Raid Tipster Gave Police Wrong Name (2/14/2008)

I-TEAM: Investigating Police Raid At Wrong House (2/13/2008)

I-TEAM: 911 Tapes From Police Raid At Wrong House (2/12/2008)

Property Records Search May Have Prevented Raid (12/18/2007)

Chief Apologizes To Family Over Mistaken Raid (12/19/2007)

Experts: Raid Mistake A 'Fact Of Police Work' (12/18/2007)

Police: Not To Blame For Raid Into Wrong House (12/18/2007)

20080729 Minneapolis SWAT Team honored for raiding wrong house

AP: Tennessee Trooper Ran Background Check on Reporter

AP: Tennessee Trooper Ran Background Check on Reporter

Sunday, August 24, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Nashville newspaper reporter was on a list of people believed to have been the subjects of unauthorized background checks performed by a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer.

The reporter, Brad Schrade, covers the highway patrol for the Tennessean. Schrade says he received a call Saturday morning from a highway patrol investigator who said Lt. Ronnie Shirley had accessed Schrade's background information.

The Tennessean reports that the agent who contacted the reporter is one of a team of officers who are calling people on the list about unauthorized checks.

Tennessean Editor Mark Silverman questioned whether Shirley's actions were condoned by his supervisors.

Schrade reported on the internal investigation on Aug. 12. Shirley has been placed on administrative leave.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,409621,00.html

20080824 Tennessee Trooper Ran Background Check on Reporter

“Target practice for Prince George's police” By Rob Tornoe for PolitickerMD

“Target practice for Prince George's police” By Rob Tornoe for PolitickerMD

August 11, 2008

You've probably already heard about the incident involving the Prince George's county police department raiding the home of Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo, shooting and killing his two dogs after he brought in a 32-pound package of marijuana that had been delivered to his doorstep…

[…]

20080811 “Target practice for Prince George's police” By Rob Tornoe for PolitickerMD

20080810 I just noticed P. Kenneth Burns coverage of the home invasion of Mayor Calvo in Berwyn Heights

I just noticed P. Kenneth Burns coverage of the home invasion of Mayor Calvo in Berwyn Heights over at “Maryland Politics Today.”

August 10, 2008

Be sure to check it out:

The E List: Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson
August 9th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
Now to the latest addition to our honor roll of people who disrespects the intelligence of the constituency….Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson.Jackson is being added for a number of reason, including not apologizing for the flawed drug bust on the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo.In his first interview with The Washington Post [...]

Calvo Exonerated
August 9th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his family was cleared of any wrong doing in regards to the package containing 32 pounds of weed inside. That package was set to go to a different destination and not to Calvo’s wife, Trinity Tomsic, as addressed on the package.The Washington Post reporting today that Prince George’s [...]

Prince George’s County: Calvo Deserves Respect
August 8th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
As promised, the on going knowledge campaign to bring light to the arrogance and mismanagement of the Prince George’s County Police Department under chief Melvin High.On July 31, Prince George’s County Police Officers and the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s raided the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo after he signed for a package addressed [...]

The E-List : Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin High
August 7th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
And now for the continuing saga of people who give public service a bad name, the latest addition to MarylandPT’s E-List.Tonight it’s Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin High who seems not to be leaving quietly, nevermind the fact that this guy was able to hold on to his job for five years despite the [...]

Berwyn Heights: Dogged
August 6th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
Prince George’s County SWAT team and county narcotics officers burst into the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo last week after officers saw the mayor accept a package that was delivered by officers posing as delivery men. That package which was traced from Arizona contained just above 30 pounds in marijuana.Calvo in a [...]

20080810 I just noticed P. Kenneth Burns coverage of the home invasion of Mayor Calvo in Berwyn Heights

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

20080808 Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in email to friends

20080808 Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in email to friends

Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends

Retrieved Saturday, August 8, 2008

Related:
20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080731 Washington Post: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayors Home Kill His 2 Dogs

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

20080806 Calvo’s Counsel’s statement

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

Web editor’s background note: The mayor of Berwyn Heights, Cheye Calvo, had his home invaded Wednesday evening, July 30, 2008.

I have briefly worked with Mayor Calvo in the past, but I do not know him well. What I do know is that he is a very soft-spoken, kind, conscientious and an extraordinarily capable and competent person, who loves his community and is extremely well-liked by everyone.

For this to happen to him is simply an outrage…

His front door was broken-through and heavily armed folks invaded his home. In the melee that ensued, his two black Labrador dogs were shot and killed and he and his mother-in-law were tied-up, while his home was ransacked.

The police did not have far to look for the folks who did this. It was the Prince Georges County Sheriff’s Department – who, oops, made a mistake. Oh, nevermind…

I retrieved the following from the Baltimore Sun on August 8th, 2008. It can be found here: “Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends”

If you think that citizens are outraged, well, you are right. Go here and read the comments… If you have a comment – go here and leave your comments.

For a timeline, this e-mail must have been distributed July 31, 2008?

Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends

Dear Friends and Neighbors-

Yesterday evening, as my mother-in-law prepared dinner and I changed clothes hurrying to head to a community meeting, a heavily-armed county SWAT team burst through our living room door and shot and killed both of our dogs. There were loud voices. In the sights of two high-caliber weapons, I was ushered downstairs in only my boxer shorts before I was bound and forced to kneel on the floor. My mother-in-law was bound face down in the kitchen. The dead body of my bigger and older dog, Payton, laid in a pool of blood on the other side of the living room.

It was some time before someone spoke to me other than to yell orders. I was told there was a warrant but was never shown one. After many questions and much anger, I was told that they had intercepted a package addressed to our house that contained 32 pounds of marijuana. The large, white box, which I just had retrieved from the front porch, sat unopened on a living room table.

The county police then proceeded to turn our house upside-down. I was moved to the kitchen, where I could see my little dog, Chase, lying in his own pool of blood. My mother-in-law watched them shoot him while he was running away. After about 90 minutes, they finally removed my restraints, which tied my hands behind my back. About the same time, Animal Control came to remove our dogs. Emotions overtook me; I broke down and sobbed.

They asked questions. Through my anger, hurt, and confusion, I answered them. Trinity came home from work a little after 8:00 pm, and they questioned her outside. We both were and remain in shock. It does not make sense, but shared what we could. About three-and-a-half hours passed before they acknowledged that they had found nothing to connect us to the box, but could not be 100 certain whether or not we were involved. The package alone was enough to arrest us all, they said, but they would not so long as we continued to cooperate.

Then they left. The broken front door remained open and unsecured. Blood from my dogs was pooled and tracked throughout the house. Our belongings were pulled from drawers, closets, and trunks and tossed about, piled in the middle of rooms and on tables and beds.

A Berwyn Heights officer on the scene helped me get the door shut. Just after midnight, I began to clean up the blood. We put a few things back. Trinity and I tried to sleep. Instead, we both laid there through the night as disbelief, fear, and anger played off one another. We try to make sense of it. They invaded our home and killed our dogs! That, above all else, can't be undone.

A friend came this morning to secure the door. People have begun to call, and the outpouring of friendship and support brings tears to my eyes. The media calls have begun, as well.

I wanted to get this out so that you at least hear the story from me. This promises to be a lengthy process, which will involve telling and re-living this story time and again. Hopefully, the healing will begin soon.

Warm regards,

Cheye

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-mayoremail0808,0,4607054.story

Labels: 20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot. MD municipality Berwyn Heights, Law and Order Lunacy, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

For coverage of this outrage in the Baltimore Sun:

 1.
Police chief expresses regret over drug raid By Gus G. Sentementes ,Sun Reporter
August 9, 2008
news
...yesterday that a suburban Washington mayor and his wife were "innocent victims...into the house of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and shot the dogs. Calvo and his...package of marijuana addressed to the mayor's wife, Trinity Tomsic. This...
 2.
FBI opens probe into raid at home of Prince George's mayor By Gus G. Sentementes ,Sun reporter
August 8, 2008
news
...Friday that a suburban Washington mayor and his wife were "innocent victims...into the house of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and shot the dogs. Calvo and...relationship between Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and a woman handcuffed during...
 3.
Police clear names of Maryland mayor and his wife in drug raid that left their 2 dogs dead By BRETT ZONGKER ,Associated Press Writer
August 8, 2008
news
...HEIGHTS, Md. (AP) _ A small-town mayor whose dogs were killed in a drug...Friday he called Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic...scheme. A SWAT team raided the mayor's home July 29 after intercepting...
 4.
Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends
August 8, 2008
news
...wanted to get this out so that you at least hear the story from me. This promises to be a lengthy process, which will involve telling and re-living this story time and again. Hopefully, the healing will begin soon. Warm regards, Cheye
 5.
Prince George's raid prompts call for probe By Doug Donovan ,Sun reporter
August 8, 2008
news
...stopped, two dogs lay dead. A mayor sat in his boxers, hands bound...into the home of Berwyn Heights' mayor last week seized the same unopened...found, and no one was arrested at Mayor Cheye Calvo's home in this small bedroom community...
 6.
Prince George's raid prompts call for probe By Doug Donovan ,Sun reporter
August 7, 2008
news
...stopped, two dogs lay dead. A mayor sat in his boxers, hands bound...into the home of Berwyn Heights' mayor last week seized the same unopened...found, and no one was arrested at Mayor Cheye Calvo's home in this small bedroom community...
 7.
Police: 2 arrested in marijuana-smuggling scheme that prompted raid on DC-area mayor's home By Associated Press
August 6, 2008
news
...marijuana to a Washington, D.C.-area mayor's wife. The home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic, was raided...Capital Beltway," gets a small stipend as mayor and works at the SEED Foundation, a nonprofit...
 8.
D.C.-area mayor's house is raided
August 1, 2008
news
...the home of a Washington-area mayor, killing his two black Labrador...County police said Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo brought a 32-pound packa

20080806 Calvo’s Counsel’s statement

20080806 Calvo’s Counsel’s statement

Joseph
Greenwald
& Laake

Attorneys at Law Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.
6404 Ivy Lane · Suite 400 Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
(301) 220-2200 · Fax (301) 220-1214
www.jgllaw.com

Timothy F. Maloney
Direct Dial: (240) 553-1206
Direct Fax: (240) 553-1748
Email: TMaloney@jgllaw.com

August 6, 2008

This statement was released today by Timothy F. Maloney, counsel for Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic:

These arrests confirm that Trinity Tomsic was a random victim of identity theft at the hands of major drug traffickers. This crime was compounded by law enforcement when it illegally invaded the Calvo home, tied up the mayor and his mother-in-law, and killed the family dogs. The suggestion that Mayor Calvo’s mother-in-law’s reaction to seeing a SWAT team in her front yard justified an illegal no-knock entry is outrageous.

The statement that the Calvo family dogs were threatening law enforcement is demonstrably false. The killing of the family dogs was premeditated. The deputies were aware of the presence of the dogs and began firing immediately upon entering the house. One dog, Chase, was shot in the back while running away in the rear of the house. The second dog, Payton, was shot where he was found, some distance from the front door.

Mayor Calvo and his wife are outraged that law enforcement appears to be blaming the victims for this outrageous invasion into their home. Innocent citizens have a right to be safe and secure in their homes, especially from the very officers who are sworn to protect them. Two beloved and innocent dogs are dead. Two innocent people were tied up. Three innocent people had their reputations unfairly impugned by law enforcement incompetence.

Since this incident occurred, the Calvos have received reports of similar misconduct involving entry into the homes of other innocent County citizens. The defensive statements today by the leadership of both agencies demonstrates that the Sheriff’s Department and the County Police Department have already reached their own conclusions in this case without ever speaking with members of the Calvo family about what happened to them. It is clear that neither agency can conduct an independent review into the law enforcement misconduct that occurred here, nor are they willing to review their policies involving no-knock entry and the killing of innocent family pets.

The Calvos will be holding a press conference tomorrow, August 7, 2008 at 2 p.m. at their residence at 8522 Edmonston Road, Berwyn Heights, Md.

####

Attorneys at Law Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.
6404 Ivy Lane · Suite 400 Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
(301) 220-2200 · Fax (301) 220-1214
www.jgllaw.com

FRED R. JOSEPH (1943-1997) ANDREW E. GREENWALD WALTER E. LAAKE, JR. STEPHEN A. FRIEDMAN BURT M. KAHN MICHAEL D. JACKLEY STEVEN M. PAVSNER BARBARA A. JORGENSON TIMOTHY F. MALONEY DAVID BULITT DOV APFEL JAY P. HOLLAND TIMOTHY P. O'BRIEN JERRY D. MILLER STEVEN B. VINICK PAUL F. RIEKHOF CARY J. HANSEL LAWRENCE R. HOLZMAN BRIAN J. MARKOVITZ VERONICA BYAM NANNIS DAVID S. COAXUM AMY L. PELLICIOTTA JASON L. LEVINE ROBB A. LONGMAN SHANNON L. HAMMOND REGINA L. SCHOWALTER DARA B. GRUNDFAST JOSEPH M. CREED KOUSHIK BHATTACHARYA NAKIA V. GRAY Of Counsel: BARBARA E. PALMER

_____

Related:
20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080731 Washington Post: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayors Home Kill His 2 Dogs

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

ABC 7 News - Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo

http://cfc.wjla.com/external.cfm?p=calvo080708

WJLA News Search Results for 'Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo'

Friday 08/08/08 8:22pm
Mayor and Wife Exonerated in Drug Smuggling Scheme

Thursday 08/07/08 7:07pm
FBI Opens Civil Rights Case in Mayor's Home Raid

Wednesday 08/06/08 8:27pm
Police: Two Arrested in Marijuana Shipping Plot; Raid on Mayor's Home Defended

Wednesday 07/30/08 6:33pm
Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

Related: 20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

ABC 7 News - Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo

http://cfc.wjla.com/external.cfm?p=calvo080708

August 7, 2008

Thank you for coming today to our home. Trinity, her mom, Georgia, and I are very pleased that two arrests have been made and that a large quantity of drugs have been seized.

It is a great relief to us to be removed from the glare of suspicion. We knew we were not involved. Our friends, neighbors, and community knew we were not involved.

But people who didn't know us did not really know what to think. Apparently, based on yesterday's statement, the Prince George's County Police Chief still doesn't know what to think. But I think the rest of the world now knows what happened, and we are relieved that the truth has finally come out.

Trinity was an innocent and random victim of identity theft. Apparently, so were four or five other County residents whose names and addresses were stolen, and used as addressees on drug packages. However, Trinity and our family have not been treated as victims of a crime.

Instead, our home was invaded. Our two beloved Labrador retrievers are dead. My mother-in-law and I were tied up for nearly two hours. A shadow was cast over our good names. We were harmed by the very people who took an oath to protect us.

But now that truth has come out, the leadership of our two county law enforcement agencies have made things worse. They have falsely blamed the dogs' death on the dogs. They have blamed their illegal no-knock entry on my mother-in-law for shouting when she saw a SWAT team in the yard. And, although the rest of the world now knows it, the Chief of Police can't quite bring himself to say the word "innocent" –

Although he certainly isn't casting suspicion on the other five County homeowners whose identities were stolen by the deliveryman.

Sheriff Jackson said yesterday that his deputies were "engaged" by our dogs. This is simply false. The deputies opened fire and executed our dogs the very second they broke down our front door. The thoughtless execution of Payton and Chase was premeditated, without provocation, and appears to have been done for sport.

The officers were aware of the presence of our dogs before they broke down our front door. They had seen Payton earlier when the undercover officer delivered the package to our house. They had seen me walk both dogs through the neighborhood moments before the invaded our home. In fact, I waved to them.

Payton was shot some distance from the front door. He was shot where his body was found, near the entrance to the kitchen. After Payton was shot, Chase reacted to the gunfire and ran away from the deputies. He was hunted down and shot in the back while he fled. His body was found in the rear of the house.

We loved our dogs. Our community loved our dogs. They were a part of our family. They didn't deserve to die.

They don't deserve to be blamed for their deaths.

I call upon Sheriff Jackson to retract his false statement that our dogs "engaged" his deputies, as well as any suggestion that his deputies were justified in shooting our dogs. I also call upon law enforcement to release the photographs they took of our dogs after they were shot.

These images are shocking. They will show you what they did to them, and where they were located when they were killed. These photographs will tell the truth, if law enforcement refuses to do so.

I also call upon Sheriff Jackson to retract his statement that the "no-knock" invasion of our home was justified because my mother-in-law screamed when she saw the SWAT team in our yard. Last week, the spokesperson for the County police said the officers were justified in breaking down our door because a no-knock warrant had been issued.

This, too, turned out to be false. No such warrant was ever sought or obtained. In fact, when law enforcement invaded our house, they knew nothing about us except that someone had addressed a package containing marijuana to Trinity.

Although more than a dozen officers were at our house all day, they did not spend five minutes investigating who we are and what our lives are about. If they had, they would have found that we are regular, law-abiding, community-minded people. We have spent our lives in community service and certainly are not a threat to the public safety.

What is now most disturbing is that the Police Chief and Sheriff have reached public conclusions about the propriety of what happened without conducting any investigation whatsoever, and without ever talking to us at all. They are defending the indefensible.

They are unable to apologize for themselves. They are unable to investigate themselves. And they are clearly unable to reform themselves to make sure that this does not happen to any other innocent family in this County.
In this regard, we are already receiving reports of similar misconduct, including service of warrants at the wrong address, excessive use of no-knock entries, and other unjustified killings of family pets.

This has happened before, and without oversight, it will happen again. Our community is losing confidence in law enforcement based on what they did, and how our leadership has responded to what they did.

For this reason, we have asked the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice to investigate not only what happened to us, but also the larger question of policies and practices of County law enforcement agencies in executing warrants.

We have witnessed a frightening law enforcement culture in which the law is disregarded, the rights of innocent occupants are ignored, and the rights of innocent animals mean nothing. We would never have believed it if we hadn't seen it for ourselves.

Major Magaw, who heads the County's Narcotics Enforcement Division, has denied the existence of no-knock search warrants. This is despite the passage of House Bill 577, which was a 2005 amendment to Maryland's search warrant statute, which specifically provides for such warrants upon a proper application to a judicial officer.

What other statutory protections and civil rights are believed not to exist in Prince George's County? Why are senior law enforcement officials unaware of basic principles of Maryland law.

We need the Federal government to intervene and educate County officials about the rights and protections to which all American citizens, including those in Prince George's County, are entitled.

My family has come to deeply understand the pain and personal sorrow that results from injustice at the hands of our government, particularly the injustices that occur all too frequently here in Prince George's County.

We know that we are blessed in so many ways with the love and comfort of our community, our friends, and our families - -not to mention too many complete strangers. What saddens us most is that all too often, these injustices go unnoticed by law enforcement officials and those who are victimized are forced to suffer in silence.

When these actions first occurred, and I was on the floor, bound in my boxer shorts, looking over at the dead bodies of our wonderful, loyal family members, my initial reaction was that there had been a terrible, terrible mistake.

Now that the County has arrested the people responsible for this, and I have been forced to listen to them defend their actions without even reaching out to hear our story, it has become clear tome that the problems we face in the police and sheriff's departments are systemic, and today my family and I with our many friends begin to speak out to ensure that, though we are certainly not the first victims of brutal injustice in Prince George's County, we bring about far reaching changes that will make us among the last.

Trinity, Georgia, and I cannot turn the back the clock. Bullets cannot be put back in the guns. We may have our good names back, but we will never get our dogs back.

And we may never recover a sense of security and confidence in our law enforcement leadership.

We want to make clear that we support law enforcement and know that they have a difficult and important job to do. In my five years as Mayor, I have had the privilege to work with many outstanding law enforcement professionals, particularly Berwyn Heights Police Chief Patrick Murphy.

I want to thank Chief Murphy for his support through this tough time and for setting a fine example in our community of what policing should be.

Berwyn Heights is living proof that citizens can live safely inside the Beltway and our low crime rate speaks volumes about Chief Murphy's leadership.

Chief Murphy and his officers are largely responsible for the success of our Town because of their style of policing, their understanding of the importance of training and accountability, and their close partnership with the community.

This is the type of leadership that we must demand from our County law enforcement officials.

20080731 Washington Post: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayors Home Kill His 2 Dogs

20080731 Washington Post: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayors Home Kill His 2 Dogs

Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayor's Home, Kill His 2 Dogs

By Aaron C. Davis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 31, 2008; B01

A police SWAT team raided the home of the mayor in the Prince George's County town of Berwyn Heights on Tuesday, shooting and killing his two dogs, after he brought in a 32-pound package of marijuana that had been delivered to his doorstep, police said.

Mayor Cheye Calvo was not arrested in the raid, which was carried out about 7 p.m. by the Sheriff's Office SWAT team and county police narcotics officers. Prince George's police spokesman Henry Tippett said yesterday that all the residents of the house -- Calvo, his wife and his mother-in-law -- are "persons of interest" in the case.

[…]

Read the rest here: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayor's Home, Kill His 2 Dogs

Wednesday 07/30/08 6:33pm
Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

Related: 20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot
20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, Law and Order Lunacy, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/30/AR2008073003299.html

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/540029.html

Related: 20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot
20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo, Law and Order Lunacy, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

posted by WJLA 6:33 pm Wed July 30, 2008 - BERWYN HEIGHTS, Md.

The Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Md. was the target of a drug raid Wednesday after a package containing several pounds of marijuana was shipped to his home, according to police.

Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo is still reeling after a team of heavily armed sheriff deputies burst into his home Wednesday.

"It was an explosion followed immediately by gunfire," said Calvo.

The deputies bound the mayor and fired shots, killing the Calvo's two black Labradors. Calvo tearfully expressed his love for his "good dogs" while showing ABC 7 reporter Brad Bell, exactly where they were shot by a Prince George's county sheriff.

[…]

Read the rest here: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

August 1, 2008

The mayor of Berwyn Heights, Cheye Calvo, had his home invaded Wednesday evening, July 30, 2008.

More: Here, here, and here.

I have briefly worked with Mayor Calvo in the past, but I do not know him well. What I do know is that he is a very soft-spoken, kind, conscientious and an extraordinarily capable and competent person, who loves his community and is extremely well-liked by everyone.

For this to happen to him is simply an outrage…

His front door was broken-through and heavily armed folks invaded his home. In the melee that ensued, his two black Labrador dogs were shot and killed and he and his mother-in-law were tied-up, while his home was ransacked.

The police did not have far to look for the folks who did this. It was the Prince Georges County Sheriff’s Department – who, oops, made a mistake. Oh, nevermind...

Labels: 20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo,

Crazy Topics: Craziest Laws in America

Craziest Laws in America

Published 27 January 2007 by markzmann

This is a list of crazy laws in American history. Most of the laws listed below were repealed by now but there are many crazy laws on the list that are still being used....  

http://crazytopics.blogspot.com/2007/01/craziest-laws-in-america.html

Maryland

• Baltimore City: Though you may spit on a city roadway, spitting on city sidewalks is prohibited. You may not curse inside the city limits.
• Baltimore: It's illegal to throw bales of hay from a second-story window within the city limits. It's illegal to take a lion to the movies. It is a park rule violation to be in a public park with a sleeveless shirt. $10 fine. This would include joggers that go shirtless. (1898) -Park Rule 6 It is a violation of city code to sell chicks or ducklings to a minor within 1 week of the Easter holiday.
• Baltimore has regulations governing the disposal of hog's heads, pet droppings and oyster shells.
• Columbia: You can not have a antenna exposed outside of your house yet you can have a 25' satellite dish. Though clotheslines are banned, clothes may be draped over a fence.
• Eating while swimming in the ocean is prohibited.
• Gypsies should steer clear of Caroline County, Md., where it's a $100 fine or six months in the can for "forecasting or pretending to foretell the future."
• In Baltimore it's illegal to block the sidewalk with a box. But the offense only carries a $1 fine. Another law makes it illegal to throw bale of hay (or of anything else) out a second-story window. That gets you a $20 fine. In Baltimore it's illegal to play professional croquet before 2 p.m. Sunday. The law also applies to professional quoits.
• In Baltimore it is illegal to mistreat oysters.
• In Baltimore, it is illegal to wash or scrub sinks no matter how dirty they get.
• In Baltimore, Maryland, it is not legal to take a lion to the movies.
• In Halethrope, Maryland kisses longer than one second are illegal.
• In Maryland, a woman may not go through her husband's pockets while he is sleeping.
• In Maryland, men may not buy drinks for female bartenders.
• In Maryland, it is illegal to sell condoms from vending machines with one exception: prophylactics may be dispensed from a vending machine only "in places where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises."
• In Maryland, the legislature once proposed a board of parachute examiners to be made up of five licensed parachute instructors who would test and license all other parachute instructors. The plan had been abandoned when it was learned there were only three licensed parachute instructors in the state.
• In the entire state of Maryland, it is illegal to give or recieve oral sex.
• It is a violation to be in a public park with a sleeveless shirt. $10 fine.
• Maryland now requires that alcohol beverage writers be certified as experts by an agency of the state before they can receive product samples, which it limits to three bottles per brand.
• Ocean City: A law from the early 1900's prohibits men from going topless on the Boardwalk. Eating while swimming in the ocean is prohibited
• Thistles may not grow in one's yard.
• You cannot swear while inside the city limits of Baltimore.

For this and much much more go to: http://crazytopics.blogspot.com/2007/01/craziest-laws-in-america.html

*****

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