Nobody's Home

[ToyotaNSaturn]

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/sited/story/html/261307

Police surround house in five-hour standoff, but nobody home


PORT ANGELES -- A five-hour standoff between Port Angeles police and a reportedly suicidal woman with a knife Friday afternoon ended without a bang, or a whimper.

She wasn't there.

Police responded to a house on the 1500 block of South K Street at 1:30 p.m. after a woman told 9-1-1 dispatchers that her adult daughter had barricaded herself inside with a knife and was suicidal.

At least four officers and one Clallam County sheriff's deputy responded to the scene.

One officer watching the back of the residence was armed with an assault rifle.

Police closed off the street immediately in front of the house and began attempting to make contact with the woman.

First negotiators tried then the phone inside, then used a ``throw phone'' common in crisis negotiations, and finally blared a bullhorn siren.

Neighbors watch

Meanwhile, neighbors and children stood outside, watching.

A State Patrol bomb squad robot device was brought to the scene, Port Angeles Police Cpl. Kevin Miller said Saturday.

The robot was deployed inside the residence, but couldn't find her.

The house was empty the whole time, Miller said.

Officers cleared the scene at 6:17 p.m., he said.

 

[rpn453]

She's an adult, and can make her own decisions. Why do they waste everyone's money and emergency personnel going there in the first place?

 

[obbop]

"One officer watching the back of the residence was armed with an assault rifle."

"LOOK!!!!!!!!!! She's got a knife..... shoot her!!!!"

Bam bam bam

All is again safe in the world.

 

[Pablo]

Because it's WA state. Weird thing is that Port Angeles is just a dinky place. They have all this time, men and equipment? They were bored and wanted to use it!!

 

[MarkC]

That's the truth.
Never have so many felt so important for so little reason.

 

[Pablo]

It's a weird thing when liberals get the baton of law enforcement.

zee1 - do you mean PA or WA?

 

[MarkC]

It's a weird thing when any of them take themselves too seriously.
They ought to put stuff like this on COPS and those other police video shows to balance out all the drama.

 

[JAYCEE]

We live in a police state. I'm surprised they didn't burn the house down when she refused to come out.

These people are an absolute disgrace.

 

[Dan4510]

Let's look at the logic here. Someone is going to commit suicide, so we surround them with enough firepower to kills an army in the name of saving them. Makes a lot of sense to me. Also why my opinion of law enforcement continues to go down with each story like this.

Police are not para-military, they are supposed to be civilian controlled enforcerers of the law.

Too much power with little or no responsibility or accountability for the consequences of misusing it.

Dan

 

[Zee1]

I'm hearing more and more about Port Angeles, what the heck ? just 3 days ago I watched a forensic files thing about the local legend pediatrician who smothered a baby to death, then his co-worker (another doctor) kills his wife and stages a car accident. Then my mom and her b/f are planning a trip there cause his son lives there, now this... whats with PA ?

 

[Al]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pablo:
Because it's WA state.

---

Hahahahahaha..I was gonna' bring that up but decided against it.

 

[obbop]

Placing this for reference and educational purposes, not to be political.

Every human and human organization makes mistakes. On the whole, our police are a blessing. How many total strangers will risk their lives to assist you and yours?

Still, the police have so much power and it seems the legal system backs them up from the get-go.... of course, we MUST defend the cops but we must also set a few limits to protect the innocent.

A complicated topic and I think these links may be of interest:

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6476

http://www.cato.org/raidmap/

 

[Dan4510]

Well throw in the new practice of no knock warrants and it really puts a citizen, uh i mean serf, at risk. If my door was busted down with me not knowing who it was, they better be very protected, I would shoot and ask questions later. Yell police before coming in and I doubt i would have that reaction. This very scenerio has happened and more times than not the citizen that shoots the police is legitmated at the grand jury level for defending hinself. However, the district attorney and the police usually demonize anyone who does this.

If i bust in on somene and hold them at gunpoint for no reason, i go to jail. If its done by a bunch of idiots in police uniforms they get a free pass. All i ask is that police be held to at least the accountability that citizens are held too. They should be held to a much higher standard of care because they are trained to protect and not just let their hormones overload their brains. The party line is that they are held ot a higher standard, but human stupidity and other human failings prevent this many times.

On the other side, i spent a lot of time riding with police in large metropolitian areas and small rurual areas and been along on felony arrests. The ones I have been with conduccted themselves as professionals despite temptations to do otherwise. The are quick to determine if they are dealing with an honest citizen or a criminal and act accordingly.

What worries me is the current practice of police being trained to be extremely aggresive even on traffic stops. Yelling, etc does them no good. It scares honest people and turns them against cops and it does not mean a thing to a hard core criminal. Most are being taught to treat all as criminals no matter what from what I observe from behavior and training i have observed. Too many full of **** and vinegar are allowed to be cops with not nearly enough checks on their behavior.

England has it right, they extensively test and recruit people who have very stable personalities that show an aversion to using violence. It is their last resort, no other things allowed. I talked to many police and command level administrators that considered it an ultimate failure to have to put hands on a suspect for anything. I lived in England and reseaerched how they do things. They are the only country on earth that advertises their cops as a tourist draw.

Dan

 

[Clyde65]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dan4510:
Let's look at the logic here. Someone is going to commit suicide, so we surround them with enough firepower to kills an army in the name of saving them. Makes a lot of sense to me.

---

LOL!!!

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

The only action at the house that day....