...The police response arguably escalated the situation instead of defusing it. This is a recurring theme in a string of examples of how police suffer from a dearth of training in how to deal with unarmed, uncooperative citizens who had not been charged with committing any crime. What police lack in empathetic response, they more than compensate for with an excess of militaristic toys and the use of force.
Their unsubstantiated concern for the safety of the public notwithstanding, the police are required to seek a warrant from an impartial magistrate before engaging in the search of private property and seizing of persons. The allegation by an equally emotional girlfriend that John Geer was an owner of firearms does not constitute probable cause to violate his rights and ultimately end his life. As John Geer had not yet committed any offense to warrant his arrest, and with his family already off-site, police should have defused the situation by themselves leaving the scene....
Well, I suppose they have to do something with that $250,000 armored vehicle. :rolleyes:
Seriously, the way to handle that would have been for the police to just go away, and get a warrant for obstruction. I'd love for somebody to get charged with something over this, but I'm not holding my breath.
