TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - New details are emerging about Jose Guerena, the man killed last Thursday in a SWAT incident at his Tucson home. He was gunned down by SWAT members while his wife and young child hid in a closet.

Now, the Pima County Sheriff's Department has taken responsibility for the fatal shooting. The SWAT team said it was just executing a narcotics search warrant when Guerena threatened officers with a military rifle. But the Sheriff's Department has changed its story on whether Guerena actually fired at anyone.

SOURCE:
http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/05/12/swat-team-fires-71-rounds-former-marine

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - New details are emerging about Jose Guerena, the man killed last Thursday in a SWAT incident at his Tucson home. He was gunned down by SWAT members while his wife and young child hid in a closet.

Now, the Pima County Sheriff's Department has taken responsibility for the fatal shooting. The SWAT team said it was just executing a narcotics search warrant when Guerena threatened officers with a military rifle. But the Sheriff's Department has changed its story on whether Guerena actually fired at anyone.

Continued
http://www.kgun9.com/story/14621212/marine-killed-by-swat-was-acting-in-defense-says-family

Show up with a gun when SWAT comes knocking and that's what happens, it doesn't matter if you shoot or not.

Whether or not these no-knock "assault" warrant executions are overused, or even a good idea in the first place, is another thing entirely.

A Marine died because of drug prohibition and for protecting his property and family from unknown individuals.

2 tours in Iraq and wake up to get shot in your home...GD shame.

If that happened to a family member or really good battle buddy of mine, I guarantee I would hunt down that SWAT member that pulled the trigger and exact Old Testament justice on his ass.

A FORMER Marine died, and like any other group the Marines have their bad apples (not saying Guerena was a bad apple, but having been a Marine doesn't automatically make him an angel.) But the fact remains, if you have a weapon in your hands when SWAT shows up you are rightly going to be taken down. If the investigation finds any improprieties on the part of the SWAT or the SD then someone needs to go to prison, and perhaps the use of no-knock forcible entries when executing warrants has to stop, but a SWAT team should never have to say "pretty please with sugar on top" and give you 3 chances to put your weapon down.

Gee whiz, isn't this the same state where a lady and her henchmen tried to pose as police officers, and then went in and killed the entire family because they were hispanic?

No knock against a trained warrior... do some research fellas.

Did you read the article? He was woken up from sleeping and nobody yelled SWAT!! He thought it was a home invasion and acted accordingly.

"After the fatal fusillade, Vanessa pleaded with the SWAT team to call for medical assistance; rather than doing so, they held help at bay until their victim was dead, supposedly in the interest of �security.�

KGUN �requested the emergency call records for Drexel Heights Fire Rescue. The 911 call center notified Drexel Heights at 9:43am. A unit arrived just two minutes later at 9:45. But deputies told rescue workers to stay put. That�s standard to be sure they won�t walk into danger. But they waited until 10:59. Then heard the radio call `Code 900′, that means they were no longer needed because the person was dead. One hour and 14 minutes went by. Drexel Heights indicates they were never allowed to even examine Jose Guere�a.�

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/87937.html

Give the police this much power, America, and things like this will happen. This is your fault, not mine. I warned you.

If you warned me i must have missed it since i never visit the ROF or IL2COD forums

Not very bright posting that since threatening a police officer will get you thrown in jail.

I find it hypocritical that soldiers/Marines get courts martial for similar stuff such as this, but then the SWAT team will get off with a slap on the wrist.

Police have long gotten preferential treatment; they're allowed to break so many laws with no repercussions, laws which civilians (and, as you mentioned, even military) are often harshly punished for. And they've had special laws made up for them which gives them special privileges. Kill a man, okay that's bad. Kill a cop, well that's far worse! Because cops are better than everyone else, right? Untouchable. If they say you did it, then you did it. They get extra rights and they get to walk all over others' rights, and people smile and nod. Until it happens to them, or someone whom they happen to care about. [spits] Government is incredible. They sexually molest adult and children alike ... cause and condone rape ... murder, steal, lie, falsely imprison, torture. All in the name of Security. Disgusting. And most of the cows just go along with it, approving of their future doom.

The KGUN article is written from the sole perspective of the deceased's wife.

The police department response discussed briefly in the article indicates that the deceased pointed an AR-15 at the officers.

SWAT search warrants are conducted by officers clearly marked with POLICE on their ballistic vests.

If they came in on a warrant, announced on the way in, and the deceased met them with a firearm he would not drop, or if he fired on them, this is, legally, a righteous shoot regardless of his military background or the sympathy his wife and child evoke, or the number of rounds fired. He did not have to shoot at them, which the media seems to be dwelling on. All he had to do was refuse to drop it. If they did not announce on the way in, the question is not as clear. In my state, we do not do no-knock/no-announce warrants, precisely for this reason.

Be careful of making judgment calls. We do not have all the facts. Condemning police officers' actions simply because you hate the police, or passing on the shooting as good for no other reason than you support law enforcement, simply shows preconceived notions. Cops are people, who are executing a high risk warrant, are scared and highly stressed, and want to go home to their families. They aren't perfect. They do make mistakes, and sometimes people get killed when they do. But to suggest that they went in there on a kill mission is simply wrongheaded.

Miao, Cat

It has happened in the past.
http://reason.com/archives/2008/12/05/death-by-swat
http://newsone.com/nation/casey-gane-mccalla/mass-police-kill-unarmed-grandfather-eurie-stamps/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Aiyana_Jones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston

With more use (which will be the case) there will be more accidental deaths and injuries to civilians.

And waiting an hour and a half before giving the all-clear for the medics to come in? What about that part, Cat?

1. Did they get a warrant from a court of law? (then they had probable cause)

2. Was this ex-Marine in fact a drug dealer? (If so then he knew the risk to self and family)

3. Did SWAT follow procedure? (if they did then they should of ID'ed themselves.)

4. Was their drugs in the house? (whether you agree with drug laws or not, it's currently illegal... don't hate the police for enforcing laws, contact your law makers)

If SWAT was wrong, and sometimes they are... then they should pay for the mistake... but I'd say 99% of the time a SWAT raid is legal, justified, and carried out properly.

And Fozzy, your a big tough man with your threats behind an IP address... I dare you.

"If they got a warrant from a court of law, then they had probable cause" is an assumption.

His wife SAID nobody yelled "SWAT!" She may not have heard it, or she may be lying, or, of course, she may be 100% correct; the investigation will hopefully straighten that out. When you consider that 95% of people out there are completely oblivious to their surroundings and couldn't tell you what they just saw or heard, you'll understand why I don't give much credence to the word of someone who's not a trained observer.