Calvo said he had just returned home from walking his two Labrador retrievers, Chase and Payton, when his mother-in-law told him a package had arrived for his wife, Trinity Tomsic.
Moments later, Calvo was in his room changing for a meeting when he heard commotion downstairs.
"The door flew open," he said. "I heard gunfire shoot off. There was a brief pause and more gunfire."
Calvo said he was brought downstairs at gunpoint in his boxer shorts, handcuffed and forced onto the floor with his mother-in-law near the carcass of one of dead dogs.
"I noticed my two dead dogs lying in pools of their own blood," Calvo said.
Calvo said his mother-in-law is still recovering from the incident.
"She got the worst of it," Calvo said. "She was literally in the kitchen, cooking a lovely pasta dish, and they brought down the door and shot our dogs."
While he was being held, Calvo said, he told police he is the town's mayor, but they didn't believe him.
Berwyn Heights has its own police force, he said, but Prince George's County police did not notify the municipal authorities of their interest in his home or the package.
Many of us have expressed concern about the way some of these SWAT raids have been done in relation to drug cases. Innocent people and animals are being killed and one wonders how many will have to experience what the Calvo family has before something is done. There has to be a better way to arrest those who are involved in drug sales without situations like this happening.
7 comments:
Are we expected to believe that the highly trained, powerfuly armed, para-military units of the SRT are threatened by a black lab? WOW. I'm not threatened by any black lab, and I don't have on 60lbs of body armor. Here is the issue: take a look at the recruiting of SRT around the country - take a look at the typical profile of the people that are recruited, then add on the training. Most are barely high school educated (questionable high school at that) and LOVE the power. So, it is not hard to imagine that they find it easy to pull the trigger on a dog. No serious investigation will ensue. Dead person, yes, dead dog, no. Easy kill, no real questions. Pets have to achieve a higher level of litigatory status before this will stop.
P.S. I don't hate cops, just bad ones. Unfortunately, those numbers seem to grow, but that also could just be the media attention.
These violations of civil rights need to come to an end. A similar event happened to me. I was ushered from my home at gun point (three guns to be exact). My home was searched. I committed no crime, and I was never charged with any thing. When I publicly complained, I was told by the police that I should be quit or "bad things" will happen to me. Was that a death threat by the police?
Within the last month a man was tasered seven time, and he died at the hands of a police officer. The police tactics are out of line! A traffic stop is not suppose to be a life and death issue. One false move at a traffic stop and you are dead! What is going on? That is not acceptable conduct. That is conduct that I expect in Iraq not the United States.
I think it is time that people protest the excessive use of force by the police! Publicly send a message.
This is unbelieveable.
How is it justified that the SWATT team breaks down your doors, shoots your dogs and treats you like a criminal when they know you are innocent- and on top of that refuse to provide a warrant and a simple apology?!
Where are we? Are we in the middle east? How does this happen?
How can the SWATT team be threatened by LABS?? They weren't.
This was hunting. This was "entertainment" to them.
They need to be held accountable.
Was there drugs or not? No one is above the law so why would it matter what his name was and if they knew who he was and what position he is in?
I am probably one of your more conservative minded people. I don't want to rush to judgment until all the facts come out, but if the circumstances as related by the media are accurate, this reinforces my opinion the the majority of cops are Morons with Guns, which is why I carry my own. Department rivalries between town county and state police forces are also frighteninly common and counterproductive to the common good. Remember, when seconds count, and you really need a cop, they are just minutes away.
Thats not a swat team, thats a Gestapo team. Make me worry...I also have 2 black labs, and yes, they bark when a stranger comes onto my property. Will they bite? I highly doubt it. They are more likely to come over and sit on your feet so they will be petted. That is an awful story, it ruined my whole day. Those stupid idiots that did this should be jailed for stupidity.
I have two little dogs, but one of them appears very threatening when someone comes in. It'd be doubtful she could do much harm, but I can only imagine what would happen to her under such a scenario.
There has been a huge increase in dogs being shot by SWAT and police, it can not be said some of these situations were not justified, but that does not mean all of them are. There are times when SWAT is needed, I just question some of the times they are currently being used. One package of pot seems to not be a scenario where lives should be at risk and animals killed.
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