THE INJUSTICE OF NO JUSTICE

Raid goes bad, police deny wrongdoing

10:35 PM CDT on Thursday, April 19, 2007

By Jeff McShan / 11 News Click to watch video“Crime was so bad around Antoine and Tidwell last year, Houston police blanketed the area with extra officers. Officers went undercover to catch drug dealers believed to be the source of much of the chaos.However, on Sept. 24, the men and women in blue jumped the gun, so to speak.They kicked in the door at apartment 601 with their guns drawn. The problem? They were at the wrong apartment.It scared 60-year-old Dennis Granier – nearly to death.“The police officers were kicking the door and my head hit the door and they pushed me to the ground,” said Granier.He was treated at a local hospital for a concussion. He claims he now has blurred vision and is too scared to carry a gun.

11 News

Dennis Granier said police raided his apartment and roughed him up. But they raided the wrong place.

He used to be a full time licensed security guard.

He filed an internal affairs complaint and was confident HPD would do the right thing.

Instead, they sent him a letter back saying that no law was broken, and that he would not be compensated.

Well, he called activist Quanell X.

“For the city of Houston to take the status line that we have done nothing wrong, not at fault, we are not responsible, is an insult not just to this gentleman alone. It is an insult to his family (and) an insult to the city of Houston.” Said Quanell X.

Lt. Tom Jennings with HPD says what happened to Mr. Granier is unfortunate. But.

“It’s not an exact science; it operates often on evolving information. However in this instance the officers’ actions were lawful and proper,” said Jennings.”

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Not “an exact science”.

The callous disregard shown from the incompetent police raid nearly cost this man his life. It is not enough for police to kick the doors in and endanger the lives of innocent citizens; they also  give an insulting lame excuse about police work not being an exact science. (Translation:  they did not check, and re-check, whatever information they were given. “It operates on evolving information”. Before they leave their command station, they should have all the information that would point them to the right home;  Apt. 610. Not 601. And that can mean the difference between life or death for an occupant of a building.) Not only have they not given this gentleman an apology, they consider their reckless, life-threatening behaviour as business as usual.

But, Mr. Granier has stated he will hire an attorney to pursue this further.

 My hope is that he does get justice from this incident.

The police get away with murder enough in this country.

And their callous disregard for the citizenry needs to be curtailed before someone loses a life over more incompetence from sloppy police information that kills and destroys  citizen’s lives.

But, when have the police not caused the end of someone’s life through wrong information in the search for drugs?

It has happened before.

And it will continue to happen again, and again, until police are finally brought to justice and have instilled into them that no one, including the police, is above the law.

NO ONE.

Links to this story:

http://www.khou.com./topstories/stories/khou070419_tj_wrongbust.27233d1f.html