Raids, stun grenades and teddy bears, too

This wasn't supposed to happen here

[Reprinted from Issues & Views July 29, 2002]

On March 11, Issues & Views reported on raids conducted by policemen who literally stormed a housing complex, in February, on two consecutive nights. National Guard helicopters, over 100 Durham police officers, and over a dozen state agents, armed with weapons fit for war, descended on the Cheek Road Apartments in Durham, North Carolina, terrorizing neighborhood residents.

And, true to today's show biz approach to crime and law enforcement, Durham television station WTVD was on hand to film the multiple raids.

A Durham police department press release (2/18/02) informs the public that during preparatory undercover investigations of the buildings, police identified several apartments where they suspected "illegal activity" was taking place. The release does not explain why law enforcement agents did not simply target the apartments in question.

In addition to 35 felony arrests, the execution of 7 search warrants, and the issuance of 65 traffic citations, officers engaged in 104 "knock and talk" actions at the doors of apartment residents. According to the police, "Officers passed out fliers during the operation to let residents know that officers were there to help them and that crime would not be tolerated. Officers from the Police Department's Selective Enforcement Team also passed out Teddy bears to several children in the apartment complex during the operation."

As might be expected, legal charges were brought against the perpetrators of the raids. Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson, after viewing WTVD's unedited tapes of the two-night event, ruled the raids were unconstitutional. According to Durham's Herald-Sun (717/02), Judge Hudson was particularly disturbed at watching some officers' use of stun grenades "even when they knew women and infants were inside certain apartments."

The News & Observer (7/26/02) reported on how Jay Robinson, on the first night of the raid, stepped out of his townhouse to go to dinner, was grabbed by the police, thrown up against a wall and searched. They then forced him back into his home and, without warrant, searched his house. Robinson, who had never been in trouble with the law and has no criminal record, was flabbergasted.

Ultimately, on order of Judge Hudson, all of the criminal charges resulting from the raid were dropped against the defendants. Prosecutors did not protest the Judge's ruling. Reports the Herald-Sun, "Hudson said the raid was unlawful because officers improperly 'seized' the entire neighborhood and conducted unreasonable searches and seizures. Actions of some officers amounted to 'tortious or criminal conduct.'

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