Kerby Anderson

When the Supreme Court rules 9-0 on a case, you should pay attention. In this case, it is law enforcement that needs to pay attention. The High Court ruled that the federal government can be held accountable for a botched SWAT raid performed by the FBI.

The SWAT team raid in question occurred during the middle of the night. Armed FBI agents in tactical gear deployed a flashbang grenade and held the couple at gunpoint before realizing they had the wrong address.

The action was part of “Operation Red Tape” that was targeting gang activity in Georgia. Apparently in the pre-raid drive-by, the team leader used his personal GPS and misidentified the home. It appears he failed to verify the street name and the house number. The real target was a block away from the home that was breached by the FBI.

Ten years ago, we started doing radio programs on how SWAT teams in military gear were crashing into homes erroneously. Frequently, the innocent victims of the raid are left with property damage and injuries. They could easily be shot, since the mother, in this case, raced to reach and comfort her 7-year-old daughter.

When I first interviewed John Whitehead about this, he reported that some in law enforcement did not even know what the Fourth Amendment prohibits in terms of unlawful searches and seizures. He lamented that “the Constitution’s safeguards against police abuse means nothing when government agents can crash through your door, terrorize your children, shoot your dogs, and jail you.”

Imagine if someone crashed through your front door at night. You might try to reach for your phone or perhaps even for a weapon. That is one botched SWAT raid that could end in your death. Fortunately, the Supreme Court ruled correctly in this case.