| Page 2 of 2 < |
Robert McCartney: Prince George's, Md., sheriff takes scary position on misguided raid
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
|
Calvo and Porter were bound during the raid, and Porter was forced to lie on the floor near one of the dogs' bodies until the officers figured out there had been a mistake.
In another twist in the case, the county is trying to block the discovery process in Calvo's lawsuit. That's frustrating, because the lawsuit could clear up some mysteries.
In particular, it could uncover why nobody did a routine check before the raid to find out who lived at the address, which could have determined the mayor lived there. It could reveal why the sheriff's office didn't get a no-knock warrant, as Calvo says state law requires.
It could also show whether it's typical practice for SWAT teams to shoot dogs immediately on entering a target house, regardless of how the animals behave. That wouldn't be a huge surprise, considering that many drug dealers have dogs, often pit bulls, as guard animals.
The county's position in the suit is that nobody should be deposed and no records made available while the federal inquiry is underway. Otherwise, the county says, it could violate the sheriff's officers' Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
But that begs a question: If Jackson's men didn't do anything wrong, as he insists, then why would they take the Fifth?
I discuss local issues at 8:51 a.m. Friday on WAMU (88.5 FM). E-mail me at mccartneyr@washpost.com.
