From: Adam Flinton 

Dave Ings wrote:
> In the mid 90s or so there was a well known incident in Ontario where a
> Ontario Provincial Police team targetted an assault on a farmhouse. They
> approach by stealth, in dark clothes during the night. Problem is they
> looked like a bunch of thugs to the farmer, who came out armed with his
> shotgun to protect his wife and family, exchanged some fire with the
"thugs"
> and was promptly killed.
>
> Of course you've already guessed the end: wrong farmhouse. The one they
> wanted was a couple of lots over. I don't recall why showing up at 9 AM the
> next morning with a search warrant in daylight wasn't considered an adequate
> approach. I do recall an inquiry that basically white washed the whole
> affair - hey, mistakes happen, boys will be boys.
>

I blame the drop in mil spending....I loath cops pretending to be special forces.

> The Quebec Provincial Police have also been known as trigger happy. I can
> recall a late 70s incident where two carpet layers on a job in a remote town
> had the misfortune to have checked into the "wrong" motel
room. The cops
> burst in, guns a blazing and killed them. It wasn't even clear the carpet
> layers woke up before they were shot dead. Again, oops, wrong room, sorry
> about that.
>

It's why the overwhelming majority of UK cops don't want to be armed. They
know nistakes will happen & they know it will hurt them with the
public.


> As you can tell, I have really mixed feeling about police. Tough job, split
> second decisions etc, but sometimes I think too many of them think they are
> acting out a part in a cheap TV show (although I have meet some very well
> trained and professional ones).
>

Like I say if you want to duck & dive in the dark dressed in black etc
join the special forces.

> Now don't get me going about the Toronto Police, who love strip searching
> anyone who brought in, no matter how trivial the accusation ...

Reminds me of some doctors.....

Adam

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