Well if anyone read my post yesterday I had an article about a drug raid where two dogs where killed. Yes DEA is on tonight for 2 hours and maybe I'll get to catch it not really sure. The thing is though what if some breaks down a door and they don't find any drugs or they kill dogs who aren't really a threat. Well here is the other side to the story where the cop is sorry he had to kill the two dogs. Hopefully someone finds it interesting.

"I made a decision in a split second to kill both dogs, and I've got to tell you, I don't feel good about that." Detective Sgt. Daniel Rinaldo

Updated: 03/31/09 09:34 AM
For police, killing of dogs was safety issue
2 were ready to attack in raid, detective says, but residents say their animals were fleeing
By Lou Michel
NEWS STAFF REPORTER




In a split second, Detective Sgt. Daniel Rinaldo decided he had to kill two dogs that appeared ready to attack during a police drug raid Saturday, despite assertions to the contrary from residents of the South Buffalo home where the raid occurred.

Rinaldo, in a news conference Monday, explained that he felt terrible about shooting the dogs but that the safety of him and other officers outweighed sparing the animals.

He disputed contentions by Rita Patterson, 27, and her father, Daniel, 68, who said the family pit bull terrier and pit bull-boxer mix were trying to get away from SWAT team members who burst into the house about dinnertime.

"It's an absolute lie," Rinaldo said.

"The situation was regrettable, but there was nothing I could do. The dogs were initially startled and went back on their hind legs and began barking and advancing toward me. I made a decision in a split second to kill both dogs, and I've got to tell you, I don't feel good about that."

Growing emotional, Rinaldo added that he has been a police officer 26 years and has owned two dogs, both strays he took home after finding them on the East Side.

Rinaldo said that police brass regularly urge the SWAT team to find less lethal alternatives for dealing with dogs during raids but that the consensus among similar-sized police departments is that there is no alternative. He said he has no recollection of Daniel Patterson's pleading with officers to allow him to put the dogs in another room, as the man contends.

"Keep in mind, this is happening in seconds, and the alternative was for me to get bit, and there would be mass confusion in this house," Rinaldo said.

The raid was one of nine conducted as part of an operation targeting gangs, guns and drug dealers in Kaisertown and South Buffalo. Police said they arrested 11 people, confiscated 10 ounces of cocaine and crack cocaine, a .38-caliber handgun and $1,300.

During a six-month investigation, undercover police and confidential informants made purchases of illegal drugs at the locations, including the Indian Church Road residence in South Buffalo, officers said.

"Drugs were purchased at that location based upon complaints of prescription drugs. After the SWAT team executed the search warrant, prescription drugs were found at that location. The reason arrests weren't made [was] they were legally prescribed to someone at that location," said Lt. Paul R. Delano, a Narcotics Squad supervisor. "Put 2 and 2 together: Somebody's selling drugs out of that location."

The prescription drug illegally sold was hydrocodone, police said.

"Some of the houses were doing as much as $5,000 a day in drug sales for at least a six-month period," Mayor Byron W. Brown said.

Both the mayor and Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson expressed support for Rinaldo and the overall conduct of the SWAT team. Gipson said sprays and other alternatives to shooting dogs have proved insufficient in halting dogs from attacks during raids.

Dogs kept at drug houses, Delano said, are not pets in the traditional sense, but rather "tools" used by drug dealers.

About a week ago, when a search warrant was being carried out on the East Side, police encountered seven dogs. One of the dogs was beside a toddler, and police were delayed long enough that a suspect they would normally have captured had time to jump out a rear second-floor window and escape, the lieutenant said.

Police said that in the last two years, more than 2,000 search warrants have been carried out and that on numerous occasions officers will try to avoid shooting dogs kept by drug dealers. Rinaldo, who serves as a Homicide Squad supervisor, said SWAT members often try to scare dogs and lock them in a closet or bathroom.

"I own three dogs myself, and in raids, it's a horrible thing," Delano said of dogs that are killed. "The blame needs to be placed on the owners."

As for the South Buffalo raid, Delano said that a day later, Sunday, William F. Hanavan, 32, the boyfriend of Rita Patterson, was charged with assault after attacking a neighbor whom Hanavan blamed for the raid. "He was trying to find out who was our confidential informant," Delano said.

Hanavan, 32, of Duerstein Street, was at the Patterson home during the raid but was not charged. Hanavan's parole from a drug conviction ended March 2, according to the State Division of Parole.

The Amherst and East Aurora police departments, state police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration assisted city officers with Saturday's raids.

Those arrested Saturday were: William Robinson, 19, and Brittaney Slisz, 18, both of Gorski Street; Ronald Frida, 24, Johnny Nelson, 23, and Timilla Taylor, 18, all of Norman Avenue; Daniel Birkmeyer, 22, of Barnard Street; Curtis Clemons, 21, of Cambridge Avenue; Nelson Rodriguez, 18, of Genesee Street; Anwar Jackson, 17, of Olsen Street; Bryan Slisz, 44, of Weiss Street; and Kadeem McWilliams, 19, of Weimar Street. Police said the charges are all drug-related but did not provide specific charges.

Gipson said two men remain at large: Anthony Cameron, 28, and Paul Tucker, 19. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the police confidential tip line at 847-2255.

lmichel@buffnews.com

The link goes to an article about cops killing dogs in a drug raid well kinda a drug raid. Yes it is cool to see on DEA (2 hour season Finale this week on Spike TV) where they come in and bust in door and draw guns and secure a house. Hey they are after the bad guys. But what about when you aren't the drug dealer. What about when the dogs are friendly and Not attack dogs. Hey when you come through that door how can you decide on what the dog will do? This is again another problem with the drug war, is some times the people who get hurt aren't the dealers. Here is an interesting buffalo news article.

John Hickey/Buffalo News

Updated: 03/30/09 08:21 AM
Police shoot, kill two dogs during raid
Family says animals did not pose a threat
By Aaron Besecker
NEWS STAFF REPORTER


A South Buffalo family wants answers after police shot and killed two of their dogs during a raid Saturday, leaving blood puddled on a living-room carpet and speckled on the wall.

Police, who were looking for a drug suspect and narcotics, left the Indian Church Road home without finding any evidence or arresting anyone, according to residents of the house.

The incident has left the family distraught and angry over the loss of the dogs, Essy and Moosey.

"It was just the most traumatizing, horrible thing," said Rita M. Patterson, 27, who lives in the house with her 68-year-old father, Daniel J. Patterson.

Rita Patterson's boyfriend, William F. Hanavan, 32, paroled last year after serving eight months in prison on a drug charge, was home but was not taken into custody Saturday.

However, Hanavan was arrested on a felony assault charge Sunday afternoon, Buffalo police reported.

When police stormed the house on Indian Church Road, near Seneca Street, at about 5:30 p. m. Saturday, Daniel Patterson was on the couch, watching the news.

"They shot the dogs for no reason at all," he told The Buffalo News on Sunday.

Rita Patterson said she was cooking dinner in the kitchen when she heard loud noises at the side door. Hanavan was upstairs taking a nap, and at first she thought he may have fallen out of bed.

Before she knew what was happening, police wearing masks and helmets and carrying automatic weapons had broken through the door. They tied her hands with a zip tie and put her on the floor.

Her father pleaded with police not to shoot the dogs, but they wouldn't allow him to grab the dogs and put them in another room, Patterson said.

One of the officers started firing a shotgun at the two dogs, one a pit bull and the other a pit bull-boxer mix.

One of the dogs was shot three times: once in the throat, once in the back and the last time in the leg while trying to run away, Rita Patterson said.

The other dog was cowering behind a table. Neither was a threat to the police, the residents said.

The police had a warrant for the home, but it named no suspects. It said only that investigators were looking for a white male and Hydrocodone. Information that led to the warrant, according to the warrant itself, came partly from an informant, Rita Patterson said.

Hanavan was paroled in February 2008 after he served more than eight months of a one-to three-year sentence for fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony.

Hanavan was arrested Sunday following an assault at about 3:30 p. m. on Indian Church Road near the site of the raid.

Hanavan and a second suspect are accused of pinning down a man and punching and kicking him repeatedly, said Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge. The man suffered numerous injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital.

It's not known how or if the incident is connected to the previous day's raid, DeGeorge said.

Police did have a warrant for the address, DeGeorge said, though he would not comment on who the target may have been or what police were looking for.

"It's part of an ongoing undercover operation," DeGeorge said.

Rita Patterson said she will be talking with a lawyer today.

"There's not even a word to describe the pain I feel," she said.

DeGeorge, the police spokesman, said the Pattersons have a right to request an investigation through the department's Professional Standards Division.

DeGeorge did point to the inherent danger police generally face when raiding a home.

"Executing a search warrant, police never know what they're going to find on the other side of that door," DeGeorge said. "In most cases, these can be life and death situations."

News Staff Reporter Stephen T. Watson contributed to this report.

abesecker@buffnews.com

Oh yeah this is my second post of the day, I posted about Metallica before this, and drugs and Metallica have no connection really.

So if I post this correctly yes there will be two ads but they feature the worlds greatest band ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck all the other bands, HA. Metallica is coming to Buffalo in Nov. 10th I think and tickets go on sale on the 4th same day they go into the Hall of Fame. Awesome. These ads are for their new Guitar Hero Video game. The second one is kinda based on the first one. I'm not sure maybe there will even be a third one who knows.



Yes those are Famous Basketball Coaches I think all from College and not the pros.

Well Hopefully the second video works also.




Turn The Page

Yes I did have a good time at the Bandits game, even though they lost. Since they are played the Titans who are in the same what ever you call that it is an important game, I guess the teams are pretty tight. With out being a sports writer I would say the Bandits played better then New York and at least sure out shot them but sometimes that just isn't enough you need goals. Well here are some pictures from the game.





































I should mention that the above pictures where from warmups and not the game them selves. Here are some from the game.











































































After the game they played the Sabres on the big screen and people could stay and watch, I headed home. Before the game though I took some downtown shots. I didn't see any of the Tea Party protest thingy though.

So Hopefully that link leads to an interesting story about drugs in Vancouver . I would really like to read a follow up about the BC Bud, but I'm guessing there won't be one about that, it just gets a quick mention. The other day on Facebook I mentioned that I like the show DEA. I think there is a Marathon from about 1pm to 8pm on spike TV. It is a pretty good show. I also said that I don't agree with the drug war. I figured out why I like the show. First of all it is pretty good. Second of all since drugs are illegal there is all this crime and gangs and all the nasty stuff that goes along with things in the street. If you want to kill people over drugs then you should go to Jail and that is why I think the DEA is good. But on the other hand I think the drug war is wrong and drugs should be made legal. I think it would take a lot of the crime out of it and make a lot of people much safer and then you get tax money. In any event for those that don't like to follow links here is the article.

Guns seized by police in Vancouver, Canada, were displayed during a news conference about the city's rising crime rate.
Associated Press

03/29/09 06:35 AM
Increased crime plagues Vancouver
Drugs are source of the problem at 2010 Games site
By Jeremy Hainsworth
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Story tools:


VANCOUVER, British Columbia - With its spectacular bay and stunning, snowcapped peaks, Vancouver ranks as one of the world's most beautiful cities. But in recent months, the people of Canada's Olympic city have been living in fear.

As Vancouver prepares to host the 2010 Winter Games, its crime rate is going up. Since January, there have been 45 shootings in the region, 17 of them fatal. There were 58 homicides last year in this region of 2.7 million people, up from 41 the year before, according to the regional Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

"It's terrifying," said Doris Luong, who lives near the scene of a March 10 double homicide. "This used to be the best city in the world. . . . I fear for my children."

At a nearby elementary school, pupils' movements were immediately restricted as word of the killings spread.

The root of the problem seems to be drugs, or rather a shortage of them.

The Mexican cocaine supply line extends through the United States, especially Los Angeles, up to Vancouver, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Pat Fogarty.

But the Mexican government of President Felipe Calderon has mobilized 45,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police to curb drug cartel activity. That has driven up the price of cocaine in Vancouver from $23,300 per kilogram to almost $39,000, Fogarty said, and gangs are killing each other.

"People are nervous . . . and so are the police," said Fogarty, head of the regional gang task force. "The public's outraged. The government's outraged."

Vancouver social activist Jamie Lee Hamilton, who lives in Vancouver's seedy Downtown Eastside, said she no longer has much faith in the justice system.

"I'm really apprehensive about going out in the evening," Hamilton said. "We've turned into an American city."

Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan recently called Vancouver the country's gang capital and said the violence is the worst in Canada.

Canada's largest city, Toronto, has seen only 11 homicides this year in a population of 5.1 million, almost double that of the Vancouver region.

On a visit to Vancouver earlier this month where he met with family members of victims, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper proposed a new law that would label gang killings as first-degree murder with a prison sentence of at least 25 years and no parole. The law would also create a new offense with a minimum four-year jail term for drive-by shootings.

Harper has said people planning to attend the Winter Games should not worry about violence, since 15,000 police officers, private security and military personnel are expected to provide security.

Local authorities say they have stepped up actions to curb the gangs and their violence. Police announced the arrests of 10 gang members recently, and four more were arrested on drug and weapon offenses earlier this month.

Police Chief Jim Chu acknowledged the city is in the middle of a "brutal" gang war and said the strategy is to detain gang members on as many charges as possible. However, some of those arrested are being released on bail by the courts.

Mayor Gregor Robertson has said police are fighting a losing battle.

Vancouver may in part be paying the price for some of the very features that help make it so attractive. Rob Gordon, director of the criminology school at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University, noted that the city has a laid-back attitude, easy access to the U. S. border and a vast backcountry with a climate ripe for growing potent marijuana. Police say British Columbia marijuana, known as B. C. bud, is often traded for cocaine, and Vancouver is known for marijuana growing operations.