69 yr old homeowner opened fire during no-knock police raid on his home

Didn't see this posted anywhere. William Cooper, a 69-year-old man from Hampton, Virginia, was shot dead by police after he fired his gun when police burst into his house during a no-knock raid on a tip from an informant that Cooper was selling prescription painkillers and methadone. Only three bottles of painkillers were found in the 69-year-old man's house, two of which were empty, along with a variety of other prescription drugs for ailments such as arthritis and heart disease. A girl on a nearby softball field reported a bullet whizzed past her shirt and another bullet was also lodged in a house across the street after an officer accidentally fired through Cooper’s front door.
"Jesse Pittman, was working on the air conditioning unit on the roof of the Living Water Tabernacle Baptist Church at 1612 Kecoughtan Road, about three properties away from the house that was raided, on Saturday morning when he saw a large white, unmarked van pull up in Clifton Street.

He said about five or six police officers got out of the van and kicked in the door of a house. “I just heard shots. I can’t say how many,” he said."
www.theagitator.com... e-must-face-every-day/
www.dailypress.com...
No police vehicles. The man was quick to react. I would have to say that is how I would react. No police vehicles, could easily be police impersonators.

reply to post by Hillbilly123069


Absolutely ridiculous. No knock warrants may provide the element of surprise to keep cops "safe" but at what cost? A few dogs, a marine, and an elderly man? No way is this how America is supposed to be.

Well seriously, what the hell do you expect when busting into an American's house without permission? Truly tragic... and all over drugs... Jesus, hasn't the war on drugs done enough damage yet? I have an idea: keep your nose out of other people's business. That's why this country was founded. Then again, after over 200 years, what can really be kept from those times when then entire nation is spun out from propaganda and everyone is heavily "medicated".

Lots of old folks often sell some of their medications
For little luxurys ...like FOOD
Will say this when cought by surprise that old man was fast..
But it cost him his life..Sad
Guess all these high paid SWAT officers need something to do !!

Hampton Police Chief Charles R. Jordan Jr. has backed the two officers involved in the shooting, saying the case appears to be a justified act of self-defense.

and...

"The investigation thus far supports the actions of the officers," Jordan said Saturday. "They were met with deadly force and had no alternative other than to return fire."

Nice to see the officers are being defended, claiming it was a clear case of self defense. Too bad this horrible, 69 year old "DRUG CRIMINAL ARRRR" doesn't get the same benefit of the doubt.

I like how one of their arguments is "We were wearing shirts that said "POLICE" on them. We are obviously cops". If a bunch of armed thugs kicked in my door without announcing themselves as law enforcement, I would probably assume the worst and wouldn't take the time to examine their clothes to see if they say "POLICE" on them. They would be immediately met with a hail of gunfire, like the way this man handled it.

Also, I like how the second article spun it at the end there, trying to make the victim look like a degenerate drunk with a gambling problem.

Anyways, I'm not surprised to see the Police Chief is "backing" the two officers involved in the shooting. Typical "protect you own" bull#. They're probably down at their local bar right now, telling glorious tales about taking down the local drug lord...

reply to post by infolurker


Not to take anything away from this (tragic) story, but where did you read anything that said 3am

At least they got the old guy with crates of vic's in his backpocket.

Once again people are taking this way out of context.

Taking from the op's sources.

The raid happened at 10 a.m.

There was a search warrant issued.

It was not a no-knock search warrant.

The police did knock and identify themselves before entry.

They were meant with deadly force

They responded per regulations

So what is the problem?

HAMPTON — A friend of the Hampton man shot and killed during a police raid at his house Saturday said he thinks the 69-year-old man opened fire on officers because he was startled and thought they were criminal intruders.

William A. Cooper had poor eyesight because of cataracts and would often sleep late, said Richard Zacharias, 58, a retired NASA employee who was renting a trailer home from Cooper and planned to buy it from him.

"People around here sleep with a gun beside their bed because of all the home invasions we've had," Zacharias said. "The guy was a nice guy. The guy was a good guy."

Both of those factors, Zacharias said, might have caused him not to realize that it was the police that were in his home at 10 a.m.

www.dailypress.com...

reply to post by ProphecyPhD


Nothing in the articles states he had a hearing problem however.

This guy was selling drugs to supplement his income and probably decided to suicide by cop once he got busted.

Originally posted by kro32
Once again people are taking this way out of context.

Taking from the op's sources.

The raid happened at 10 a.m.

There was a search warrant issued.

It was not a no-knock search warrant.

The police did knock and identify themselves before entry.

They were meant with deadly force

They responded per regulations

So what is the problem?

I'm not a police lover but this seems pretty much cut and dry. The police had a warrant (no knock or not) and the man shot at them. Protest no knock warrants if you're mad but he shot at them and they shot back. Cut and Dry.

Originally posted by Adyta

Also, I like how the second article spun it at the end there, trying to make the victim look like a degenerate drunk with a gambling problem.

Really though, so what if he was? Degenerate drunk gamblers don't deserve it either. There is nothing gained from this kind of police action.

I dated a girl whose mother would sell off some of her morphine to make ends meet. I don't agree with it, but when it comes down to survival, you gotta do what you can. This lady was a bible-beating Christian and a great mother; she knew what she was doing was wrong, but she needed to feed her family. They could never even keep a low-income apartment for a 6-month lease... People like that need help, not bullets.

edit on 6-7-2011 by sine.nomine because: (no reason given)

reply to post by kro32


Nice to see you take this whole "Innocent before proven guilty" thing seriously...


(that was sarcasm)

Did the police announce they were police? because that would change things

Personal eyewitness statement:
Jesse Pittman, was working on the air conditioning unit on the roof of the Living Water Tabernacle Baptist Church at 1612 Kecoughtan Road, about three properties away from the house that was raided, on Saturday morning when he saw a large white, unmarked van pull up in Clifton Street.
He said about five or six police officers got out of the van and KICKED in the door of a house. “I just heard shots. I can’t say how many,” he said."
Local news source:
www.wtkr.com...

Originally posted by Hillbilly123069
Personal eyewitness statement:
Jesse Pittman, was working on the air conditioning unit on the roof of the Living Water Tabernacle Baptist Church at 1612 Kecoughtan Road, about three properties away from the house that was raided, on Saturday morning when he saw a large white, unmarked van pull up in Clifton Street.
He said about five or six police officers got out of the van and KICKED in the door of a house. “I just heard shots. I can’t say how many,” he said."
Local news source:
www.wtkr.com...

edit on 6-7-2011 by Hillbilly123069 because: (no reason given)

And your point is what

Our country needs more cross-agency supervision and quality control of operating procedures. No knock policies not only put both LEOs and civilians at great risk of fatalities (obviously), but it is so extreme in my opinion that even in the theatre of "war" abroad, typically there's an attempt to make an effort to offer residents/potential combatants the ability to comply with commands/make them aware of our presence and intent before blazing in.

Heck, a situation like this could have probably been settled with a phone call.

But here's the deal, you get these local swat/police teams that train up all the time with little else work to actually do, and when they get a mission, they put it in their own minds "this is it" and expect some action.

End results these past few months have been individuals who have received sometimes more than 50 rounds of fire directed at them and many may agree, it needs to be addressed.

I do think its bs that these law can kick someones door in on the word of an informant that is likely a rat drug addict snitching to get themselves out of trouble. Even the court requires more than 1's word against another.

I am one of the most anti-police people you could ever meet.

If i am around you and you shoot at me i will shoot back. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

Protest No-Knock warrants if you must but the police were justified in this case (did i just say that?)