Knock and Talk

Not long ago in Portland a “knock and talk” drug sweep went bad when the agents involved got too aggressive, perhaps fearing they might lose an arrest if they waited any longer. They battered down an entry door and stormed what they believed to be a drug operation (they were correct). Shots were fired and a policewoman was killed, others severely injured. A standoff occurred and several TV stations set up observation posts to monitor and comment on the unfolding situation.

 

Media Hype

Nothing was happening so after a preliminary discussion there wasn’t much to say. Dead air creates a lot of pressure so one of the news anchors immediately started blathering about the criminal’s use of “high powered automatic” weapons… clearly no one knew what had been used at that time and for some time following… and when the situation came under control it was discovered not to be the case.

 

No “automatic” weapons

There were no automatic weapons. No apologies for misleading the public were issued. The fact is there are many hunting rifles that are far more powerful than any military import and are just as “automatic.” [The proper term would be “semi-automatic” meaning a round is fired each time the trigger is pulled.]

 

Tragedy

Tragically a policewoman lost her life over a marijuana bust. The man in question was paralyzed by a gunshot injury and later committed suicide in the hospital.

 

Interesting Case

It might have made an interesting court case. A search warrant had been issued but had not been served. The officers on scene decided time was of the essence. Because no one would answer the door they chose to knock it down and enter the premises. Unfortunately the “bad guy” was armed and willing to defend his castle. The “knock and talk” policy has since been modified by Portland Police departments.

Ben Raven