On December 19th, a sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed during an attempt to serve a “no knock” warrant near Sommerville, Texas. Just before 6:00 A.M. an 8 member SWAT team broke through the door of Henry Goedrich Magee to serve a warrant which would permit the team to search the mobile home in which Magee and his pregnant girlfriend were living. Reacting to the pre-dawn, forced entry Magee grabbed a rifle propped against a bedroom door frame and fired at the unidentified intruders, killing 31 year old sheriff’s deputy Adam Sowders. No one else was injured and Magee was taken into custody. He is being held on $1 million bail and has been charged with capital murder, punishable in Texas by life in prison without possibility of parole or death by lethal injection.
These are the broad facts of the case as first reported by a number of print, radio and TV sources. The following additional information has been made public during the past few days:
1.) The “no-knock” warrant was issued at the request of Deputy Sowders who was proceeding according to information provided by an investigator who told the officer that Magee “…was growing marijuana and possibly had stolen guns, as well as other drugs inside his home.” According to Magee’s attorney, Dick Deguerin, four weapons were recovered by police; 3 legally owned by Magee, one legally owned by Magee’s mother. Also according to Deguerin, the only drugs found in the home consisted of a small number of marijuana plants, constituting “…a misdemeanor amount.” The warrant itself was signed by District Judge Reva Towslee Corbett. As a copy has yet to be made available, it’s not known whether the warrant was for a drug search only or also for a search for firearms.
This is an odd fear to live with; that the government would suddenly, without warning, force itself into your home. It's weird, but it isn't even the primary fear that I'm speaking of. No, the fear I'm referring to is the fear that the above should happen, and that you would "lawfully defend yourself" only to find out that you weren't "lawfully defending yourself" after all.
Frankly, who ever chose to perform that raid in a "Castle Doctrine" state is the person most responsible for that deputy's death. There are other, better ways to get a perpetrator.
In my own case, I have no reason to fear a no-knock raid, but someone could claim I have some stolen guns... and I believe I have some prescription drugs in the medicine cabinet which someone could claim that I was abusing or something. Truthfully, my status as "law-abiding" is irrelevant given that raids are based on accusations, and accusations don't need to be based in any form of reality to be made.
It's weird that my only real solace is that my home defensive weapon is a suppressed 9mm carbine... and I think sub-sonic 9mm shouldn't pose a threat to body armor... provided that's where it hits.
I wonder what an objective judge will say? The man isn't able to legally defend himself if he's involved in the commission of a crime, and the possession of that marijuana, however small of an amount...
Nobody won. Somerville isn't safer now. Whether the guy was a criminal or not because of the possession of marijuana, we should all be able to agree that the possession certainly doesn't make him an evil person.
Comments on that page seem to be completely in favor of the resident. I only read down about 15, so maybe earlier comments had a different view.
Says the guy has prior DWIs and marijuana possessions. I can't think why the article would list those and not others, so I'll assume there weren't others.
That's a bad call, and the person who made the call is the one that got killed.
All that for a couple of plants that never hurt anybody. It's sad a life was lost, and even sadder that this keeps happening due ot no knock warrants being issued. This poor guy now has to fight for his life against the state of Texas and get worse punishment than one would for child molestation.
Tragic event, saddened by this loss but still think no knock warrants are bullshit and should be dropped along with the war on drugs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtd2jNIwAU MUSAFAR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI This is Water DavidW
Complete Form 1s http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=79895
This country has gone mad. No judge should hand any cop a warrant like that. No knock warrants don't serve justice, they get people killed.
The most frightening aspect of this is that this was all started because of unverifiable 'confidential informant' statements. Someone told the police _______, and that is enough to kick down the door?
I wonder who the CI was, and what their motivation was. Some stoner pissed off that this guy wouldn't sell to him? Maybe someone who wanted his girlfriend to be single? Whatever the motivation to screw this guy, it worked. Oh yeah, and it got someone killed too. If some scumbag gets to shag this guys soon to be ex while he's away, I guess that's just the eggs broken to make the coital omelet.
But it was marijuana and probably some analgesics and some decongestants too
Think about the children!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtd2jNIwAU MUSAFAR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI This is Water DavidW
Complete Form 1s http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=79895
My SSncN says there are LEO's that use the same situational modifier.
Meh, he's a nutcase though. He says things that I shake my head at.
What amount of a man is composed of his own collection of experiences... and the conclusions that those experiences have allowed him to "know" for certain as "Truth"? :Ick
...killing 31 year old sheriff’s deputy Adam Sowders. 1.) The “no-knock” warrant was issued at the request of Deputy Sowders
Sounds like this guy proves the point that sometimes Police Dogs can get shot in a no-knock too. Darwin doesn't tolerate fools, especially ones that apparently are trying to make headlines for themselves in the "war on drugs". Sad that his family has to suffer for his ego.
America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the mall.
Something needs to fundamentally change that is for sure.
The older I get the more I find myself considering that the WOD needs to be dialed back... but that needs to be coupled with corresponding changes in the nanny state. There needs to be some real welfare consequences to persons who would choose to "use" what drugs are going to be de-criminalized.
As a society we do waaaaaay too much protecting people from the consequences of their poor choices. Single parent homes, doing drugs, not looking for work, smoking heavily, drinking heavily, etc.
I don't want people starving in the streets or freezing to death, but we have gone way too far. Our social safety net is having the effect of ENCOURAGING the very bad behavior that destroys our society.
I live in the mountains and thank goodness we have one main deputy that patrols our area. I called him and invited him for coffee so we could talk about some things. One thing he agreed with is that if the police needed to serve a warrant they would call first. He has a good head on his shoulders and he applauded my wife for having a concealed permit.
I told a friend, BATF field agent, about 15 years ago, that if they needed to do a warrant they better call first. He asked, "Why?" and I explained to him that anyone could be busting down the door and hollering "Police". The gang bangers use that tactic all the time in Denver.
I can see the need for "no knocks" sometimes but they need to make sure it is an extreme case first. Some folks use it as an excuse to flex their penis muscles. That huah s--t will make you a bullet magnet every time.
I know a lot of law enforcement and not all are as smart as the law allows. Some are damn good and I am proud to know them.
That department will probably use that shooting as an excuse to get a new heavy assault vehicle.
CrankyOleGuy wrote:I live in the mountains and thank goodness we have one main deputy that patrols our area. I called him and invited him for coffee so we could talk about some things...
Welcome to the site.
I like you already.
What amount of a man is composed of his own collection of experiences... and the conclusions that those experiences have allowed him to "know" for certain as "Truth"? :Ick
CrankyOleGuy wrote:I live in the mountains and thank goodness we have one main deputy that patrols our area. I called him and invited him for coffee so we could talk about some things...
What amount of a man is composed of his own collection of experiences... and the conclusions that those experiences have allowed him to "know" for certain as "Truth"? :Ick
continuity wrote:...
Do you hang out with Piokimon?
eh?
It seems the pokemon will be tickled pink with this outcome, a cop died at the hand of an oppressed citizen after legally breaking into the citizen's home.
But to the dead mon walking sentiment i don't seen how this guys life is going to be any better then Skimmerman's life after shooting Iced T
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtd2jNIwAU MUSAFAR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI This is Water DavidW
Complete Form 1s http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=79895
and probably some analgesics and some decongestants too 
