Judge Allows Suits Against SWAT Teams
A federal judge in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that innocent victims hurt during SWAT raids can sue for civil damages if the police violated the Constitution. In that case, a SWAT team raided the home of Ronald Terebesi in Easton, Connecticut, to search for crack cocaine. The raid, where the police used stun grenades, left Terebesi injured and his friend, who was staying with him, dead. The court said, “[W]e do not think a reasonable officer would think that it was constitutional to use these devices [stun grenades] in routine searches.” Hopefully, this means someone can sue the Habersham County on behalf of the toddler critically injured during a SWAT raid in Georgia when a stun grenade landed in his crib. The county won’t pay for the child’s medical bills on its own, saying, “it would be in violation of the law for it to do so.” More…