A group of armed thugs burst violently into the home of a Portland Oregon woman, forcing her husband and roommate to the floor at gunpoint. They were screaming, “Where’s Tim?” Tim was there, alright, but it was the wrong guy.
The would-be thieves were looking for a Tim that they believed was a drug dealer and marijuana grower. Emily Morden knew it must have been a mistake. “Tim is not a drug dealer! He works at Fred Meyer!” she said, later adding, “Are you sure you have the right house?”
Turns out they did not.
The Tim they were looking for was a medical marijuana grower that lived next door.
Realizing their mistake, the criminals slowly backed out of the house while apologizing to the family for their inadequate map using abilities.
The outcome seems almost comical.
What is not funny, however, is that police offers have raided the wrong house on numerous occasions, employing the same strategies as these thugs.
They violently break down the front doors of homes they believe to be inhabited by seedy drug dealers. They force everyone in the building to the ground. If your dog gets riled up, it will likely be shot for the safety of the officers.
What? No drugs in the house? Huh? 698 Maple Drive? I thought you said 689. We shouldn’t even be here!
At least in the case of Emily Morden the criminals apologized and were prosecuted and sentenced. So much can not be said for the police officers in their no-knock wrong house drug raids.
All of these cases are a direct consequence of the War on Drugs. A war that has done little to solve the problem that it set out to fix. But that is the nature of war, and this war will not end anytime soon. There will always be collateral damage.
I just hope it isn’t you or I.
