According to the news report some masked men forced their way into a house identifying themselves as sheriff's officers. Audrie Palmer tells the story at Mywesttexas.com:
Midland police are searching for the group of masked men who allegedly broke into a Central Midland home early Tuesday.
The victims told authorities that three, possibly four, men wearing black masks over their faces identified themselves as from the sheriff's office before they forced their way inside the residence.
The incident happened around 3 a.m. ... The suspects then took an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the premises, authorities said.
Midlanders will remember the incident almost exactly one year ago when police raided a house in the early morning hours and encountered the resident with a rifle. The resident didn't survive that encounter. See When police kill. There are still some questions about that incident that haven't been answered publicly: How did the police make known their presence? Did the surviving civilian witness confirm the police version of the incident?
So now we have an incident where robbers break into a house in the early morning hours claiming to be law enforcement officers. The homeowner is in an awkward position. "Officer, may I please see your photo ID?"
The normal response for many Midlanders might be to reach for the gun unless they believe the invaders really are law enforcement officers. The challenge for law enforcement officers to make darn sure that the residents know they are real police and sheriff's officers. This might be accomplished by flashing car top lights and a bull horn announcement for the resident(s) to come outside. And most importantly, the public needs to know this procedure in advance so that they don't have to make a split second 3:00 a.m. life or death decision.
Comments