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The Anti-Communitarian League (ACL) Grassroots Research & Analysis of the Ultimate Third Way [ HOME ] - [ Research ] - [ Contact ] |
2020 by Niki Raapana with Nordica Friedrich, |
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"Last and most significantly, the detentions here failed to promote officer safety and thus fail to meet the last of the Summers factors, which is detention are more reasonable when they promote officer safety. The defendants will likely counter this assertion by claiming the detention protected them (1) from a dangerous individual, Gilbert, known to associate with a large number of boarding houses in the neighborhood, including 6418 and 6420, (2) from the possibility that the residents might leave the premises to seek outside assistance to impede the searches, and (3) from the unknown boarding house occupants. Although perhaps initially appealing, these rationales fail when compared to the contemporaneous uncontested evidence and when assessed under this Court's holding in Ganwich. Factually, it is uncontested that SPD's local community police officer Bauer was familiar with Gilbert and that she participated in the initial entry and detention of the occupants. She failed to identify Gilbert as being in either residence. Interestingly though Ofc. Bauer admits that during pervious boarding house inspections where Gilbert had appeared, he was not a problem when she was at the scene in "stand-by" mode-her mere presence kept him a bay. In fact, it is uncontested that the SPD were so concerned with Gilbert's possible presence that instead of posting a look out to alert the DPH inspectors if he appeared, they focused all their energies in the premises for the duration of each search. Factually related to the Gilbert issue are the uncontested facts that the officers (1) allowed one resident to leave the premises at the commencement of the search without being detained, (2) searched the two residences in sequence as opposed to simultaneously, and (3) allowed Ade to roam the properties during the search to open doors, but also possibly to destroy evidence of rat infestation. These facts are related to the Gilbert issue because it was quite possible for the released occupant to go and seek outside assistance. It appears also quite possible for Ade to have sought outside assistance. Last, because they searched the residences in sequence and because their close proximity to each other, the residences of 6420, the second house to be searched knew about the search both from their own observations and from Ade: they could have easily left to seek outside assistance or otherwise impede the search. These facts eviscerate any claim that the detention was for officer safety to prevent the summoning of outside assistance, whether from Gilbert or anyone else. If officer safety was the reason for the detention, then the officers would have not let anyone leave the scene, would have controlled Ade's movements, and would have search the two residences simultaneously." [end quote] |
Only five residents orignally signed on with the Dawson attorneys, even though thirteen residents were held hostage that day (the only tenant allowed to leave was a woman who helped the City get inside the house prior to the raid). There are still too many unanswered questions. I have never been told who was in charge of the operation. Even SPD Officer Dornay, a CPT who participated in the "WTO [World Trade Organization -- Nov 30, 1999] Training Exercise" didn't know who was in charge. The City of Seattle said they didn't have a list of everyone present that day. SPD told me they didn't have any planning notes for the action.