Unauthorized no-knock police raid kills 2 dogs nabs innocent mayor and mother-in-law

I've been following this story for a few days. Sadly, it's pretty much like most other drug raids I've seen. I'm surprised we don't hear more of these stories, to be honest. I even had experience with a client who was taken down in a similar mail delivery raid. (He was the guy whose house it was sent to, a buddy of his picked it up, he got charged.)

Any sign of the slightest anxiety during a drug raid is going to lead to a no-knock situation. Cops seem to consider the slightest possibility that you could flush a little bit of pot down the toilet excuses them to do whatever they like. Perhaps they don't understand that it's completely normal instinct to freak out when you see a SWAT team coming to your door.

"I'm surprised we don't hear more of these stories, to be honest."

I have two words for you:

Radley Balko.

http://www.theagitator.com/category/police-professionalism/

That link will take you to his "Police Professionalism" category of blogbits, which he stole from Scalia with all attendant snark aforethought.

Bookmark him now and read him every day. He's in Alaska at the moment and he's got guests sitting in, but he's keeping the best log of this stuff on the 'net.