In Self Defense Podcast 125: A Knock in the Night

[@InstructorMike]

Watching and listening.

[@ccwsafe]

We appreciate it!

[@ron8566]

Good dialog. One thing I would add - even if a law enforcement officer is at your door I would call 911 to verify that they are in fact law enforcement.

[@borabora4480]

officer took a position offset from door after knocking which is SOP. Officer went to apartment that he was directed to by caller. Officer also listened for any apartment noises. Caller to 911 noted potential DV scenario. Officers are allowed to be wrong and still not legally liable. Both participants made tactical errors but but legal errors.

[@hankkramer]

Two observations. 1). As mentioned in another comment, what’s wrong with the homeowner (after the officer identifies himself) verifying his legal presence by calling 911? 2). The person speaking with the baseball cap is extremely hard to listen to due to the fact that he says “you know” multiple times in each sentence! It completely took my mind away from the content of what he was saying.

[@brucesmith5501]

I can see the front door from the kitchen window so i answer the door from the kitchen window

[@heyoldtime8969]

I saw the camera vid and the officer was standing to the side of the door so he could not be seen through the peep hole. Later he stood in front of the door. When the door opened the cop just drew his weapon and shot without hesitation. The LEO wes not threatened with the homeowners firearm. He should be charged with manslaughter.

[@esfowle]

I am only 8 minutes into this video, and I must urge all three of you to rewatch what I call the assassination of the airman, and actually take time to think about what is happening there. As I watched that video multiple times, from multiple sources, what I saw is different from your assessment. Yes, the deputy gets incomplete or incorrect information from a Karen, the deputy acts on bad intelligence, and does so without backup. Tactically speaking, everything the deputy did was wrong if he wasn't planning to kill. When the deputy gets to the top of the stairs, he approaches from the doorknob side and knocks vigorously without announcing who he was. Then he cleared the doorway immediately moving 10 or more feet past the hinge side of the door. This is critical information you are glossing over and even intentionally ignoring. In that time, the airman likely goes to the door to see that there is nobody there, and in the body cam audio, you can hear something being called out through the door that sounds something like 'call the police'. The amount of time that passed between the first knock and the second knock is enough that the airman might gave left the front door to arm himself in case of a break-in attempt. Likely not being able to hear the announcement that the individual knocking was law enforcement. That second knock was again done from the doorknob side of the door, where the deputy was not clearly visible from the peephole in the door. These knocks and disappearing acts by the deputy do not instill any sense of safety or security for the tenant of the dwelling, it is possibly a game of ding dong ditch, or possibly criminals attempting to see if anyone is home before breaking in, the last person any reasonable person would think to play these kind of games is law enforcement. And at the third knock with announcement, the deputy backs up, again on the hinge side of the door, and in leass that half of a second of the door opening, the officer is firing multiple rounds from his weapon without warning. This means that the weapon was already drawn and at a low ready position prior to the door opening. The deputy made a predetermination that the individual in the dwelling was dangerous, and any perceived possiblity of aggression would result in immediate termination of the individual inside. And that is exactly what happened. The deputy sees a firearm where legally allowed to be, and without warning or command to drop the weapon for officer safety, the deputy ended the airman's life. Only after that airman lay on the floor bleeding out did the deputy order the airman to drop the weapon which had already fallen from his hands upon being shot. The deputy was afraid for his life when the deputy had no lawful authority to do anything more than a knock and talk. Instead he used felony warrant tactics without backup, placing himself in greater danger, and escalated the situation by not being clear and transparent about the reason for his presence.