Raids: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver explains how raids became a favorite tool of police, how few guardrails there are on their use, and what we should do about that.
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[@trouty606]

To think that your Uber Eats or Amazon driver faces more repercussions for getting an address wrong than an entire goddamn police force in a raid that results in death.

[@RockDiva54]

THIS!!!

[@berto3745]

Word!!!

[@kyrstenmarie]

Sad truth

[@AustiuNoMatterWho]

i sure fucking do!

[@pabloflorez2739]

Please clean the floor gentleman, your wisdom is pouring out

[@Spid3rQu33n]

I will say this again. If a delivery driver can lose their job for going to the wrong house, the police raiders should too.

[@affankhadir3783]

@Ika Ayu Go away.

[@Cylox5]

problem is, police has a union protecting them. Every worker should be having unions in the US but you guys managed to propaganda the shit out of unions demonizing them. GG

[@simonmaduxx6777]

@@Cylox5 it was both propaganda and a decades-long calculated offensive to minimize worker protections and maximize profit.

[@alvallac2171]

*too

[@Spid3rQu33n]

@@alvallac2171 You're right. I apologize about my poor use of spelling and grammar.

[@tiermacgirl]

That family where the baby got grenaded - the mother begging for a hold of her injured son being told literally to sit down and shut up is beyond disgusting

[@katamariroller2837]

Here is the thing: when some Delta Force raid an Afghan or Iraqi home so they can find intelligence on terrorists or shut down an insurgent cell, they expect to find armed resistance, including pistols, Kalashnikov assault rifles or even suicide vests, possibly wielded by "determined opposition" (a terrorist willing to kill himself to take someone else out with him). In such circumstances, niceties may have to be dropped in the name of military efficiency. You may note that there are some key aspects to consider here. Facts such as the police not being Delta Force, American neighborhoods not being openly hostile territories, black Americans not being hardened terrorists/insurgents, and a couple kilos of MARIJUANA not being quite as important as military intelligence or objectives. This is the sort of thing "militarization of the police" means. Not just police using military-grade gear, but also adopting doctrines, tactics and mindsets extremely inappropriate for the goals and risks associated with their jobs. "Warrior mentality", for example.

[@royaneekhalil6488]

Now imagine US army invading Iraq for weapons that didn't exists and doing the exact same thing to civilians there. Casualties in millions, some of them done just for the heck of it as evidenced by the Blackwater killers Trump pardoned. This is violence coming home to roost

[@royaneekhalil6488]

@@katamariroller2837 let's be honest, majority of the times, the army does the same thing to those iraqis and afghanis that the US police did to these Americans. In other words, treat them suspicious just because it made them feel heroic. In the case of iraq especially, internal politics aside, there were no terrorists until US invaded to find weapons of mass destruction. Weapons they never found, but did manage to conveniently create a hotbed of terrorism by giving a couple warlords a land filled with angry, disenfranchised, traumatized youth ripe for manipulation.

[@abhikmondal6017]

@@katamariroller2837 You dont realize this but Thanks to these type of Police Officers People who were neutral are now being radicalized due to Police actions and no punishments to Police officers who are in the wrong. You can defend all you want but you cant disagree that Police with Heavy Military Equipments with no Proper training and increasing Mental health issue is an alarming thing.

[@katamariroller2837]

@@abhikmondal6017 Reread my post. I was not defending the police.

[@katipunanball4799]

Police: *Traumatizes woman irreparably* Also police: “Damn why you gotta be so angry, you’re starting to hurt my feelings”

[@rstidman]

i think this video on aids opened all of our eyes a lot more

[@SmashPortal]

So you're telling me they can get a warrant to break into someone's house, go to a completely different house they don't have a warrant for, intentionally cause property damage and injure or kill someone, then walk away without facing repercussions or even reimbursing the victim for damages?

[@avadarkness666]

Yup. They sure can. Messed up, huh?

[@Gunzberg]

Keep believing it's the greatest country ever

[@mobiledevice9546]

Always have...

[@Bryguy_Gaming]

You forgot the part where you can’t fight back even if you don’t know they are a cop

[@LordDragox412]

@@Gunzberg I mean, they're part of the "patriot" cult and have been brainwashed since birth to believe in that shit. You can't expect them to suddenly change, it takes years upon years of therapy to deprogram them.

[@bruske612]

"When you are handcuffed naked in your own home because the police screwed up a search warrant, shouting should be in your fucking Miranda rights". Fucking classic.

[@mgaus]

Or, you know, owning that cops immortal soul for eternity...

[@OverlordZephyros]

The anger is real

[@anditravels_]

Or the 4th amendment

[@hanswurst2497]

But you hurt their feelings... How dare you?

[@Ms-Jackson]

My home was raided at 4:10am while my 4 year old daughter and I were asleep in my bed. It happened so fast I had no time to react except to cover my daughter with my body. They destroyed my front door and my entire living room wall, and took no responsibility in fixing it. My daughter reached for her bathrobe and one of the officers pulled his gun out. It was so incredibly traumatizing. Additionally, the police didn't have the search warrant in their possession until AFTER the raid was over... AND to boot, the person who they were looking for lived next door.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

I hope that got the news and you sued!

[@spongeintheshoe]

@@Jarod-vg9wq Have you heard about such an incident on the news?

[@chuckb1127]

Sorry Ms Jackson I am for real

[@mobbcentral4675]

Shit man is your king ok

[@einhalbesbrot]

Im not doubting your story but i'd like to ask about your claim "reached for bathrobe - pulled gun out". How come a police officer performs a no knock warrant without a gun already pulled out. They had to atleast pass 2 doors in order to reach you, hard to believe an officer would not have their gun out before.

[@gnarrcan108]

“Damn bro I can’t believe I threw a grenade in a baby’s crib” - an actual police officer lmao

[@cl20999]

Domino's recently delivered my pizza order to the wrong house and brought me the other house's order. To fix it, they refunded the purchase, let me keep the wrong order, and sent me the correct order for free. I think SWAT teams should adopt this radical new Domino's Pizza system of "let's make things right since we got the wrong address."

[@moorerecords1022]

Yeah, but anything that means even the slightest bit of extra paperwork for them has a high likelihood of being discontinued

[@seekthegreatness4818]

Your mistake was ordering from Dominos 😂😂😂

[@1stmorgoth289]

Be carefull what you wish for. Since this will lead to them just raiding the whole neighboorhood just to be sure to get the "right" address.

[@Metqa]

My Dominoes Manager called the cops on me because I dared to demand they give me the tiny cup of garlic sauce I paid for....after having to drive all the way back from home to their store for it and him asking me to pay again for it. Hmm, people think cops are the solution to every mistake they make not realizing Cops make even Bigger mistakes that cost people's luves. No one wants to be held accountable for anything, not a 75 cent cup of salty grease nor a person's life.

[@olutoyinonayemi1350]

They do sometimes... If they break into your house and don't find what they're looking for, they'll put it there for you.

[@dthaysjr]

"There's a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people. "- Admiral Adama

[@laurens1006]

Has anyone considered that these are not all accidents? If you can't get a warrant to search the property you want to search, the solution is to get a warrant to search a property nearby. What is the difference? You can always say it was an accident because the raid team got lost. Evidence is still admissible in a criminal case. No damages need to be paid to the resident.

[@simonmaduxx6777]

Even fucking ADMIRAL ACKBAR would know that. And he's an alien from us fantasy sci-fi series and not even God damn real. Still, HIM! Amerika the 💀💀💀

[@thefox5997]

@@laurens1006 Or even, the point isn't to find evidence of criminality but to terrorise the "undesirables" under the auspices of the law.

[@MrJerks93]

So say we all.

[@christie4378]

@@laurens1006 the problem is that there are so many mistakes. And the results of those mistakes are terrifying.

[@axaganyu]

It takes me more than 20 seconds to answer the door if I knew you were coming yesterday and you show up at exactly the scheduled time!

[@leonamay8776]

Right?! I'm currently naked and brushing my teeth (sorry if tmi). There's no chance I'd make it downstairs to open the door within 20 seconds. Wtf?!

[@jasperdraca]

I agree whole heartedly. I don't put on pants unless I have to and that takes twenty seconds to do. It takes another forty seconds to sneak up to the front door to check if it's actually the person I'm waiting for and another ten seconds of peptalk to open the door....

[@ErutaniaRose]

@@leonamay8776 For real. Sometimes I don't even hear it. Edit: Like, if I am in another part of the house. I can't hear the knock as well.

[@nilsappeldorn9146]

I live in Germany, my dad was a police officer. He had to write an explanation where and why he used his Weapons for every missing bullet. And he never brought it Home, because you need two saves. One for the Waepon and one for the bullets. German Police is far from perfect but at least its not like this.

[@jacktattersall9457]

I think Americans would take German cops any day.

[@GetIsekaid]

It is, stop crying.

[@kalebzerger301]

@@GetIsekaid I don't even know what you're trying to say?

[@TheNutCollector]

When I was a child of 7 yrs, 35 years ago, my house was raided on suspicion of drug manufacturing. I saw my dog get shot by the police. I loved that dog. It was so traumatizing to watch her die bleeding knowing she was trying to protect me. I'll never forget how terrified of getting killed I was. The police didn't find anything.

[@juliahanderson6126]

My deepest condolences regarding the loss your childhood pet. No one should have to experience such a horrific loss at such a young age.

[@vampiredinosaur]

My god. I am so sorry for your loss and your trauma.

[@zeratulthedark2985]

Hell i am almost 35 now. Hurt my dog, and I will do my prison time. My dog is my unofficial service dog for my mental health. Because of my prison training, cops here know, a full on raid is not in their best interest as I am unafraid of them (a few of them i have trained with and worked with in the past), that a polite knock will likely be their best bet. However I have seen how the cops in this town in the past have treated my dad when he was having one of his episodes, and its entirely possible, they'd call a higher power to come knock on the door here. This house is bad juju for the local cops.

[@that_auntceleste5848]

That's horrifying. I'm so sorry.

[@em8066]

Jennifer, I am so sorry. I grew up in a neighborhood where police raids were common, along with other violence. Police aimed their guns at me during the chaos when I was a kid. I still remember the blue eye on the other side of that rifle. I used to hide under tables a lot as a kid. But we weren't targeted much because we were white. The world didn't make sense to me then, and at 36 sometimes it still doesn't. I can't imagine the pain of watching your dog die like that without knowing if you were next. Awful. I'm so sorry.

[@psyclops973]

The thing that infuriated me the most in this clip was the fact that people aren't compensated for damages caused to their property even when police raids the wrong house. That's the main reason why way too many raids happen each year. If they had to pay for the damages they cause when they wrongfully target someon's home, they'd think twice before bursting into a house just because one of them smelled marijuana in the air.

[@AnonymOus-ss9jj]

That fact has been contested in at least one other comment. I'd suggest doing a double check on that, especially since John Oliver doesn't do redactions. At least not serious ones.

[@Skizzy461]

@@AnonymOus-ss9jj likely depends on the state

[@psyclops973]

@@AnonymOus-ss9jj Ok then, if innocent civilians are indeed entitled to compensation, let's have the officers themselves pay for their own recklessness out of their own salaries, instead of that money coming from the State. Because if someone else takes the blame whenever I fuck up, I'm much less likely to be careful with whatever it is that I'm doing.

[@OpiatesAndTits]

Lol it’s not like the cops are the ones paying either way. It’s the government. Your tax dollars. Major cities pay out tens of millions each year for the damage Police cause but between the copaganda on TV and the fact the politicians are terrified the cops will straight up murder them like they did to the leader of the black panthers. You saw what they did on camera over the summer. At one point the DHS “cops” were black bagging people in Portland and literally kidnapping them off the street. If your not a liberal gun owner you should be.

[@psyclops973]

@@OpiatesAndTits That's exactly what I mean. Just imagine your own tax dollars being spent on a house where some random lunatic in a uniform decided to flashbang a baby's crib.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

I’m 71 years old. The conversation in this piece also took place when I was in my 20s. Very little has changed other than it is sometimes possible to criminally charge and convict police officers. Underline sometimes. Our obsession with addiction and our firm belief it is criminal rather than an illness is a part of the overall problem. We are an extraordinarily judgmental society which impacts every aspect of every social problem, including addiction. It justifies the worst kind of behavior from people in positions of authority, behavior we would nit justify in anyone else.

[@Tonyhouse1168]

I concur

[@ErutaniaRose]

EXACTLY. People who are addicted need HELP, not a fucking raid.

[@loganknoll]

"If only the Wolf had possessed military-grade equipment", you say as you tuck your children in at night lmao

[@NightMedicine]

Cops: literally bust down a woman’s door at 3am, enter her home pointing guns, drag the woman out of bed naked and handcuff her. Cop: "well you don't have to shout...."

[@imkitti1942]

That's CHICAGO!!!Cops inherently are idiots when they are serving warrants for drugs. I grew up in Chicago, my 1st apartment was in Wicker Park, next to Humboldt Park. We had Jon Burge(who beat ppl w/ phone books & shocked them & planted drugs & robbed ppl)& this family business of the corruption of cops that still goes on today. Yes back in 1992 there was heroin all around there, it was a mixed neighborhood & we all had each others backs when it came to the cops!! When I was 23, I was getting ready to go to the neighborhood bar, Estelles & my door was kicked in, did they knock? Hell no!!! I had a robe on & all I could hear..GET YR F@CKING HANDS UP! I jumped over my counter & grabbed my 2 rescue pit bulls. They were screaming w/ guns on me & I was screaming, I won't do sh@t til I know my dogs are okay!!! A cop put leashes on my dogs & tied them to the closet. Saying I use them for protection & they will be taken away. I had absolutely nothing but I was hauled off to the station. They stole money, jewelry & naked pictures of me. They destroyed my apartment & I didn't say one word & just smiled which pissed them off. My dad was a judge, who came & got me & divorced some of the cops there. He got the report, which read an informant went & bought 2 $10 bags of heroin from my apartment. It had the girls name who I knew. The problem was...There were only 2 apartments in my building & my next door neighbor was the heroin dealer! I can laugh abt it now but what is truly sad is they did it again, 4 months later!!!

[@hypocritetrollbot7729]

Cops: escalate the situation to a 100 out of 10 Also cops: expect you to be calm and civil with them

[@kitcoffey7194]

Anytime a cop says "you're agitated," you've already lost. That's they're favorite word and once they say it, they think they have "cause" to harass you Btw, maybe don't go around bullying and agitating people with guns and then wonder why people are "agitated"?

[@ruby_fox]

It's a common tactic, as much as beating a person while screaming at them to stop resisting.

[@bkbj8282]

Right, that was in the video we all just watched. That was a point that the host of the show made. Why are you typing it here like you're the one to have detected it?

[@naryanr]

Imagine the police blowing your living room apart unannounced, coming screaming in, tying you up on the floor, finding nothing, forcing you to explain how to use your security cam so they can record how cool they looked destroying your home, then f***ing off and leaving you there with half a living room, laughing all the way, and never getting any compensation. Is this North Korea?

[@ratelvora8014]

I highly doubt they have the amount of personal necessary to both uphold their dictatorship and carry out useless idiotic raids on "their" own people over there. Nor are the citizens likely to possess any sort of firearms or even drugs, or the money to buy them.

[@lenschwedt9646]

NorthKorea + advanced technology = What the US will be in 10years If noone steps in and Changes A LOT FAST .

[@AnonymOus-ss9jj]

That not being compensated thing wasn't entirely true (if not flat out wrong) look into the "PACE Code of Practice" if you want more information. It might be true in that the victim of a botched police raid has to fill out some paper work themselves. I would hope that they wouldn't have to sue for compensation, tell me what you find out.

[@Hornswroggle]

There's even more there: The door flying into the room actually hits his dog in the head and lands on him on the couch where he's sleeping. If he had randomly stood closer, the door itself could have hurt or killed him.

[@Jartran72]

Well the US is not a first world country. It is a developing nation with a lot of rich peoole and a huge army.

[@RizzlerLegacy]

The worst part about the whole "raided a family's home because they smelled marijuana" thing, is that there's a legitimately high chance that what the detective was smelling was a skunk. The two smells are so similar, I know pot smokers who've mixed them up.

[@jenniferrogers2981]

Actually, that's incorrect. It's Fox musk that smells like weed not skunk. It's a big misconception.

[@diablominero]

@@jenniferrogers2981 Lots of pungent, sulfurous smells are fairly similar. The skunks that live near my house definitely smell like weed. There's a variety of ornamental chives that also smell enough like weed when they're mowed that you could confuse them if you weren't paying attention. I believe you that fox musk is in the same family of smells, but it's not the only thing.

[@SaBoTeUr2001]

I can't believe they don't even pay for repairing the door of the house mistakenly raided. Do the victims have to sue the sheriff/police first?

[@RockMySkittles]

Let's be honest, do you think all victims can get the door replaced ... if any?

[@whocares9033]

Basically, the answer is no. There was a family that lost their entire house due to a failed raid, and after several years of court action we're pretty much told to fuck off

[@sander_bouwhuis]

This makes zero sense to me. Surely the police has insurance against this sort of thing?!?

[@jellysecret]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/epybgoJsn6pomqM heres a link to a video that explains why they dont pay for shit. cops can destroy your entire house and not pay a dime.

[@HowToChangeName]

Whats the point? The cops knew rarely anyone will sue them, it cost a lot to sue them rather than just fix the door yourself. So much for immunity and credibility

[@OneViolentGentleman]

"Hey, are you a baby murdering cult leader?" "Ummm, no" "Darnit, could you pretend to be? I'm better trained in dealing with those"

[@SeabassFishbrains]

Ironically the closest thing to a baby murderer in this video is the cop who literally threw a flash grenade at a baby.

[@kappadarwin9476]

Do I have to sing?

[@UncleJrueForTue]

@@kappadarwin9476 We do have a Cop Rock baby seller karoke machine.

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

"Darnit, either way, I'll still pretend like you are one"

[@Mundus-vult-decipi]

The fact that it’s even a question is a problem

[@srgreeniii]

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".

[@oskrm]

- A. J. Parkinson

[@amelzon1]

“And you’re living in the Bittersweet Motel...”

[@moos5221]

Absolutely.

[@TheJasonLouis]

arrival

[@yeanah2571]

Preach

[@mattstyles2498]

The cops looked like children. " what house???" Makes me cry

[@Thurstoner]

It's truly pathetic. Out there cosplaying Call of Duty with real weaponry.

[@ErutaniaRose]

@@Thurstoner For real!

[@joelatchison7651]

This is THE greatest episode yet .. all law enforcement should be required to watch it

[@LCplRogers]

End Qualified Immunity and they'd never dare do any of this bullshit.

[@greenbanana311]

I'd also include civil forfeiture, it's government-run robbery.

[@halosandhorns8330]

They'll start a whole military coup before they let that happen

[@uncreative5766]

I had a cop knock on my family's door last year. They said they received an "anonymous tip" that my dad's car, which was parked in front of the house on the street. I was the only one home at the time, so when I went to talk with the cop who stopped by, I simply asked him for a business card. He freaked out and asked "Why?" Granted, I looked up car laws in my hometown and it says any car parked on streets is parked on city property and it has to be moved within 72 hours or else get towed. I just couldn't believe asking for a business card was enough for that cop to freak out on me.

[@TheGrumbliestPuppy]

@@uncreative5766 All the bad cops want to remain anonymous. One of the easiest ways to identify one of the few cops that are good people is when they readily and politely identify themselves. I'm lucky enough to live in one of the few towns where the cops actually live here too and want a good relationship with the community. Most cops don't live in the cities they work in America.

[@Madhatter1781]

@@TheGrumbliestPuppy even if they do, if it's a big city then they definitely aren't a part of every community, it's impossible.

[@NeverSaidIWasAGenius]

As a half white half Mexican kid who grew up in a ghetto neighborhood in south texas and experienced 2 raids growing up.... I really appreciate this video and the emotion you had behind it. The first raid was for my uncle who was not dangerous and is mentally ill. It changed the way I viewed the police and I was only 6 or 7. They weren’t mean necessarily or even wrong in their doing but the experience was extremely traumatic and my uncle was gone by the time they pulled up. They raided my grandmas home where my mom, my self, grandparents and uncle lived. It was traumatic having your home invaded by the law and to see how they handled my uncle and the general experience and tone of it all is uh... not suitable for minors, to say the least. I was isolated and with 2 officers I didn’t know, for no reason, they kept me away from my mom and grandparent who were in the front answering the raid. I was in my room, on my bunk bed and 2 officers stood over me for about an hour before they let my mom come sit with me. They flipped the entire house in front of us. It was ridiculous. They said they were looking for drugs. Maybe my uncle had a small personal amount somewhere but the rest of the home was a normal home and I’m sure they could tell. But they flipped our beds, dressers, drawers, rugs, kitchen, bathroom, china cabinet, sofas... everything. And then they just left when they found nothing. Nothing at all. Left the mess and us on our front yard. To explain how degrading it was is impossible. My grandmas home is in the middle of the neighborhood and across from a park, so many people were watching and all our families have lived here for a long time. It was sad and looking back, I didn’t realize how much it changed my family. I could go on... but thank you.

[@penname8441]

+

[@msjkramey]

Thank you for sharing your story. Please keep sharing it

[@tierrapetersen4651]

That's so sad, I'm so sorry that happened to you.

[@michaelmurphy6687]

I'm white and went through 2 swat raids as well. Both on bad evidence. Don't blame it all on race.

[@victoriashevlin8587]

They always say they're looking for drugs/weapons. In reality the vast majority of them are just destroying the little people have become it makes them feel good to do so. Because in the back of their minds there's a disgusting part of them that feels the people in the vicinity of a raid are less human, and dont deserve to have anything. Fuxking Bastards.

[@uncletrash8770]

The best thing about Cop Rock is that the theme song was written and performed by Randy Newman. Do what you will with that information.

[@tonymurphy2624]

You're wrong, John. If you combined all Batman villains into one, you wouldn't get Geraldo, you'd get Joel Osteen, with the added bonus that he is genuinely a supervillain.

[@turkishman92gesundheit21]

Why is joel osteen a bad dude?

[@tonymurphy2624]

@@turkishman92gesundheit21 Is that a serious question? He's a selfish grifter who fleeces the vulnerable and the gullible, and who refused to help victims of hurricane Harvey. I could go on at book length, but he's little more than a snake oil salesman with a following. A professional liar.

[@turkishman92gesundheit21]

@@tonymurphy2624 Yes it is a serious question. Don't know if he's been in any controversial situations unlike folks like Kenneth Copeland. Always thought he was one of the less harmful televangelists. But now that you say about him refusing help to hurricane victims, can you elaborate on that?

[@tonymurphy2624]

@@turkishman92gesundheit21 I'd rather not dedicate any more thoughtspace to the disgusting charlatan. Google is your friend.

[@Quader417]

Joel Osteen looks like all the Jokers had a kid with any of the Riddlers and then got bad plastic surgery to look like ben stiller

[@thebusiness8212]

*Busts in woman’s door handcuffs her naked and then has the nerve to say “There’s no need to shout.”* People like that just need to catch some hands.

[@NIRDIAN1]

You'd be charged with assault against a police officer and a huge fine or jailtime (which as John Oliver has pointed out before basically ruins any chances of a stable normal life after) or just outright shot dead, though. :/ The only solution is to overwhelm them with numbers they can't process or go through the legal system to shut them down.

[@aTomallic]

Fr If they really think she shouldn't be shouting I think they need to go touch some grass, better yet they need to become the grass.

[@chumb888]

Unbelievable

[@jaram2369]

Yeah that's really fucked up. My heart really goes out to the innocents who have been shamed, humiliated and scarred by mistake police raids.

[@finmin2k]

@@aTomallic touching grass isn't what they should do, they're literally a representation of so many things that are wrong with the fucking world.

[@sophie-144p7]

In my small town in Germany a friend got raided because some people had said he was taking hostage and raping kids. The whole block was shut down, the building and street evacuated, there were dozens of special forces (SEK) involved, most of them undercover, they found their way to the right house, the right apartment in a huge building and no one was hurt even though he was holding a knife. They even found the callers and all damages were paid for. Because it was not his fucking fault. Is that so outrageous?

[@xuto2693]

That's called law and order. America despises this.

[@puremadness]

Because from the time they’re born, Americans are taught that police are the “good guys” and give them incredible leeway to do whatever they’re entitled to do in order to catch the “bad guys” (who inevitably end up being those deemed “undesirable” ie, people of color and the poor), and thanks to the War on Drugs, this includes militarization and virtually no accountability

[@Larry_Stylinson]

(Fellow German here.) Yeah, see, that's what it should look like in the US too. How hard is it to implent some serious and sane rules and guidelines? Apparently America's gun and military weapons fetish is blinding and hurting them more than it does any good. They need to change their country's systems a lot. I don't understand how they can even be considered a first world country with all that shit going on. They look like a violent third world country with an active war going on at times... ☠️

[@ROFLproductionsCORP]

But then they wouldn't get to mindlessly torment people of colour, and that`s their favourite! In their eyes, that's the job.

[@barryallen871]

@@Larry_Stylinson Sometimes it does look like that in the US. It just depends on the location. Each state, county and city has its own laws and regulations(or lack there of), in regards to policing. However, positive outcomes are rarely seen on American news. Their biggest sponsors are home-security and insurance companies.

[@COZYTW]

I swear, at this point TV drama scriptwriters needs to make a cameo of this. "We got our mad-ass dope base in Magnificent Mile. Why? 'Cuz the Feds never check there HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH"

[@Hornswroggle]

Police when they arrest someone for 3 grams of methamphetamine: "Just don't do the crime if you can't do the time" Also police: "We need qualified immunity from criminal charges because we'd be coiled up in too many lawsuits from not doing our job properly"

[@mac4668]

"action movie cosplay" is the best description of our current law enforcement.

[@FunBoysGaming]

The three stooges in uniform

[@mathieuL2204]

It seems like actually enforcing laws is out of style anyway. Exhibit A: the Senate deciding that the Constitution is actually just a set of suggestions

[@kap79]

Accurate.

[@aflucero82]

The movie industry and pop culture has romanticized the Military and Police for decades. Real life is always more complicated and messy and not straight forward as they try to make things seem.

[@eliasross4576]

It's a romanticising of comic book heroes like The Punisher. (Some) police want to be Judge, Jury, and Executioner. There's no fun in simply arresting bad guys.

[@jellomiki]

The most amazing thing about it is that as a foreigner in a foreign country, the american media, TV shows, movies, etc led me to believe that warrants were hard to get, there's always a 'we can't get the warrant fast enough' or a 'the judge wouldn't give us a warrant without more evidence' while in reality, the police can get warrants like candies...

[@the_algorithm]

Police shows are complete fiction. they portray the police like they are Angels sent from the Gods. They always get the right guy, and so many times the bad guy gets off from a good "bad" lawyer. When in reality, they make shit up, convicted innocent people, kill innocent people, frame people, too many cops are worse then the bad guys they are arresting, DA's can choose who to prosecute (friends/campaign contributors get off, black people get screwed) even if they have no case. I literally heard a DA tell a lawyer "I know your client is innocent so if you agree to this plea bargain he'll only get 6mo probation, but if you don't it will go to trial where I have a 97% win rate"

[@Soff1859]

As i kid i always used to believe america was this magical awesome land like in the movies and always wanted my parents to move us there. Now i'm so glad they didnt. The country is so uniquely backwards in so so so many ways, but people keep believing its the greatest at everything, because theyre constantly being told (by hollywood, the media, politicians, schools and everyone around them) and have no idea how much better most things are elsewhere.

[@Cavemanner]

@@Soff1859 Not so much that we all believe in this shit, more so that the current ruling generation understands that their power only maintains as long as the status quo is held. We have made very little progress in regards to civil rights and liberties in several decades, but the progress that is made is fed out at a steady rate. And then walked back once no one is looking. Honestly the key to fixing our country at this point is getting all the wax statues out of our government and instilling some young blood.

[@cerulean1808]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Only in movies and on TV do we hear "The judge didn't sign the warrant, you need more evidence...".

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

It makes me appreciate my own country's warped legal system. At least, we don't hear judges passing out warrants like candies or courts making bizarre rulings that fly in the face of justice or even common sense...

[@24flyingcats84]

I live in the UK and was busted for marijuana years ago ( just personal quantity). The police knocked on my door, waited for me to open it, and asked politely if they could have a look around because someone had told them I had drugs. They were well mannered when they found what I had ( a few plants), and treated me well. I ended up getting an unofficial caution, so no criminal record and I was sent home after a couple of hours. The police in the UK are far from perfect, but I dread to think how that could have turned out if I were living in the US!

[@chryptonh.draper8575]

John Olivier somehow forgot the best line from police-themed musical media: 🎵“Love is not admissible evidence.”🎶

[@johnchessant3012]

John is completely right at the end. When something crazy has become normal, the solution will always seem radical.

[@abfell2864]

100%

[@jollyrodger5319]

A very important point that most people will miss

[@RachelSteiner]

Quote that everywhere: "When something crazy has become normal, the solution will always seem radical."

[@Username-or9nr]

That is a great quote

[@cezarcatalin1406]

It’s the same thing when it comes to crapitalism... but John won’t be telling us that any time soon 😄

[@Kriscoart]

Huge respect for John Oliver. I honestly don’t know how someone can keep their sanity while investing so much time into bringing to light the most depressing and aggravating issues in modern society.

[@juliusfout6941]

He has really started stepping into the political commentary vacuum that was left when Jon Stewart retired.

[@blackninja504]

That's the exact reason Jon Stewart quit.

[@zero11010]

He’s done several anti police bits. It would be nice if he did something to show nuance in the situation. Maybe all of the marches held for “unjustified” police shootings when the footage comes out and the police were being shot at before they opened fire. There is a lot of hate toward the police. They certainly do make mistakes. This show is great about shining a light on an issue. It would be nice if they showed that all of the bad police stories aren’t so cut and dry.

[@thingsnexttome]

Oversight. It’s most important. Though tragically poorly carried out in the US

[@farazkashani6443]

These are not remotely the most depressing and aggravating issues in modern society.

[@kathrynmceachern9503]

I have been homeless for the last 14 years, all due to my apartment being raided by a criminal cop with a fraudulent warrant. My apartments had a zero tolerance policy for police contact for whatever reason, so I was kicked out of my apartment and on the street before my arrangement (where the charges were dropped!) Never have been able to find any bootstraps to pull myself up by...

[@mhh0111]

Just consider this: Chemical weapons are illegal to use in war. In war. A event where killing other humans is not only allowed, but encouraged. Chemical weapons are illegal in war. Cops use chemical weapons on peaceful civilians. Does any more really need to be said?

[@noogie003]

As much as I understand and agree with your sentiment, nothing the cops use in the US would be classified as chemical warfare under the Geneva convention. Tear gas sucks but it’s definitely not considered a chemical weapon

[@TTVToxic-yu5ov]

Yeah they're not using chlorine gas. Look up the list if you really want to know what's illegal

[@tom_cressey_dop]

@@noogie003 Actually tear gas is illegal under the Geneva Protocol. It banned any asphyxiating gases or liquids which tear gas falls under. That’s hasn’t stopped it being used though, even in war. The US deployed it on a massive scale in Vietnam, as did Italy in the 30s against Ethiopia.

[@Penguin24766]

Police uses hollow point bullets xD also not allowed in war...

[@francescovolante8417]

@@Penguin24766 yes but they are not banned for the Geneva convention. What a cu*t

[@ShakespearsCyst]

I recall for a journalism class, we got to tour my college town's police department. They gleefully showed us all of their riot gear and how they love getting to use it when doing drug raids. They were showing off the guns like they were toys they'd just gotten for Christmas. It was really disturbing tbh.

[@shadowsonicsilver6]

That shit should be disqualifiers and red flags on the psyche evaluation shit for Cops.

[@Shahbazi77]

It’s even worse considering how their main target is literal college kids. Yeah Brad in dorm 4c has an eighth- blow the door.

[@AWindy94]

I got to do a job shadow when I was a freshman in high school and I wanted to be a private detective at the time so I got paired with the only detective in my town on my police force. I was the first kid done with their job shadow for the day because he showed me basically all of their methods for initiating an investigation in a little over 2 hours. It was supposed to be an all day thing and it was honestly so little and such low tech I genuinely wondered if they actually solve crimes or if they just scrapbook them. We finished the day driving around pulling people over for such miniscule things. He was really grasping for straws for reasons to pull people over, it was really eye-opening. Edit this would have also been about 10 years though 😅

[@agusrodriguez1]

I am not surprised to read that. There are many good and honest cops, but many others are sociopaths and criminals with a badge and a gun.

[@yourpapapa8438]

I've talked to lapd officer's where I work you tend you run into them a lot most of them are narcissists trigger happy fools one of literally showed me his trigger finger and was like "it's always ready" i was just like ok............. Lmao

[@DerrillGuilbert]

"In hindsight, grenading a baby might not have been necessary."

[@rhettcujo9006]

But how can we know that the baby isn’t hiding dope unless we grenade it first? (Sarcasm)

[@gorlomimargheriti8870]

They probably mistook the parents for Baby Merchants

[@candynickel]

@@gorlomimargheriti8870 Tots R Us **shoulder shimmy--side glide**

[@everythingisfine9988]

To be fair, that baby looks exactly like gun. Common mistake

[@e.4682]

And if neither the Individuals nor their Departments can really be held accountable, I feel like there should be that leaver for disincentivising. If someone finds it appropriate to treat *any* small toddler or child to a grenade into the crib or a gun into the face, such judgement should be assumed as a threat to his or her own child and own children be taken away for their protection.

[@brandonlm0125]

Stun grenades - can confirm. Caused almost every fire I ever saw in Iraq. We could only use them under very particular circumstances. Suspecting enemy activity from a baby was not on that list if I can remember correctly

[@cheekboy7247]

When did you serve there?

[@brandonlm0125]

@@cheekboy7247 04-06, 07-09, 10-11, 12-13

[@petterolsenpettersen5801]

""Here's a rule that applies to both horse shoes and hand grenades, if you throw either of them into a crib, just once; you don't get to play with them anymore" lmao 🤣🤣😂

[@dr.debajyotibose2928]

This show should be renamed "America is f*cking broken with John Oliver" and win an Emmy every year.

[@TheTonyEntertainment]

agree

[@whisperingsage89]

On that topic, Patriot Act also deserves a new season.

[@Derty_the_grower]

He goes too far fake woke, and far left, this is why he has thousands of downvotes on this and many others now. He goes fakewoke on this subject for sure.. Breonna Taylor literally was not raided badly, she shot at cops with her drug dealer 2 boyfriends, documented in court as drug dealers at 5 different houses in a red charger breonna taylor owned, as well as having a body in her rental car the year prior.. wake up, people. B L M was wrong and so is Oliver yet again on this one, and im a huge fan.

[@baconwizard]

@@Derty_the_grower at least try to site ONE source, you’re not even trying

[@LouFiasco]

@@Derty_the_grower liar and dumb. Better love story than dumb and dumber

[@amanday3103]

Funny how the only time a police officer is calm during a raid is when they’re telling someone else not to shout.

[@O-plaat]

Or when they are filming security footage of them blowing up a innocent mans door.

[@deevoonnxxx]

after they realized they fucked up BIG TIME 😂

[@hebercloward1695]

Yup the cop needed her to be quiet so he could try to figure out how to cover it up. Its hard to plan your way out of a colossal fuckup with a victim of your stupidity yelling at you from a few feet away.

[@AquarianSoulTimeTraveler]

I usually thumbs down your videos because you have bullshit mixed in with some of the truths, this one gets a thumbs up because it is 100% truth!!! Thanks John Oliver for letting me give you a thumbs up... This is the way you should be doing all of your episodes when you stack BS propaganda inside of your episode I'm going to thumbs down it... No BS propaganda in this episode good job!

[@scrizzle375]

@@AquarianSoulTimeTraveler weird to put that under another comment that has nothing to do with your statement :D also what kind of progapanda are you talking about?

[@thatcanuck5670]

In the Trailer Park Boys, there's a plot device where the main characters stymie a drug raid by switching out the street signs and house numbers. that seemed unrealistic a few years ago.

[@tairneanaich]

Honestly with the track record shown here, switching the numbers would probably Ensure you get raided- they keep fucking choosing the wrong numbers

[@Escoot5]

state attorney general's office raided my home because I sold a gram of weed to an informant. They destroyed my room, found half a gram of weed and a bowl. That state AG is in prison now.

[@Jartran72]

How are you not in prison? I am not saying that you deserve it but americas laws definetly would have you land in prison and the authority figure would always be fine. Need much more information about what happened.

[@danj7404]

"Grenading a baby might not have been necessary." I never thought I'd hear that sentence.

[@paulandrecarmigniani3083]

America first

[@refinedinsanity2609]

Even Nazis would punish that as a war crime. 🤦‍♂️ We can change this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4HJqHSfgNyaatU

[@kaydgaming]

@Hakim Habib it was a Slavic baby in some punishable situations... idk why I cared to even source a Biographics video

[@TheorizingWithBen]

This isnt a comedy show.

[@natedlc854]

Grenading babies is always necessary. Grenade them all. Natural selection will leave us with only grenade resistant babies

[@ohnonotthisguyagain7617]

"Don't worry, we're the good guys!" *Tosses grenade at baby.*

[@lenschwedt9646]

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. Does what ever they whan and doesnt Care for Rules.

[@ukeyaoitrash2618]

@@lenschwedt9646 😂🤣

[@WMDistraction]

When I heard that bit, my instinctual reaction as a father of a 2yo was to shout, “I would’ve fucking killed you!”

[@exquisitecorpse4917]

Just THINK what would happen if we didn't toss grenades at babies! Chaos, I tellz ya! Absolute chaos!!!

[@Sniperbear13]

That Baby was a Drug Dealer! but for real, its hard to really feel anything but disgust for police.

[@naomiseraphina9718]

Blessings be upon you all, John Oliver, and your staff of writers! Thank you for telling the truth, in a society that so RARELY ever enjoys the experience of HEARING the truth spoken in any of our mainstream media!! I have risked my life, again and again, as an activist, trying to tell the truth the way that you are doing (in this particular piece of journalism, and in the many other topics you've covered, and that you continue to cover,) but no matter how many protests I attend, no matter how much pepper spray and tear gas I am forced to inhale, I will probably NEVER make the impact that you are making in even ONE of your shows... SO RIGHT THE FUCK ON!!! I LOVE YOU for doing what you're doing, and I wish you all the best! Sincerely, -Naomi Seraphina

[@jeremybullock2881]

John Oliver is my hero!!!!! Thank God we have some one who uses there platform to stand up for what's right.

[@Zenobiwan]

"we live in a world where trained cops can panic and act on impulse, but civilians must remain calm with a gun in their face" - a BLM activist

[@sixstringedthing]

*in a country. What's true in America is not necessarily true for the rest of the world. I understand the point being made though, and it's messed up.

[@FUBAR66693]

May be a good point but you just had to claim you where a blm activist? I think that itself shows why you are one.

[@uncletrash8770]

@@FUBAR66693 why would you not be one? Why wouldn't you want police to stop killing innocent Black people? Shame on you

[@Nick-hr2gk]

@@FUBAR66693 do you know what blm stands for? And what it means to NOT support it?

[@FUBAR66693]

@@Nick-hr2gk that I can think for myself?

[@manda60]

If I deliver a pizza to the wrong house, I may be fired, be charged for the pizza, etc. If a cop murders a person in the wrong house, they get paid vacation. America, are you great again yet?

[@marialh6907]

So true

[@cinemaparadiso5402]

FYI Privacy ... and bill of rights are ANTI-SEMITIC.

[@R3VO7UTION]

Well, its obvious that you should have become a cop instead of delivering pizza bruh.

[@gregoryG540]

@@cinemaparadiso5402 what lol prove it

[@ZeldagigafanMatthew]

The sad thing is, that this is the case for all cops who are suspected of excessive force. Paid leave. When it should be unpaid leave for the duration of the investigation lead by a third party partial to the citizens. Only if no wrongdoing is found, they may be eligible for back pay. Until then, they've got to rely on other means.

[@kirkw1740]

John, consistently demonstrates the most eloquent use of the word "fuck," I have had the pleasure to bear witness to.

[@user-pn7rv5me2z]

Jon Oliver should be the journalist of the Year, every year

[@cakash]

John Oliver is the best. I actually got out of a MLM cult by listening to him. I will be forever grateful for that.

[@HumanTypewriter]

What's MLM?

[@ornot_toby]

@Richard Lin Multilevel Marketing aka a pyramid scheme

[@rashmicp4356]

@Richard Lin ,🤣🤣🤣

[@addictedtoyoutubecomments5950]

@Richard Lin lmao

[@HumanTypewriter]

@Richard Lin Would make sense

[@johnsmith-qj2uh]

Think about that bully from high school. Chances are He's a police officer now.

[@cwn41]

Two of the biggest wastes of air I went to school with are cops now. Shocking

[@freekeemonkee]

Bullies in college signed up for the force while they were still in college. How do you get away from them then? Ya don't.

[@eccentricthinker142]

Worse, the local community are the ones that give that power. So it's like the bully from high getting power from the rest of the school to terrorize everybody. _And the local community doesn't wisen up, ever_

[@187UUmmkilla]

No... Not the bully, it's the kid that got bullied

[@MarySunshine25]

You are so right, the 4 biggest bullies in my grade are all cops, 2 have been taken off duty with pay, for incidents. 🙄

[@kelleypeak6969]

I fucking love Jon Oliver! This show never misses.

[@Charge0Complete]

I remember Cop Rock. I brought it up over the years and NOBODY ever knew what I was talking about.

[@seybertooth9282]

Does anyone remember when four Swedish police officers on vacation broke up a fight in the NYC subway and subdued the participants without harming anyone, and how amazed America was that police officers could break up a crime without shooting anyone? Yeah, that's a sign that your policing has taken a wrong turn somewhere.

[@gypsylee333]

Yes! And they were sexy looking too, that's the kind of cops I want here. I wish America would just look to the Nordic countries and netherlands and copy them. Germany is good too, great jail system.

[@tannerwilson4843]

Wait, when was this. Never heard of it.

[@JarJarBinkz68]

Gun and bullet manufacturers would lose money.

[@SumusVelgos]

I didn't know this story... it's very upsetting to hear the man they are subduing screaming I CAN'T BREATHE, and the two guys calmly asking him if he's hurt. That's a chilling comparison here.

[@nimrodkeren783]

Can you link a video or article referring to that incident. Sounds interesting

[@magicastrid]

When I was a young girl in middle school, I had come home late from babysitting my cousins the next street over. My aunt was walking me home and my drunk neighbor tells us that Swamp Thing was down the street. We paid no mind since he was stumbling drunk. I get home and shower and crawl into bed. I was just falling asleep when the Swat Team, not Swamp Thing, burst into our house. They roughly handcuff my father pushing him into the ground, beating him pretty badly despite him watching a movie in the living room. The place was old and we were poor, so as they threw him around, they destroyed the walls, put several holes in the floor, full on demolition style. My younger sister was flung over a cop's shoulder and taken somewhere, she still doesn't talk about it, and we don't see her for 12 hours after we find out she was handed over to CPS. I had fallen asleep in my fathers room and began freaking out! Seconds later they threw a flash grenade into the room, it caught the bed on fire that I was laying in. I got drug out of the house by my feet and got scratched up in just my night shirt. It was the single worst thing I ever experienced. They were not looking for us, they were looking for some other jackass in another city that just happened to have the same generic name my father has. Our home, it was destroyed, our feeling of safety gone, and the trust I put into law enforcement was nonexistent and never returned. I am still traumatized by this event and it was 20 years ago this year. After everything calmed down, they evacuated and left me and my dad to clean up the mess, we never even received an apology. My dad tried to sue them for the damages to our home just so we wouldn't have to move, we couldn't afford to move. He was laughed at by everyone, no one paid for it, we had to ourselves. Our house was not fit for anyone or anything to live in, and we had no money to fix it. We lived there for another three years before we left. We only left because a storm destroyed the house and the three of us were forced to live with some relatives. Because the police screwed up and broke in as an accident, I had to live through some serious hardships. Having to keep snake repellent around the house, a stick by the bed in case animals came into the house, which yes this was a regular thing that happened. I can not describe to you how awful all this was, just because someone made a mistake, and our lives and home were ruined. We didn't live in some third world country, it was criminals that did this, it was here in the US that this happened. My father never had so much as a traffic ticket, let alone what they were charging the home for that night. I still have nightmares and flashbacks to that night. The police made sure it never made it to the press either. I can honestly say that my view of this country shattered that night, and I have never felt safe in any place I have lived since. But this will just go unanswered as is expected. I am still in tears recounting this. TL:DR Yes, this shit happens all the time. Yes, this shit is terrifying,. Yes, this follows you around for a long time. And No, no one is doing anything about it or seems to care when it happens. :edited for spelling:

[@lisajean228]

That’s awful, no one should have to live through that...I’m sorry it had to be your family

[@cherish78748]

JFHC I am so sorry and so terrified for little you

[@dianasansom6307]

Thank you for sharing this horrifying experience. No one, especially a child, should have to go through this.

[@maximilienleroux8950]

@Ika Ayu T'es une vraie merde, toi !

[@MsZephyra]

My heart goes out to you. Shame on them. Our country is so damn broken and those of us with eyes open and caring hearts need to do more to hold the psycho/sociopaths accountable.

[@annabellestephenson2111]

Honestly, I'm surprised John didn't mention the sick prank of Swatting...

[@sir_vix]

0:14 I think I've lost my mind... 1:17 I'm no longer certain I've ever been sane.

[@Luffy453]

Sooo, they are basically a herd of stampeding rhinos - poor eyesight, quickly disoriented, easily riled up and leave a mess they are not held accountable for

[@minuette1752]

That is an accurate analogy.

[@stonethered]

Unlike Rhinos, Police should be few and far between. Support Rhino conservation, and defunding the police!

[@benmai4839]

@Richard Lin well...pigs are intelligent creatures and extreme sensitiv to emotions...American cops on the other hand...

[@Luffy453]

@Richard Lin Pigs are not nearly as destructive, though

[@angelchronicles9848]

Hey don't insult Rhinos, they do it because of evolution

[@stonewall008]

My weekly dose of American shame

[@ShujinkoProductions2]

fucking stonewall??

[@Ravael123X]

It isss what it isssSSS

[@IrvingIV]

mood

[@cultofpersonality2002]

AMERICA HAS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF! GOD BLESS THE USA!!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@IrvingIV]

@Last man Walking it's 50 countries in a trenchcoat

[@wakaneut]

Not long ago, I was genuinely asking about why it was so easy for any random person to do streamer swatting (or any other random people) in America (because the concept was bizarre to me), I thought SWAT was the elite police that you don't randomly dispatch everywhere and every time just by a random call. I got many responses trying to justify it. I still don't get it even now.

[@whocares9033]

Fear culture

[@HowToChangeName]

Say all you like, but many counties and cities SWAT is merely senior officer (like sergeant and higher) armed with military gear gifted from Program 1033 So don't expect them to be bothered with investigating the problem before deploying heavy force to you

[@Xhumed]

Also apparently cops can't tell the difference between a Taser and a handgun.

[@Jartran72]

Even though the tazer is 1/3 of the weight from the handgun.

[@TheDuality0fMan]

There's a lot of awful to digest here, but most appalling is that even when they fuck up, there's no liability. They don't even have to replace a door.

[@Clavitz1]

yeah and that's the easy part too. this is why we defund their asses. a militarized police does no community any good.

[@SleepyPossums]

For real we just replaced our door for non-SWAT reasons and it was expensive as fuck. These people don’t have the time or money for this!

[@balancemantis4381]

Well come on. That would cut into the 100 billion dollars used annually on policing. Do you want them to have to lose their toys and dress-up stuff?

[@OniSyphon]

You can sue for civil rights violations, but the cops dont pay with their pensions/bonds. The city and/or taxpayers foot the bill.

[@christelheadington1136]

Makes me want to look through my home owners policy.

[@arturoperezify]

That clip of the confused raid team trying to look for the house they're supposed to hit while literally waking past it looks like its straight out of Reno 911.

[@horace6851]

I just finished Arrested Development and it also fits right in there.

[@jonny-b4954]

Fucking pathetic. If it was a criminal ACTUALLY warranting that sort of response/arrest they would have all been mowed down. Fortunately, for them, they're kicking in doors over petty shit. I've NEVER understood why the police do raids anyways. Why the fuck would you disadvantage yourself and put yourself into a shitty tactical situation like that when you could just.... wait out front for them to come outside.

[@Nightwishmaster]

Especially the part where the one cop doesn't know what's going on so for some reason he felt throwing a flashbang into the woods for some god unknown reason was the best way to sort out that mess. Like, what? What fucking purpose did throwing a grenade around serve? There was literally no logical reason I can think of why he did that, and you're totally right. If you showed me this clip and said it was from Reno 911 or something I wouldn't have given it a second thought, especially when the dude doesn't know what to do so he just starts throwing grenades at nothing.

[@16tangerines]

Omgggg

[@jrobb5956]

@@jonny-b4954 “bbbuuuttt but bbbuuuuttttt if he shoots up another marijuana and pot joint it’ll hurt America!!!! We have to grab him, now!!!”

[@gidikalchhauser]

So, in short: It's deeply woven into the US American self-conception that, in case of someone intruding into your home, you may legally defend yourself with even a firearm - unless the attacker is a member of police force on duty. Which you're probably supposed to figure out at 3am, just awoken by, of all things, bangs on your door and people shouting and progressing through your home very quickly. While possible invading the wrong address. Which to find out they had days or weeks, and which to actually find they could completely freely plan as they pleased - this is a surprise operation, after all. So the victim is supposed to be better at figuring out the other side than _an actual official governmental department_, that can not only execute any ever so radical measure with seemingly limitless supply, but also _give sanction to this measure_ by means of legal procedures. And, might I stress again: They weren't just woken up, they are not naked, they don't have their babies with them. This, frankly, is embarrassing.

[@abdullahisasalahuddin2708]

Yo that bit about smoking weed and having $50 worth of Subway cookies.....oh yeah that's 100% accurate

[@pameladipzinski5752]

I’m an old woman with a cane; it definitely takes me more than 20 seconds to get to my front door.

[@Akumasama]

I'm a man in my prime, fuck no I can't reach my door in 20 seconds in the middle of the night.

[@pod650]

I don't even hear my door most of the time. The amount of times I have a "missed delivery" notice on my door despite both myself and my dog being home is absurd.

[@nilesbutler8638]

I guess you could flush pounds and punds of drugs in that time, though.

[@SirDoofus0]

@@nilesbutler8638 The Russians simply turn the water off before they do a search warrant.

[@nilesbutler8638]

@@SirDoofus0 You know - I´ve always wondered why US police dont simply open the main sewer line of that road before knocking and hang a net in there - flushing problem solved. But shutting the water main down will also work. Russians can be so efficient. thanks.

[@philrichjr]

"you don't have to shout"... Awww when the big bad white man with a gun and an entire tactical team gets his feelings hurt cause you're yelling 🥺🥺

[@msjkramey]

Fuck that piece of shit for real. If a civilian broke into an innocent woman's house and handcuffed her naked while filming it with a bunch of his buddies, it would be front page news and major crime, a bunch of crimes really. But nothing happens to them? I can't imagine the terror she went through

[@philrichjr]

@@msjkramey lol who knew someone who's so hardcore was so fragile. Ironic also that they were the ones doing all the shouting when they broke into her crib. But her standing there naked and handcuffed... NOPE! No reason whatsoever to shout

[@zhangfan7275]

Love your show! John Oliver, so glad American people have you.

[@matt4048]

I have a postdoctoral degree in grenadeology and did my thesis in the usage of grenades against infants and I can confirm that the research points to the conclusion that using flashbags against babies is generally uncalled for.

[@yeehiourd4866]

pepper spray it is then

[@errorcrj110]

"We won't wait for more than 20 seconds because suspects might destroy evidence." "Oh, but we also won't check whether we even have the right address because suspects definitely won't destroy evidence during the one hour we spend breaking into their neighbour's homes."

[@Lucaz99]

That’s what I was thinking the whole time. How often do they lose evidence searching the neighbors house ffs.

[@idimidodjimi6760]

just put up the sign " POSSIBLE MINES ON PREMISE CAUTION ADVISED " they will for sure 3xcheck location before even thinking of raiding that place.

[@akmal94ibrahim]

@@idimidodjimi6760 With the direction US police is going, they'll probably throw grenades on your front lawn to blow up those possible mines.

[@sylviatamieanan4088]

Besides, who answers their door whitin 20 seconds, specially in the middle of the night? We're not behind the door waiting for someone to knock

[@dinamosflams]

@@idimidodjimi6760 so How in the fuck they mystakes so often?

[@tomseiple3280]

Boy, I sure missed Ruining My Monday Mornings with John Oliver.

[@fluffylobster2916]

What better day to ruin than Monday?

[@Acidfrog475]

@@fluffylobster2916 That's true

[@TheGrumbliestPuppy]

He does such important education in these but god damn do I miss when *some* of the videos were fun. It gets exhausting being depressed every Sunday now.

[@tomseiple3280]

@@TheGrumbliestPuppy ... but the real depression is the friends we made along the way, right?! RIGHT?!!?!?!

[@ErykaSoleil]

@@TheGrumbliestPuppy You mean you don't find Musical Cops uplifting? 😉

[@davidboerst4789]

there should be a record of if a judge/cop/informant is a part of a false search warrant after a certain amount they can no longer apply for one. this would force people to verify before applying.

[@Gloriaboo9460]

John Oliver gives me hope like no other, love ya man

[@crainey111]

That video of the officers laughing that their raid looked cool while the homeowner was handcuffed pissed me off so bad. I just can't even fathom what type of people think someone would enjoy having their house falsely blown open and then cuffed as officers chuckled.

[@DiggyRasta]

Here's what's also fucked up... I used to work at McDonald's and we weren't supposed to be on our phones while on the clock. Of course we still used em, just not in front of the cameras cause the owners/managers would watch the footage. These civil servants in a job with much higher stakes weren't the least bit concerned with even pretending to do their job even when they knew they we're being recorded. What's the difference? I would've faced consequences if I got caught fucking up.

[@geogonzalez7126]

Even the victim was shaking his head the whole time... They were shameful :(

[@AkademiaFlirtu]

Like nothing happened, right? Like they parked in your spot by accident. Shit, if I made this kind of a mistake, I would be on my knees begging for forgiveness. I think that most people are more sorry to bump into someone at a supermarket than those cops on the shit they did.

[@kakmaster6945]

The fact that they probably just left after that, leaving the poor guy who just got his front door blown up to pay off the costs and clean up the whole room. Its simply ridiculous. Edit: And the fact the dog nearly got turned into wallpaper by the flying debris from the door.

[@cchoi108]

Well just ask yourself this question, why would a decent person ever become a cop?

[@steveohare4666]

Go after their wallets, make it mandatory that counties have to pay for any and all damages(both property and emotional) during raids if nothing is found. Steeper financial penalties should be standard for wrong house scenarios. Then the local governments will start cracking down on the cops, and judges should follow.

[@Mekose]

The problem with that is insanely powerful police unions. The mayor of Seattle (irrc) tried to defund the police after the CHAZ riots; but the police unions threatened to strike if their budget was cut more than 5%. ALL police lawsuit settlements are paid out by the city, aka the tax payers. The police departments themselves never see budget cuts after those lawsuits because of the police unions black mailing cities with the budget the want or causing a strike.

[@memoofjacoboarbenzjuanarev9724]

@@Mekose And all that money they have isn't even their's at least the lobbyists for corporations is their money gained by shallow means but any money these agencies have are all American Tax payer money for real U.S has major hypocrisy all over they hate big government and claim to be deficit hawks but love sending money to 100 different law enforcement agencies and in the Billions of dollars range. Like bro did you know there's not just a FBI or CIA but also a uninspired tax hosedown called the DIA (defense intelligence and that ain't even the right title like the so called defense industry it should be the offense) Just think the DEA waists billions in tax payer dollars a year and only get 15% of all the drugs smuggled through the border and even the border it has the Border Patrol,U.S customs,ICE,DEA again,and Homeland Security along with Local Law Enforcement most of these agencies are not to protect but to steal tax dollars and give them to Defense (offense) contractors and feed the Prison Industrial complex as well as ego cops and careerists feed their ego.

[@shadowsonicsilver6]

Police Union is a legal gang and crawling with right-wing extremists who wants to start a race war between white people and black people.

[@amentlik]

Trevor Noah did a great piece on the budget most cities have for just this. Massive budgets to cover the civil suits brought on by property damage and wrongful or mistaken break ins/raids/arrests. The problem with steeper penalties is that the taxpayers, not the cops, will still be the ones paying them. And yeah, as others said, you threaten to take that away, they'll threaten just to walk instead of taking responsibility. I am not against police, I am not right or left wing, but any logical person should see the fallacy and hypocrisy and racism in this.

[@chantalkellyman2187]

The only colour America sees is green, so that would have to be so much money it cripples them

[@Wolfencreek]

That Baby Merchant song was pretty catchy ngl 😂

[@megalobsterface3552]

"You might be thinking 'Oh come on, that must be a one off thing!'" Nope, this happened to me, only even worse. I called the cops bc a family member pulled a gun on us, and the police raided the house next door, didn't tell the 90 year old woman who they were before leaving, and then the next day *she called us* warning us of burglars. No, my family member was not arrested.

[@throdownsify]

Seeing the cops recording how cool their raid looks is the textbook definition of pathetic

[@sebastianwallin3726]

When USA was founded. Everyone will have the right to bear arms so if the law enforcement becomes a more or less terrorist organization they can withstand its evil. US citizens lets not use our 2 amendment and lets not hold evil accountable. Who the hell lets strangers with guns harm their baby with grenades?

[@woadblue]

@@sebastianwallin3726 I get your point but I doubt the parents "let" them do that so much as it just happened

[@sebastianwallin3726]

@@woadblue My point of letting it happen is the fact they don't make sure the people responsible are put to justice.

[@mark-ish]

*cowboys that are still acting like they're living in the 19th century.

[@tashaviaf]

Cops are the definition of little-dick energy

[@seraphan6]

Good work, John, but you didn’t mention anything about the motivation for raids. Cops generally get to add any cash they find in these raids to their annual budgets. This means they’re now addicted to these raids, both in the fantasy sense and financially. We may need a law that directs how seized funds can be used, and one that removes the financial incentive for these raids.

[@slickrick2420]

So true! Btw he made a video on civil forfeiture a few years ago.

[@necesitoamigos6214]

Sadly is true

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Wow. I had no idea. Thx for this

[@kitcoffey7194]

Ban civil asset forfeiture!

[@khaxjc1]

Cheryl Campbell if you haven't seen it I suggest you check out Last Week Tonights video on civil forfeiture.

[@J3scape]

I'd like to see the statistics of how many raids they get right vs how many they mess up

[@Hailnolah]

I'd like to see the statistics on how many proven drug houses, major dealers, and all other legitimate targets for warrant are black owned. 90%? 98% If African Americans commit the majority of violent crime, then the police are going to be more active in their "communities"

[@Shek1nah]

so wait a sec: they were trained in "cult mass suicide/murder of babies" but not your everyday traffic control? priorities

[@tidepods5506]

Pizza companies when their workers deliver pizza to the wrong address: "Yo, my bad. Here's your money back from your previous order, we'll send you a pizza. All on us 👍" Police Agencies when they raid the wrong address: "Umm....oopsie ig?"

[@danieljensen2626]

Police agencies are more like: "We can't pay for every house we destroy, do you want criminals to win? Do you want them to have free reign to destroy our society?"

[@SailorSnap]

The cops fumbling for which house is which is exactly what a pizza deliverer does. Minimal training, deadly stakes.

[@rmdrichford5]

You should write for John 😂😂😂

[@aeonamadi]

More like, "LOL Hey dude fuckin' rewind that shit on your security cam I wanna watch Johnny kick your door down you fucking peasant"

[@clararose1795]

Police when they raid the wrong house: “well jeez, you don’t have to shout.”

[@9arm.]

We can feel his anger meter getting filled minute by minute. Man, this is a tense one.

[@ismailsavaadh6710]

You can see his nerves popping 23:16

[@valkoharja]

Because he's a human being.

[@fabricedecreau]

He’s usually joking much more, but for this topic, he’s really pissed off. The US shouldn’t make war on drugs, they should be more subtle about it. Portugal has a much more civilised approach to the problem for instance.

[@peggymccracki]

I could feel my own anger meter also rising minute by minute throughout the story.

[@greendragonpublishing]

And rightly so. This is murderous behavior. And ANYONE who says there are good cops... where are the good cops? Why aren't they calling this out? I don't hear them. And I'm related to some.

[@johnallenismynameandmusici2796]

"It's like the Pringles guy auditioning for Miami Vice." Love it.

[@andrewmattord9356]

I love John's show...except for the fact that It always leaves me feeling like I'm a horrible person for not gathering up a mass following and marching out to make a change in the world as quickly as possible...but damn is he funny about it

[@spongeintheshoe]

You can be part of that following.

[@lilithofnod]

I lived through a police raid. They busted into our apartment because the plant in the windowsill looked like a marijuana plant. They used knives to rip apart our furniture and destroyed our mattresses. By the time they left not one piece of furniture was salvageable and the only thing that looked the same was the fern in the windowsill. I still have nightmares.

[@closedcl8]

THE SHIT?!

[@juliahorn3659]

Did your pets survive?

[@poonamsvideoblogs]

Sorry.

[@Anna133199]

I'm so sorry. I can't imagine the peace I feel in my own home being destroyed like that. I hope they'll change it. I can't understand why they'd tear up all the furniture. Couldn't they just start by examining the plant first? It's not like you could destroy evidence with them in your house. It's extreme to force themselves in for marijuana, but let's say they did that. They then could've detained you, examined the plant, get out of there after realising it wasn't a marijuana plant. Still over the top, but 1000x better.

[@ForrestFox626]

What the f*ck is wrong with our law enforcement!?

[@Kenshiro77777]

I am not an American citizen and I do not live in US but what is this feeling of anger creeping in

[@Bacteriophagebs]

That's a rational person's response to this thing called "injustice."

[@bittenfr3ak]

Empathy

[@mopeoshpingo7257]

Empathy and also the realization that the united states plays a huge role in the global economy etc. The more we fuck up the more the world has to pick up our shit.

[@fifaclips1530]

Sadness...

[@quinndirks5653]

I'm an American. I'll tell you, the anger is not just creeping in for me. It's a wave of anger and hatred for these despicable acts. These raids are a crime against the American people and it must stop.

[@colintimp1372]

I love the look on the guy's face when the other guy is singing to him and the woman. It just screams, "How did I get involved in this? I need to go home and rethink my life."

[@Ky-Joey502]

That raid that was shown in Louisville before Brianna Taylor, that happened to my best friend Mario. It was comlete bs. Him and his family won the settlement recently. They should of got way more. But he is a famous shoe designer. Look him up. Deniro Andretti. Think i spelled it right. Lol. He's a true artist!

[@jascrandom9855]

US police only get 6 months of training, while in most other countries (including third world countries) cops are trained for 2 to 3 years before joining the force.

[@MikeMaileFoolishBehavior]

Furthermore; the selection process seeks "Type A" personalities with a preference for military experience.

[@jarls5890]

5 years in Norway (equivalent to a masters degree).

[@powerliftblazer1]

Hair dressers are more highly trained than cops in the US

[@gabrieleghut1344]

@@powerliftblazer1 👍🤣

[@corvidsandorchids4836]

@@powerliftblazer1 seriously. In my state to get a cosmetology license you have to complete 1500 hours of school. Cops? 220 hours. It's disturbing

[@pod650]

It's sad when a bunch of kids trick-or-treeting have a better record of finding the right houses than entire police departments.

[@heroicryan6257]

For real. I remember trick or treating as a kid, my friends and I started to notice certain houses gave out specific stuff every year and we'd make those houses a priority lol

[@jgunn03]

@@heroicryan6257 Yup. I immediately thought of the houses that gave out full-size can't bars! Informants would tell us which houses, and we'd go 2/3 neighbourhoods over to get our treats! Always managed to get it right on the first try.

[@deusexmachina101]

It's really sad when you think that the hoodlums that teepee houses have a better accuracy than police swats teams. It's got to be embarrassing when you're being shown up by adolescents.

[@rosschops9509]

One of the few reasons to be proud to be British. Good show, John.

[@antonyduhamel1166]

This video makes me wish I had the superpower to make peoples' heads explode. Police come through the door and they're wrong? Scratch that police team. I bet police would actually start paying more attention if the briefing finished with "Oh, and if you get the wrong house, you die."