Police: 'Threat matrix' dictated SWAT team response at Powell Avenue home

Found on Courier Press on Saturday, 23 June 2012
Browse Legal-Issues

Dressed in full protective gear, police broke the storm door of the home at 616 East Powell Ave. — the Milans’ front door was already open on the hot summer day. They also broke a front window. They tossed a flashbang stun grenade into the living room that made a deafening blast. A short distance away, a local television crew’s cameras were rolling. The police had invited the station to videotape the forced entry of the residence.

Ira Milan said the perpetrator of the threats likely used Stephanie’s Internet service connection from an outside location, which led police to the East Powell Avenue address.

“This is a little more difficult that a traditional crime scene, because we’re dealing with the Internet. They definitely weren’t expecting (a SWAT team at the door). The reason we did that is the threats were specific enough, and the potential for danger was there.

“This is a big deal to us,” Cullum said. “This may be just somebody who was online just talking stupid. What I would suggest to anybody who visits websites like that is that their comments can be taken literally.”

Overreaction much? Just because some troll posts on some forum, there's no need to bring in a whole SWAT team; there's always the traditional police work without using excessive force and violence against innocent citizens. Of course, traditional police work don't scare citizens who might prefer to shut up instead to talk about other issues, fearing a visit from a SWAT team. Maybe one day he will learn "dealing with the Internet", that dangerous and highly aggressive beast which Cullum is so afraid of that he needs military-grade backup just to ask the owner of the house some questions.