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The Little Rock Police department is under fire after an investigative report by the Washington Post has revealed a series of bogus drug warrants were served in 2016.
Opinion writer Radley Balko wrote about Little Rock’s “dangerous and illegal drug war” where officers violated citizens’ rights and endangered lives while practicing illegal tactics.
“I’ve also reviewed more than 100 search warrants executed by the unit since 2016,” Balko wrote.
“According to policing and Fourth Amendment experts, these interviews and warrants show that the LRPD narcotics cops and SWAT teams are routinely violating the Fourth Amendment rights of Little Rock residents. They’re also putting people at unnecessary risk. And there’s strong evidence that, in some cases, officers have made demonstrably false statements under oath.”
Balko outlined the story of a victim Roderick Talley who said police bust in his apartment illegally to search for drugs, claiming they had a no-knock warrant. Balko said many victims like Talley are left with “shattered doors, broken windows, floors scorched by flash grenades, and plenty of trauma.”
“Once I figured that out, I just did what I do when I’ve been pulled over,” Talley said. “I threw my hands up as far up over my head as I could. I didn’t want them to say I was reaching for something and shoot me. I didn’t want them to shoot my dog. I just wanted to survive.”
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The cops reportedly didn’t find much but Talley said because the cops made such a big deal with the bust, they claimed they found a green leafy substance and scales – enough to arrest him.
“I got the impression that since they had just done this big raid and scared all of my neighbors, they felt like they had to bring out someone in handcuffs to make it all worthwhile,” he told The Post.
Talley plans on fighting back.
While Balko said SWAT veterans admitted that explosives are dangerous and unnecessary. And most of the raids that turned up very little besides a small amount of pot and prescription drugs.
You can watch the raid videos below and read the rest of The Post story here.