Much (Unnecessary) Ado to Execute a Warrant

By TChris, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 01:07:15 PM EST
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Residents of New York City should question whether the NYPD is spending their tax dollars wisely. A woman who had been severely beaten was discovered outside a Hell's Angels Clubhouse in the East Village. Witnesses said she was thrown out of the building, so the police obtained a warrant to search for evidence of an assault. So far, so good, but before knocking and seeking entry, the police assembled a "heavily armed Emergency Service Unit."

Police helicopters circled overhead, sharpshooters were stationed on nearby roofs and officers were armed for a siege ... After several hours, as police prepared to raid the club, a Hells Angels official arrived, examined the warrant and invited them inside.
An attorney for the Hells Angels said police overreacted. "The helicopters, the SWAT teams, the boys and all the toys, the armored personnel carrier -- I think it's a little much," said Ron Kuby, the attorney.

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Much (Unnecessary) Ado to Execute a Warrant | 11 comments (11 topical)

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They bought the toys.... (none / 0) (#1)
by kdog on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 01:52:44 PM EST

on the taxpayers dime...so I guess the NYPD figures they better well use them, or else their budget might shrink.

Or the NYPD is deathly afraid of a bunch of bikers.

Only semi-rational explanations I can think of for such an excessive display of force.

Not the first time (none / 0) (#2)
by squeaky on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 02:00:53 PM EST

And then forgot that they [NYPD] recorded themselves plotting to break the law and handed over the videotape to Hells Angels' attorney Ron Kuby.
Insisting that the tape is our window on the workings of the NYPD, Kuby is filing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the city, claiming that his clients' civil rights were casually violated.
It all began on that sweltering night back in August. The city's cops, ever-vigilant, responded to a complaint about a stolen motorcycle the way they typically react to news of vehicular theft: they called out 100 FBI agents and police officers, dispatched a helicopter, cordoned off several blocks of the Lower East Side, and stormed a building--the Hells Angels headquarters. All because a New Jersey biker, Dennis Jones, said the Angels had lifted his bike.

Village Voice

to be fair, the Hells Angels have been tying up (none / 0) (#3)
by scribe on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 02:22:59 PM EST

a prime piece of real estate on the LES for a long time, so when the swine get a chance, they pull out all the toys. It's doubtless in the hope that just maybe someone will do something stupid, to justify a forfeiture suit against the premises.... There's any number of developers who would sell their (pick a relative or body part) for that chance at that property.

Well over a decade ago, I worked a multi-defendant civil case involving a motorcycle accident in which one of their brothers had been seriously injured and someone else killed. I was told (though I was not present) that when his guardianship hearing went forward, they all took a drive out to the rural courthouse (the rehab center was in the country), filled up the lot with their bikes, then filled up the quiet chancery courtroom wearing their colors.

They wanted to be there for their brother, and make sure he got a fair shake.

Which, when you come down to it, isn't much different from the way the cops pack funeral home and then the courtroom for the arraignment and trial when some schlub is accused of killing a cop.

Hell's Angels (none / 0) (#4)
by diogenes on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 05:14:28 PM EST

Are any of you commentators actually cops who would relish going in without force to a Angels clubhouse, and maybe there was info that some of the angels might be armed, and I doubt that Mr. Kuby would volunteer much about that.

Diogenes... (none / 0) (#5)
by kdog on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 05:29:21 PM EST

Helicopters? Sharp-shooters? C'mon man...how can you defend that nonsense?

I could understand if the Angels had Osama holed up in their clubhouse.


Yup (none / 0) (#6)
by Patrick on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 05:56:12 PM EST

And nope, I don't see a problem with it either.


OT for Patrick (none / 0) (#9)
by Sailor on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 11:24:30 PM EST

I thought you might like this story:


: Yes I did (none / 0) (#11)
by Patrick on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 10:19:28 AM EST

Having watched a co-worker of mine struggle with a very angry oppossum in his vehicle, I had a very good mental picture for the story. Hillarious!

Idiot bikers like their guns (none / 0) (#7)
by bx58 on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 07:17:44 PM EST

so I'm not surprised the cops went overboard.

These overgrown juvenile delinquents are dangerous if they outnumber and outgun the opposition so the cops just made sure they'd revert to form; sniveling cowards.

If you ever hung around these guys or drank with them you'd know they have a pack mentality, not bad guys by themselves but real aholes in a crowd.

I had a run-in with the NYC (none / 0) (#8)
by kdog on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 09:34:01 PM EST

Hells Angels...words were exchanged but they walked away from a fight with me and a couple drunken buddies, I doubt they'd pick a fight with the para-military wing of the NYPD. It's not like the Angels could see the snipers on the rooftops.

Some people in this city are on edge enough as it is the last few years...you don't need the NYPD fueling up choppers and arming snipers to serve a warrant on a bunch of bikers. Not to mention a bad precedent for a police force with a rep for overkill.

Update.... (none / 0) (#12)
by kdog on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 05:22:47 PM EST

according to today's Daily News...the NYPD has "voided" the arrest of the suspect, but their investigation is ongoing. It appears there wasn't even enough evidence to warrant an arrest. A spokesman for the local Hell's Angels chapter said they charges are ridiculous because "we are bad boys, but we don't beat up broads".

Leads me to believe the NYPD found an excuse to play "big swinging d*cks" with the Hell's Angels, and nothing more.