Action Alert: Police Chief defends SWAT raid that destroyed home!
SALT LAKE CITY - January 21, 2010 - Officers did what they had to do. That was the Salt Lake police chief’s response to questions about a SWAT raid on a Salt Lake home that has left one family homeless. Now, city officials must decide whether to help the Miramontes family of six find a place to live.
1054 West 300 South is an empty shell. Everything has been removed from the house. What hasn’t been thrown away can been seen sitting stacked on the carport. What cannot be seen is the invisible layer of chemical dust that has contaminated the house and everything in it.
SWAT officers fired ten “Triple Chaser” continuous discharge grenades into the house the morning of January 5.
They were executing a no-knock search warrant a judge had just given them. The warrant’s affidavit shows police believed Roberto Miramontes Roman was inside. He was their prime suspect in the shooting death of Millard County Sheriffs Deputy Josie Fox.
Police also believed Roman had an AK-47 and AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles.
“Everyone said there are large caliber rounds involved in this. They shoot right through homes, right through officers’ vests,” said Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank.
The chief vigorously defended SWAT officers’ actions on that day, saying his men and women owed it to themselves and to the public to take every precaution when they entered the house.
“It rose to the level that we said we’ve got to take some action and this is the appropriate action to take,” said the chief.
The chief adamantly pointed out the SWAT raid on the Miramontes’ home was not out of the ordinary and, in his opinion, was perfectly appropriate, considering the risk officers thought they were facing.
Roman was not in the house. Sheriff’s deputies found him in Beaver County the next day and arrested him in connection with the murder of Deputy Fox.
“They went inside and destroyed everything,” said Salvia Miramontes.
She and her family are now living in a hotel room near their neighborhood, thanks to donations from generous neighbors. Their house, off limits, now that the Salt Lake Valley Health Department has declared it unfit for occupancy.
“Everything has to be lost,” said Sylvia Miramontes. “Furniture, food, cloths, all kind of stuff they touched, that has been touched by the powder.”
The powder is substance known as C-S, a micro fine dry chemical that has the same effect as tear gas on anyone who breathes it.
“Usually what you’d need is the to five milligrams to get half the people out of the building in one minute,” said Michael Rowzee, a former U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Specialist and the owner of the company contracted to decontaminate 1054 West 300 South.
Rowzee has also trained SWAT officers in the use of chemicals weapons such as C-S and tear gas grenades. He told ABC 4 one or two canisters of C-S would have done the job.
“That would have been normal,” he said.
Evidence at the scene and police memos reveal the SWAT officers fired ten canisters into the house. According to the manufacturer’s specifications manual, that’s at least 32 times more C-S than Rowzee says they needed.
“Dumping ten in from the get-go? What’s the objective,” attorney Joseph Jardine said, as he responded to ABC 4’s questions on whether he thought police acted negligently.
“It seems to me it’s negligence, probably even recklessness.”
Jardine agreed with several attorneys interviewed by ABC 4 who said they think the city should pay the Miramontes family for the damage done.
“Whether it was just busting down a door or burning the house down - either extreme - the city would be responsible, regardless.” Jardine said.
Salt Lake’s Risk Management office will decide whether Miramontes family is compensated for their losses and expenses. That is, unless the family hires an attorney and sues the city in court.
Meanwhile, the family will depend on the generosity of friends and neighbors for shelter.
Please call and voice your outrage at this overt invasion and destruction of private property in the land of Liberty and Justice for All. Tell them that you suspect the Police Chief of illegal and unconstitutional behavior and therefore that gives you the right to destroy the police chief’s home and property without any warning whatsoever! Put the fear of the people into these Gestapo thugs! Revolution Now! Independence Forever!
Salt Lake City Police Daprtment
Police Chief Chris Burbank
801-799-3000 ask for the police chief’s office
1054 West 300 South is an empty shell. Everything has been removed from the house. What hasn’t been thrown away can been seen sitting stacked on the carport. What cannot be seen is the invisible layer of chemical dust that has contaminated the house and everything in it.
SWAT officers fired ten “Triple Chaser” continuous discharge grenades into the house the morning of January 5.
They were executing a no-knock search warrant a judge had just given them. The warrant’s affidavit shows police believed Roberto Miramontes Roman was inside. He was their prime suspect in the shooting death of Millard County Sheriffs Deputy Josie Fox.
Police also believed Roman had an AK-47 and AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles.
“Everyone said there are large caliber rounds involved in this. They shoot right through homes, right through officers’ vests,” said Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank.
The chief vigorously defended SWAT officers’ actions on that day, saying his men and women owed it to themselves and to the public to take every precaution when they entered the house.
“It rose to the level that we said we’ve got to take some action and this is the appropriate action to take,” said the chief.
The chief adamantly pointed out the SWAT raid on the Miramontes’ home was not out of the ordinary and, in his opinion, was perfectly appropriate, considering the risk officers thought they were facing.
Roman was not in the house. Sheriff’s deputies found him in Beaver County the next day and arrested him in connection with the murder of Deputy Fox.
“They went inside and destroyed everything,” said Salvia Miramontes.
She and her family are now living in a hotel room near their neighborhood, thanks to donations from generous neighbors. Their house, off limits, now that the Salt Lake Valley Health Department has declared it unfit for occupancy.
“Everything has to be lost,” said Sylvia Miramontes. “Furniture, food, cloths, all kind of stuff they touched, that has been touched by the powder.”
The powder is substance known as C-S, a micro fine dry chemical that has the same effect as tear gas on anyone who breathes it.
“Usually what you’d need is the to five milligrams to get half the people out of the building in one minute,” said Michael Rowzee, a former U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Specialist and the owner of the company contracted to decontaminate 1054 West 300 South.
Rowzee has also trained SWAT officers in the use of chemicals weapons such as C-S and tear gas grenades. He told ABC 4 one or two canisters of C-S would have done the job.
“That would have been normal,” he said.
Evidence at the scene and police memos reveal the SWAT officers fired ten canisters into the house. According to the manufacturer’s specifications manual, that’s at least 32 times more C-S than Rowzee says they needed.
“Dumping ten in from the get-go? What’s the objective,” attorney Joseph Jardine said, as he responded to ABC 4’s questions on whether he thought police acted negligently.
“It seems to me it’s negligence, probably even recklessness.”
Jardine agreed with several attorneys interviewed by ABC 4 who said they think the city should pay the Miramontes family for the damage done.
“Whether it was just busting down a door or burning the house down - either extreme - the city would be responsible, regardless.” Jardine said.
Salt Lake’s Risk Management office will decide whether Miramontes family is compensated for their losses and expenses. That is, unless the family hires an attorney and sues the city in court.
Meanwhile, the family will depend on the generosity of friends and neighbors for shelter.
Please call and voice your outrage at this overt invasion and destruction of private property in the land of Liberty and Justice for All. Tell them that you suspect the Police Chief of illegal and unconstitutional behavior and therefore that gives you the right to destroy the police chief’s home and property without any warning whatsoever! Put the fear of the people into these Gestapo thugs! Revolution Now! Independence Forever!
Salt Lake City Police Daprtment
Police Chief Chris Burbank
801-799-3000 ask for the police chief’s office
