Dichotomy makes a good point. Police should have at least one marked car outside so the resident can verify who they are.

I am not answering my door at that time of night. I don't care who they say they are. If they holler police, I will call 911. If they break in my door, they are going bye bye for good.

I seriously don't think I would be answering my door for anyone at that time of the morning. As for the comment about people putting lights in the grill of their vehicles and pulling over people..I think they should be illegal. However, if you are pulled over by someone doing that it's best to get a tag number and call it in. They are not to be used to impersonate law enforcement.

Probably looking for money "owed" to them.
Money they are not claiming on their tax returns while staying with the baby mama in the government proviided abode.

First of all, it is already policy for AT LEAST one marked unit (vehicle) to be the first car to pull into the driveway, and at least one uniformed deputy approaches the front door. The vast majority of times, there are many more than one uniformed deputies or officers involved in search warrants (Usually 10 or more). Narcotics investigators are usually the only ones on a search warrant that are wearing plain clothes, and they usually don't lead, going into the house. Thats uniformed deputies. They might go with the uniformed deputies because you want to get in the house as quickly as possible, but they won't lead.

I've been a deputy for 15 years and have participated in hundreds of search warrants. In my 15 years, I've never participated in one where we hit the wrong house or apartment. I know, I know, it has happened before with departments, but with all the requirements needed to get a no knock search warrant today, it's EXTREMELY RARE.

No knock search warrants have many requirements that must be met. You must have a VERY detailed description of the residence, to include windows, window shades, lights normally on, mailboxes, color of residence, color of shades and blinds, and numbers posted on the residence, a detail description of the interior of the residence, to include locations of all bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, living room, which is usually obtained from the confidential informant. The magistrate will most times want to see a written detailed layout of the residence and the plan of entry. Which will also be gone over before executing the search warrant. Then for a no knock warrant, you must prove the existence of weapons or firearms, which is usually through the informant and their observations while inside the residence.

It isn't like most of you see on TV. A no knock search warrant requires weeks of investigations. Including but not limited to, personal surveillance of the residence which is usually for MANY hours or days, video surveillance of the residence, numerous informant buys from the residence (NEVER just one purchase). Documentation of all vehicles known to be driven by residents of the house, documentation of all vehicles coming from and going to the house while you're doing surveillance.

The point is that there is so much goes into a narcotics no knock warrant or any no knock warrant, that it's very difficult to get it wrong. We deputies can not help the fact there are gang bangers out here mimmicking law enforcement in their criminal behaviors. I won't comment about this particular person since I don't know him, but most of the situation I've seen where people have done this, it has been gang bangers robbing other drug dealers. Because they have knowledge the person keeps large sums of cash or drugs within the house. Drug dealers robbing drug dealers goes on all the time.

Now, it is difficult to best tell a person how to deal with such a situation. I'm a firm believer in defending ones self and home with force if needed. I also don't want to get shot the next time we are doing a search warrant. Normally when criminals are planning to do a home invasion (these are planned), it involves numerous members just as this one did. You might shoot one of them and scare the rest of them off, but then you might get outgunned after shooting one and lose your life in return. It's very difficult, as each situation is different. But one of the best ways to help yourself is to dial 911 as soon as you can, put the phone down while still on. The dispatcher will be able to hear whats going on and hopefully the invaders won't know the phone is connected to 911. Dispatchers will know whether they have units in that area preforming a search warrant. They will be able to hear whats going on and relay that to responding deputies. Hopefully, while responding, the offenders won't realize whats happening. It's not full proof by any means, but its a pretty good idea and better than taking on a gang of armed criminals.

Besides that, don't sell drugs or hang around those who do, and the chances of it happening to you are slim at best.

I read the above comments thoughtfully. I imagined such an event happening, i.e., officers breaking into a home with a "no-knock" warrant and the home unfortunately being the wrong home. Some of the commenters said they would shoot the intruders as quickly as they could.

If the intruders were burglars (also known as home invaders), you might have a good chance of surviving. But if they were law enforcement, they would have Kevlar on and you would not stand a chance.

... but this time you're wrong. Ask any officer the chances of his vest stopping 7.62 NATO round, or even 7.62 x 39 from an AK-style weapon.* And NOTHING currently issued will resist a 12-gauge close range head shot with OO buckshot.

* About the same as my chances for sainthood.

I'm watching ABC News tonight with Dianne Sawyer and it's being reported false calls are causing raids on homes across the nation. This is a real problem.