Shoot a DEA agent coming into your home? Go to Prison

[Benuty]

Information:

COLUMBIA, SC —

John Monk

An Orangeburg County man who shot and wounded a DEA agent during a surprise pre-dawn drug raid outside his home last fall was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.

Just before U.S. Judge Michelle Childs passed sentence on Joel Robinson, 33, the the Drug Enforcement Administration agent Robinson shot told the judge there was no excuse for Robinson’s shooting him and that he almost lost his life.

“Two inches higher, it would have been a head shot. Two inches lower, it could have gone under my (bulletproof) vest,” said Agent Barry Wilson, a 17-year law enforcement veteran.

Some nine months after Robinson shot him in the arm, breaking his elbow and forearm, Wilson has racked up $82,158 in medical bills, has nerve damage and might need another operation. The total is apparently covered by government medical

and disability insurance, but Robinson has been ordered to repay that amount to the insurer as restitution.

Robinson had no reason to shoot at the agents, who were wearing reflective vests marked police and yelling “Police!” when he dashed naked out the back door of his house shooting a .45-caliber handgun, Wilson said.

“Mr. Robinson didn’t ask who we were,” Wilson said. “He simply launched an assault.”

If Robinson truly believed he was the subject of a home invasion, he should have called 911, Wilson said.

One of Robinson’s lawyer, Jim Griffin, said his client had been using marijuana just before the shooting and his mind, “may very well have been clouded.”

Another of Robinson’s lawyer, Dick Harpootlian, said Robinson is not only sorry for shooting the agent but grateful the law officers surrounding his house didn’t gun him down after he shot Wilson. Only after shooting Wilson did Robinson realize the people outside his house were law officers and put his gun down, Harpootlian said.

“They had a perfect right to shoot him and they didn’t do that,” Harpootlian said. The lawyer termed the incident regrettable but excusable. “It was dark. He was scared. He has never shot anyone in his life.”

Robinson could have gotten 30 years to life if a jury had found him guilty. But in a deal, federal prosecutors agreed to drop most charges against Robinson, including manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs, if he would plead guilty to shooting Wilson. At Monday’s hearing, a prosecutor told the judge that evidence against Robinson now indicates he played “a limited role” in any drug scheme, just using his property to store illegal chemicals.

No drugs were found in Robinson’s house.

The formal charge to which Robinson pleaded guilty to is assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon while the officer is in the performance of his duties. Although Robinson contended he didn’t know Wilson was a law officer, it is still a crime to shoot a federal law officer who is performing his official duties.

Source: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crim ... 79143.html

Opinion:

Oh my state how you make me so proud to be here. Not sure If I should feel more sorry for the agent or the Lawyer, atleast one of them tried to do their jobs. Yet seriously call 911 when the DEA are raiding your home in militarized gear? Not sure how well that would go down considering it could have actually gotten people killed. Still I would have rather hoped they went to a trial considering the DEA didn't even find what they were looking for. As for the Lawyer why exactly are you using that kind of defense against the DEA? That in itself is an entirely different level of stupidity right there. So what say you oh unleavened, and leavened masses of NSG?

[The Romulan Republic]

If its true that the cops announced they were police and if they had a warrant, then the shooter had no justification. None. Hell, even if the above weren't true, he's a dumb ass if he shot at someone without knowing who they were.

No sympathy here. He's lucky to be alive, he's even luckier to ever be getting out of prison, and if you feel he was justified in shooting any DEA agent who was lawfully on his property, then you're an insurrectionist and arguably advocating terrorism.

[Benuty]

If its true that the cops announced they were police and if they had a warrant, then the shooter had no justification. None. Hell, even if the above weren't true, he's a dumb ass if he shot at someone without knowing who they were.

No sympathy here. He's lucky to be alive, he's even luckier to ever be getting out of prison, and if you feel he was justified in shooting any DEA agent who was lawfully on his property, then you're an insurrectionist and arguably advocating terrorism.

The problem with a pre dawn surprise raid is that not only is it dark the agents involved do not have to announce the warrant. Instead they burst into the home from two different directions, and the resident open fired on one of them as a knee jerk.

This isn't the first time crap like this has happened with the DEA.

[Vistulange]

Aside from the numerous implications that the man who shot the DEA agents was not entirely there, as in, had taken marijuana, I just don't think it's right. You do not shoot at a target you cannot identify as a hostile. It's quite that simple, no? If they are government agents, you don't shoot them. What is this, the 18th century? I mean, that's the only justification I can think of for shooting a government agent.

But...charging him for possession of drugs when there were no drugs? That's completely and horribly wrong. It's the one way the government has managed to screw this up. Congratulations. You could have charged the man with anything but that.

[MERIZoC]

Fuck the DEA, and their bullshit raids. This is on them, not Robinson.

[Ifreann]

The real scandal here is that DEA agents are being issued vests that stop 4 inches below their heads. Is that even a vest? Sounds more like a bulletproof scarf.

[New Hellenica]

If its true that the cops announced they were police and if they had a warrant, then the shooter had no justification. None. Hell, even if the above weren't true, he's a dumb ass if he shot at someone without knowing who they were.

No sympathy here. He's lucky to be alive, he's even luckier to ever be getting out of prison, and if you feel he was justified in shooting any DEA agent who was lawfully on his property, then you're an insurrectionist and arguably advocating terrorism.

I second this.

[MERIZoC]

Robinson could have gotten 30 years to life if a jury had found him guilty. But in a deal, federal prosecutors agreed to drop most charges against Robinson, including manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs, if he would plead guilty to shooting Wilson. At Monday’s hearing, a prosecutor told the judge that evidence against Robinson now indicates he played “a limited role” in any drug scheme, just using his property to store illegal chemicals.

Bullshit scare tactics like this are disgusting and cowardly. The conduct on the part of the government throughout this has been unacceptable.

[Imperializt Russia]

I'm intrigued by what positioning in the body a shot could be a "head shot" if two inches higher and "under" a bulletproof vest if two inches lower.
Is the agent only two feet tall? Or has the article misquoted "foot" as "inch"?

If its true that the cops announced they were police and if they had a warrant, then the shooter had no justification. None. Hell, even if the above weren't true, he's a dumb ass if he shot at someone without knowing who they were.

No sympathy here. He's lucky to be alive, he's even luckier to ever be getting out of prison, and if you feel he was justified in shooting any DEA agent who was lawfully on his property, then you're an insurrectionist and arguably advocating terrorism.

Half the point of dawn raids is that people being raided aren't thinking straight.
Getting shot at, regardless of reason, is a direct consequence of that confusion.

[The Serbian Empire]

If its true that the cops announced they were police and if they had a warrant, then the shooter had no justification. None. Hell, even if the above weren't true, he's a dumb ass if he shot at someone without knowing who they were.

No sympathy here. He's lucky to be alive, he's even luckier to ever be getting out of prison, and if you feel he was justified in shooting any DEA agent who was lawfully on his property, then you're an insurrectionist and arguably advocating terrorism.

The problem with a pre dawn surprise raid is that not only is it dark the agents involved do not have to announce the warrant. Instead they burst into the home from two different directions, and the resident open fired on one of them as a knee jerk.

This isn't the first time crap like this has happened with the DEA.

The DEA should expect regular deaths as long as they do pre-dawn no-knock warrants.

[MERIZoC]

The real scandal here is that DEA agents are being issued vests that stop 4 inches below their heads. Is that even a vest? Sounds more like a bulletproof scarf.

I wondered that too. Maybe "under my vest" meant it would have pierced through at that level?

[New Hellenica]

Fuck the DEA, and their bullshit raids. This is on them, not Robinson.

But then again, this is coming from you. An anarchist.

[The Serbian Empire]

The real scandal here is that DEA agents are being issued vests that stop 4 inches below their heads. Is that even a vest? Sounds more like a bulletproof scarf.

More like the vest's bullet proof area goes from 4 inches below the head and downwards.

[Imperializt Russia]

The real scandal here is that DEA agents are being issued vests that stop 4 inches below their heads. Is that even a vest? Sounds more like a bulletproof scarf.

I wondered that too. Maybe "under my vest" meant it would have pierced through at that level?

Sounds like a shitty not-for-purpose vest if it can't protect against a .45 to the torso.

[MERIZoC]

Fuck the DEA, and their bullshit raids. This is on them, not Robinson.

But then again, this is coming from you. An anarchist.

Yes. That is correct.



Want a sticker or something?

[The Serbian Empire]

Aside from the numerous implications that the man who shot the DEA agents was not entirely there, as in, had taken marijuana, I just don't think it's right. You do not shoot at a target you cannot identify as a hostile. It's quite that simple, no? If they are government agents, you don't shoot them. What is this, the 18th century? I mean, that's the only justification I can think of for shooting a government agent.

But...charging him for possession of drugs when there were no drugs? That's completely and horribly wrong. It's the one way the government has managed to screwed this up. Congratulations. You could have charged the man with anything but that.

Anyone who barges in with guns before sunrise is definitely hostile.

[MERIZoC]

I wondered that too. Maybe "under my vest" meant it would have pierced through at that level?

Sounds like a shitty not-for-purpose vest if it can't protect against a .45 to the torso.

That it does. You mentioned that they may have misquoted "foot" as "inch", but then we run into the problem of this officer somehow having a 4-foot-tall torso, which seems unlikely.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Fuck the DEA, and their bullshit raids. This is on them, not Robinson.

Truth ^

It's bad when I agree with Merizoc

[Imperializt Russia]

Sounds like a shitty not-for-purpose vest if it can't protect against a .45 to the torso.

That it does. You mentioned that they may have misquoted "foot" as "inch", but then we run into the problem of this officer somehow having a 4-foot-tall torso, which seems unlikely.

More likely than four inches, to be fair.
Maybe he's six foot and plenty of change.

After all, if we're looking at a four foot range, that probably takes us between the middle of the face, and the waist - a likely lethal "head shot", and a shot that may strike beneath the protection offered by a bulletproof vest. This suggests that he was shot in roughly the middle of his vest.

Just re-read the OP, he was struck in the arm in such a manner that it broke his elbow and forearm. This is congruent with holding a rifle or possibly a handgun outstretched, and would be somewhere in the torso region and account for "under my vest". A handgun outstretched would lend more credence to being shot in the face if two inches higher, in which case a shot two inches lower may have gone into his side, not usually protected by bulletproof vests.

[Pan Asian Amercian Coalition]

Robinson could have gotten 30 years to life if a jury had found him guilty. But in a deal, federal prosecutors agreed to drop most charges against Robinson, including manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs, if he would plead guilty to shooting Wilson. At Monday’s hearing, a prosecutor told the judge that evidence against Robinson now indicates he played “a limited role” in any drug scheme, just using his property to store illegal chemicals.

Bullshit scare tactics like this are disgusting and cowardly. The conduct on the part of the government throughout this has been unacceptable.

^
These sort of raids are the reason people get shot.

[Galloism]

That it does. You mentioned that they may have misquoted "foot" as "inch", but then we run into the problem of this officer somehow having a 4-foot-tall torso, which seems unlikely.

More likely than four inches, to be fair.
Maybe he's six foot and plenty of change.

After all, if we're looking at a four foot range, that probably takes us between the middle of the face, and the waist - a likely lethal "head shot", and a shot that may strike beneath the protection offered by a bulletproof vest. This suggests that he was shot in roughly the middle of his vest.

I now have this mental image of two DEA agents standing next to each other in full raid gear:

The one on the left is 8 feet tall, and the one on the right is 8 inches tall. The guns are size appropriate.

Thought I'd share.

[Imperializt Russia]

More likely than four inches, to be fair.
Maybe he's six foot and plenty of change.

After all, if we're looking at a four foot range, that probably takes us between the middle of the face, and the waist - a likely lethal "head shot", and a shot that may strike beneath the protection offered by a bulletproof vest. This suggests that he was shot in roughly the middle of his vest.

I now have this mental image of two DEA agents standing next to each other in full raid gear:

The one on the left is 8 feet tall, and the one on the right is 8 inches tall. The guns are size appropriate.

Thought I'd share.

Nope, all you've done is put a ten-inch pianist in my head.

[MERIZoC]

More likely than four inches, to be fair.
Maybe he's six foot and plenty of change.

After all, if we're looking at a four foot range, that probably takes us between the middle of the face, and the waist - a likely lethal "head shot", and a shot that may strike beneath the protection offered by a bulletproof vest. This suggests that he was shot in roughly the middle of his vest.

I now have this mental image of two DEA agents standing next to each other in full raid gear:

The one on the left is 8 feet tall, and the one on the right is 8 inches tall. The guns are size appropriate.

Thought I'd share.

8-inch agent might actually make a fantastic operative.

[Oil exporting People]

If its true that the cops announced they were police and if they had a warrant, then the shooter had no justification. None. Hell, even if the above weren't true, he's a dumb ass if he shot at someone without knowing who they were.

No sympathy here. He's lucky to be alive, he's even luckier to ever be getting out of prison, and if you feel he was justified in shooting any DEA agent who was lawfully on his property, then you're an insurrectionist and arguably advocating terrorism.

Basically this.

[Meryuma]

and arguably advocating terrorism.

Shooting at an armed guy who breaks into your house in the middle of the night while you're in bed with no clothes on isn't terrorism.