The Supreme Court made the right call about the wrong house
The Chicago Police Department's motto is: 'We serve and protect.' Philadelphia's is: 'Honor. Integrity. Service.' Dallas's is: 'One city, one team.' Atlanta's FBI office motto might be: 'Oops!'
Last week, the Supreme Court unanimously held that the victims of a bungled predawn raid can sue members of the six-member SWAT team that was looking for drug dealers. With guns drawn, the agents used a battering ram to smash the front door of, and threw a stun grenade into, the wrong house.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Texas woman, 81, awarded $60K after 5-year fight against ‘sovereign immunity' — what it could mean for others
A federal judge has ordered the city of McKinney to pay almost $60,000 plus interest to 81-year-old Vicki Baker. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Why the big payday? Baker's home was torn apart by a SWAT team during a 2020 police standoff. Baker took the city to court after her house became the battleground for a high-stakes manhunt, reported WFAA. McKinney police unleashed tear gas, explosives, and tactical vehicles on the property while chasing a fugitive who had barricaded himself inside. Insurance plans do not cover 'acts of the government' and the city refused to pay for the damage, so Vicki joined forces with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to file a lawsuit in March 2021. 'I've just learned that my battle with the city of McKinney is coming to an end,' Baker said in a statement on June 5. 'Judge Mazzant has, once again, ruled that I am due just compensation under the Texas Constitution.' According to the WFAA report, it all started on July 25, 2020, when Wesley Little, a man Baker had hired for repairs, broke into her home and held a teenager hostage. Baker was in Montana, but her daughter, who was living at the property, escaped and called 911. After Little released the teen but refused to surrender, a SWAT team fired roughly 30 tear gas canisters shattering windows, smashed doors, and tore down a fence with an armored vehicle. Once inside they found Little had died by suicide. The incident left more than $50,000 in damage to the house, according to Baker, with her insurance covering only the destruction caused by Little, not the police's tactical incursion. The city of McKinney initially refused to pay, citing sovereign immunity, a legal shield that often protects cities from liability unless waived or overturned by a judge. Baker, a cancer survivor who had recently invested $25,000 to ready her home for sale, didn't back down. 'It was more devastating because of everything that was happening to me at the time,' she said. 'I felt like this was a case that would help not just me, but a lot of people. That's why I wanted to fight.' With legal help from the Institute for Justice, Baker argued that the government's destruction amounted to an uncompensated taking of her property under both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. 'It took five years, but Vicki is finally going to be made whole,' said Jeffrey Redfern, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. 'She's fortunate that Texas has strong protections for private property rights, but people in much of the rest of the country aren't so lucky.' Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it There were many setbacks, including losing at the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear the case, but a favorable ruling grounded in the Texas Constitution was ultimately handed down by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant this month. WFAA has covered similar cases in Texas since 2020, highlighting the ongoing legal battle over police damage during raids, with cities repeatedly invoking sovereign immunity. Michael Lamson, a Houston trial lawyer, said to WFAA, "If you're taking their property and you're not paying them for it, you're doing a very good job as a government." Redfern reportedly pointed in court to a 1980 Texas Supreme Court ruling in Steele v. City of Houston, where the city was held liable after police allowed a home to burn following tear gas explosions, as a crucial precedent. McKinney officials stated they are 'evaluating options for appealing' the ruling. As for Baker, now living in Montana, she says the city's legal fees ended up being more than what it owed her. 'They have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees,' she said. 'And they could have gotten off with paying me $60,000.' In Texas and other states, sovereign immunity protects state agencies, counties, and cities. Sovereign immunity is meant to shield public agencies from endless lawsuits that could drain taxpayer dollars and gum up government operations. Unfortunately, this means when a homeowner sues a city for damage caused during police raids or other government actions, city governments can pull out the sovereign immunity card. The may ways this can hurt homeowners include: Limited legal recourse: Most can't sue cities for property damage unless there's a rare exception. Financial strain: Repairs from police or government damage can run tens of thousands of dollars. Legal fights: Challenging sovereign immunity is complex and expensive, and can be lengthy. Unfair burden: Citizens pay the price, while cities walk away free and clear. The Institute for Justice is taking on similar cases in California, Indiana and North Carolina awaits a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Martin v. United States, involving an FBI SWAT raid that damaged another family's home. For now, Baker's victory could become a powerful blueprint for others fighting back against government damage. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Deadly lawmaker ambush in Minnesota raises fears about fake police officers knocking on doors
Vance Boelter left the state of Minnesota in fear after he allegedly posed as a police officer and carried out the shootings of two state lawmakers, killing one and her husband, at their homes last week. But what can you do to verify that the person who knocks on your door or pulls you over while you're in your vehicle is a law enforcement officer? Mark Bruley, chief of police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where Boelter allegedly shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, told reporters at a press conference earlier this week that there's one thing you can do that's "never wrong." "You always can call 911 and verify if the person at your door is a police officer," Bruley said. "If they are working police officer, they will be connected to a dispatch center that can validate that. So the first thing I would do is, if you're concerned about it, is call 911. Obviously, there's a lot of different uniforms, and it's never wrong to do that." Police officers typically wear a visible badge with their identification number and name on their uniform. They often also carry agency-issued photo identification that can include their name, rank and agency information. Fox News Digital spoke with Brian Higgins, founder of Group 77 and former Chief of Police of Bergen County, N.J., to learn more about what citizens can do in cases where they feel the need to verify that who they're speaking to is a law enforcement officer. Higgins said that most verification measures, such as requesting the officer's photo identification, require the citizen to open the door, at which point it would be too late if the individual is an impersonator. "If you're not sure, don't open the door," Higgins said, adding that citizens can stand to the side of their door and speak to officers through the door while calling 911 or the local police department to confirm that an officer was sent to their home. Higgins said that knowing what police uniforms look like and, if you live in a town with a smaller police force, being familiar with its members helps with verifying. "If you see an officer not in uniform, not someone you recognize," Higgins said, "it's prudent to call police and ask if this person is a police officer." Not all situations, however, are the same. "It's more difficult when on the road and a police officer pulls you over," Higgins said of verification during traffic stops. In these situations, Higgins said it's important to know what law enforcement vehicles look like, adding that sometimes real law enforcement cars can be unmarked. Higgins said officers usually call in traffic violations to dispatch, so drivers can still call 911 or the local police to verify that an officer performing their duties initiated the stop. Higgins advised citizens to always be aware of their surroundings and to pull over in public places, if possible. If unable to immediately pull over in a public place, Higgins said drivers can lower their window just enough, keep their car in drive and ask the officer if it's possible to drive to another place that is safer or more public. Higgins said that police officers understand that citizens may be uncertain or nervous and ask for verification. "If their answer is anything other than professional, it should raise a concern," Higgins said. That is, if the citizen didn't do anything obviously illegal like run a red light, he added as a caveat. In the case in Minnesota, Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer, wearing a flesh-colored mask, a black tactical vest and carrying a flashlight before shooting and killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their respective homes. Boelter also drove a black SUV equipped with police-style lights and a fake license plate that said "POLICE," according to a court affidavit. Video footage from Hoffman's home shows a masked Boelter at the front door wearing the black tactical vest and holding a flashlight, according to the affidavit. Boelter then allegedly knocked on their door and shouted repeatedly, "This is the police. Open the door." The Hoffmans answered the door but, since Boelter was shining the flashlight in their eyes, realized too late that Boelter was not a real police officer, the affidavit said.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
KZN police kill man tied to 20 murders, five other suspects in three shootouts
Six suspects have been fatally shot in three separate police shootouts in Inanda and Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal, over the past two days. The suspects were linked to serious crimes including multiple murders and armed robberies. One of the deceased was wanted in connection with nearly 20 murders. Six suspects have been killed in three separate shootouts with KwZulu-Natal police in Inanda and Umzinto over the past two days, SAPS has said. On Thursday night, a murder suspect linked to a series of violent crimes was fatally wounded during a shootout with police in Umzinto. Provincial Crime Intelligence, together with the Metro Police Trio Crimes Unit and SAPS Durban North, tracked the suspect to a property on Malibu Drive, where they attempted to execute a warrant of arrest, police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said. When officers surrounded the house, the 27-year-old allegedly opened fire. Police returned fire and killed the man, who was found in possession of an unlicenced firearm. READ | Girl, 14, among four killed in KZN shooting, manhunt launched for two gunmen He was reportedly linked to at least 17 cases and nearly 20 murders. In a second incident, Netshiunda said police had acted on intelligence and tracked down another suspect wanted for murder, three counts of attempted murder, and business robbery. The man was cornered along the Etafuleni main road, where he allegedly opened fire on the officers. 'A shootout ensued,' said Netshiunda. 'He was found in possession of a firearm.' In a third operation, police pursued suspects believed to be involved in murders, attempted murders, and house robberies in Inanda. Officers raided cottages on Dr Langalibalele Road, where the suspects reportedly opened fire on police. Officers returned fire, killing four people. 'Three firearms, whose serial numbers were filed off, were found in the possession of the suspects,' said Netshiunda. According to police sources, one of the suspects had also allegedly killed a man during a business robbery near Dube Village earlier that same day. No police officers were injured in any of the incidents.
