Shooter in Fairbanks drug raid sentenced to prison
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As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Dontaveon Ervin Green, 28, pleaded guilty last month to consolidated felony counts of drugs misconduct and assault, and an additional felony count of weapons misconduct. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped several other felony charges, including attempted murder.
Another 3 1/2 years of Green’s sentence, as well as a $5,000 fine, was suspended by Superior Court Judge Robert Downes, who approved the agreement.
The Alaska Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement had been watching Green’s 23rd Avenue home for months before they conducted a raid a little before 11 p.m. Dec. 12.
fter obtaining a no-knock search warrant, five members of the department’s tactical team entered the home.
When the first member of the team, a detective with the department, walked in, Green fired one .40 caliber round, which struck a wall at eye level.
Officers returned fire, and Green fled to the back of the apartment. He was then taken into custody without further incident.
Before the raid, an informant told investigators that Green sold Ecstasy and cocaine. Green would sell people up to an ounce of cocaine at a time but “could get any amount,” according to court records.
On one night, investigators witnessed 35 suspected drug buyers at Green’s home.
Police obtained the no-knock warrant based on information that Green had several guns in the home. He reportedly bragged about having a machine gun, but police only found two handguns, cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia when they searched the home.
Court filings indicate that if Green had gone to trial, his attorney was going to argue that he acted in self-defense.
Green has been charged with a handful of assaults, drugs and weapon offenses dating back to 2002, according to court records.
One guy bought a car of the same type as the local PD, and stuck some red and blue lights inside to make it look like an undercover cop car. He successfully pulled over people and "arrested" them.
In another one, a guy got a realistic-looking fireman Halloween costume and used it gain access to the houses and apartments of women living alone so he could rape them. He'd sometimes even start a small fire in another part of the building, so the tenant would smell smoke. Then he'd knock on the door and ask to come in "to check for the source of the fire." He was successful in multiple cases.
My point is, just because it hasn't happened up here yet doesn't mean it doesn't happened. I know I have nothing to hide, but if someone kicked down my door in the middle of the night, whether they yelled "Police!" as they did it or not, I'd probably be grabbing for my .45.
There's a reason why the police are supposed to wear uniforms (don't know if they were in this situation or not), and are supposed to identify themselves BEFORE they kick down someone's door.
And that the adrenalin stress of someone breaking down your door at 11pm might cause a reasonable householder to fear harm, and not necessarily register [or believe] the person yelling on the other side?
And you are aware that police [AST Drug Squad] have caused [and admitted causing] serious harm to innocent householders by such action?
We aren't supposed to try to defend ourselves? Just lay down and allow anyone who claims they are LEOs to break into our homes and assault or rob us? This is "public safety"? Law enforcement in a free, civil society?
Many/most people who use prescription drugs recreationally [or because they've become addicted] get the majority of their supply illegally - on the black market - and pay incredibly inflated prices for them, also.
So I put all illegal drug use in the same 'bag' pretty much.
There's an on-going argument as to whether "use-pattern"/user-behavior changes when the drug of preference is legalized. Figures from places where heroin/methadone are available without criminal repercussions seems to indicate that significantly more addicts seek treatment, than in places where it is illegal. I don't know if similiar studies exist for other drugs.
What can be expected *for the rest of society* from the legalization of 'recreational substances', is a very significant drop in the crime rate, both violent crime, and property crime. Because legalization will make it so that it's possible for a person to purchase their drugs without recourse to theft, prostitution, trafficing, etc. It will make it unprofitable to be a dealer, or run a 'party house' that victimizes it's customers and puts the neighbors at risk, or get 10-13yo children addicted so they can be run as prostitutes. Legalization will take the money, and the MOTIVE out of the whole illegal drug trafficing culture, and that will end the majority of the violence also associated with it.
Then, THEN we need to start dealing with the drug-user/addict problem in a sane way, find some way to *honestly* educate/prevent people from starting, help people trying to quit, motivate users to get straight, or at least stay functional.
The simple fact is that the criminalization/prohibition of drugs has not decreased drug use. BUT it has *radically* increased the profits of criminal endeavors, the number of criminals, the violence and associated crime, AND the *appeal* drug involvement, and corruption associated with it [both a result of the $$$$s involved].
No Knock Warrants are asking to get someone shot and a home owner should not be held responsible for shooting anyone kicking their door in.
Answer: it doesn't.
you're the missing LINK to investigating journalism.
you're the missing ling to investigating journalism.
If not for the prohibition on a select few drugs, or on the use of drugs for 'recreation', this man would not have been selling them, because there would have been no outrageous profits to be made. The 'war on drugs' creats a black market; black markets = huge profits, and huge profits bring both the motive and the means to engage in violence. LE's efforts to control the black market that's been created, clashing with profit motives driving the market, are guarenteed to create a spiraling esculation of violence.
Just remember, this man would have had no business for his high-priced 'goods', if his customers could go to the liquor or drugstore and get a clean, reasonably priced product. There would have been no need for the long LE man-hours expended on a stake-out, and no need for the violence and risks.
I'd point out that this HAS happened to perfectly innocent individuals - by LEOs, as well as by criminals - [and the drug unit acknowledged their mistake in at least 1 case, and settled out of court for the injury and trauma they caused when a number of them violently threw the woman to the floor and sat on her.]
This guy either wasn't "shooting to kill", [or he was to full of adrenalin to aim straight], and he didn't hit anyone/cause any injury.
The DA bargained this one, because the guy had a pretty valid defense for the gunshot [especially with violent home-invasions becoming more common], and very well could have walked completely free on that charge. The LEOs put themselves in the position where a reasonable homeowner might shoot in self-defense, with their "no-knock" warrent.
This kind of violence is a perfectly predictable consequence of the ridiculous and futile 'war on drugs' and the accelerating violence it has created [by LEOs, by dealers, AND by ordinary people living in an increasing climate of fear].
was he represented by a hired gun or public defender?
That first office whom was shot could have been your mom or dad. Or your wife, daughter, son or husband.
If someone shot at you - would you feel justice was served when they get 3.5 years? Nope - not me.
The DA was worried about a self defense claim and buckled under. Mr DA - I am so sorry you have no confidence in us, the citizens, and jurists. Last I knew, posession of a firearm during the comission of a crime is also against the law..... not a 2nd Ammendment right.
You put scrout like this in front of us - we will do the right thing. If enough criminals see their buddies getting 15 to 30 year sentences for shooting at cops they will take it serious - and not act like it was a video game.
I might feel differently if Americans weren't bombarded drug ads 24/7/365. We're too much of a drug-oriented society to put people in prison for using drugs. We train people from birth to use substances to solve their problems, then send them to prison for using substances to solve their problems. There's a LOT of profit for a LOT of people in that system though, so I guess it's not all bad, eh? Who cares if it's completely ineffective?
I hope the next time his aim isn't a little better and someone is either injured or killed. And, there will be a next time with this type.