Abuse of power in police killing of two dogs

National organizations have turned their focus on Columbia after the widespread circulation of a video showing a February raid of a southwest Columbia home.

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For more on the February SWAT raid, please visit our complete coverage page.

Video: Police video of the Feb. 11 SWAT raid

Online discussions have gained the attention of groups with political and social agendas against the “war on crime” and Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, policy. The video was released to the Tribune a week ago in response to a public records request.

Advocates with Students for a Sensible Drug Policy — a national organization with a University of Missouri chapter — have taken notice of the Feb. 11 raid of Jonathan Whitworth’s home, where a SWAT team found a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and shot two dogs, one fatally. Associate Director Jonathan Perri said the war on crime is a failure because of the violence associated with the illegal activity of distributing marijuana. The legalization of the drug would take the criminal aspect out its distribution, he said.

“By making it illegal, you are making it criminal,” Perri said. “If a local liquor store breaks a law, you are not going to see a SWAT team raid the place and kill a dog. … You still have the alcohol abuse but don’t have people killing each other over it.”

David Borden, the executive director of Americans for Swat Reform, said his organization’s philosophy is that SWAT teams should be used rarely. SWAT’s participation in the execution of search warrants, he believes, is an abuse of authority.

Video of raid and more info at Missouri Trib>>