We got wrong man: chief

[The Straight Story]

We got wrong man: chief

Hamilton's police chief admits they got the wrong apartment and the wrong man when officers burst into the home of an unsuspecting refugee from Myanmar who was left terrified and bloodied.

Heavily armed officers were looking for an alleged cocaine dealer who lives in a different unit in the same apartment building as 58-year-old Po La Hay and his two adult children.

Hay was home around 9 p.m. Tuesday readying things for work the next day at a garden centre when he claims police broke down his door and aimed guns at his head.

"I didn't even have a chance to say any words," he said through interpreter Lerwah Lobo.

Terrified, Hay collapsed to the ground. Officers handcuffed him and asked if he was the man listed on their warrant, he said. When he said, "No, my name is Po La," Hay claims officers smashed his face on the floor and began kicking him. He was scared to move, believing they might be robbers despite the uniforms.

http://www.thespec.com/article/764809

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Gee, and no Paulsby here to defend this...

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Well, ya can't break omelettes

without makin eggs--no, wait…

I mean, that guy doesn't seem to understand that the cops are there to protect his freedom. The damned ingrate.

[Webster Green]

3. Brave drug warriors again?

Time to legalize drugs and stop this insanity.

[The Doctor.]

4. Their intelligence said the suspect bleeds Skittles™,

They were just trying to verify his identity... that's all.

[Stuart G]

5. How nice of the police to

treat the man in such a dignified way.. :sarcasm:

[safeinOhio]

6. Thank God for lawyers.

Support the Seventh Amendment and get rid of unconstitutional laws that give individual police people immunity against our Constitutional Rights to sue in civil courts. Why should any cop give a shit about your rights if he can't be sued in court?

[customerserviceguy]

7. Had to look at the story to identify the place

I'm surprised, this is Canada.

[Stuart G]

8. Here is what the police said at an earlier date to refugees:

"When we came to Canada, the first people we met were the police and they said you are safe,"

taken from linked article...

[MrScorpio]

9. I hope that he gets a good lawyer and takes the city to the cleaners

Maybe after that, the cops can figure out what a correct address is.

[4lbs]

10. We had something similiar happen here in San Diego a few weeks ago to a black woman.

It was a case of mistaken identity. The woman spent 4 days in jail.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/13/la-mesa-woman-identity-mixup-case-recounts-days-ja/


Why is it that when the police screw up like this, they always have trouble issuing a public apology for being wrong?