...So They Killed Her...
ATLANTA — "A police official said narcotics officers were justified in returning fire on a 92-year-old woman they shot to death after she shot them as they tried to serve a warrant at her house.
Neighbors and relatives said it was a case of mistaken identity. But police said the woman, identified as Kathryn Johnston, was the only resident in the house at the time and had lived there for about 17 years.
Assistant Chief Alan Dreher said the officers had a legal warrant and "knocked and announced" before they forced open the door. He said they were justified in shooting once they were fired upon.
As the plainclothes Atlanta police officers approached the house about 7 p.m., a woman inside started shooting, striking each of them, said Officer Joe Cobb, a police spokesman.
One was hit in the arm, another in a thigh and the third in a shoulder. The officers were taken to a hospital for treatment, and all three were conscious and alert, police said."
It's what the story DOESN'T say that makes the most sense. Apparently this was a no-knock warrant that went bad, despite what the Assistant Chief said about the officers identifying themselves. But her home was so heavily barricaded the police had a difficult time gaining entry, and that's when the shooting began. For cops, this can be a lose-lose situation, especially if they hit the wrong house, or the occupant is armed. It's impossible to hang a percentage on the number of times law enforcement breaks into the wrong domicile, and CERTAIN departments are infamous for making sure there remain no witnesses to what went down after the door did. Still, I'm always willing to give the police the benefit of the doubt.
Even when they kill a 92 year-old woman for doing nothing more than defending her home. It's the system that needs fixing, and not the people who must somehow try to work through the inadequacies.
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