Louisville and beyond: Calls for reform on ‘no-knock’ police raids
Ryan Frederick wakes up to furious barking from his dogs and the booming sound of splintered wood, like a broken tree. It’s night; he doesn’t know what time. All he knows is that he lives in a rough neighborhood in Chesapeake, Virginia, and that his house was broken into just days ago.
Mr. Frederick gets up, and before stepping gently into the hall, grabs his handgun. He isn’t a great shot. He doesn’t even exactly know what his gun is called. But he keeps it for home defense, like his grandfather always told him to.
The booming continues as he turns toward his front door. It’s broken. From the light of a small lamp he can see bluejeans and a quicksilver jacket, someone halfway in and reaching for the deadbolt.
“I’m on adrenaline,” remembers Mr. Frederick, “not really thinking, just kind of reacting.”
He clicks the safety, and he fires.
Less than half an hour later, he lies face-down outside, handcuffed, and surrounded by squad cars.
“Do you know what you just did?” an officer asks.
The rise of no-knock raidsGuns in homesAn unstable situationAnguish in Louisville “I’d be in a totally different place”