SWAT team throws flashbangs, raids wrong home due to open WiFi network

[Are_grits_groceries]

The long-standing, heavily documented militarization of even small-town American police forces was always going to create problems when it met anonymous Internet threats. And so it has, again—this time in Evansville, Indiana, where officers acted on some Topix postings threatening violence against local police. They then sent an entire SWAT unit to execute a search warrant on a local house, one in which the front door was open and an 18-year old woman sat inside watching TV.

The cops brought along TV cameras, inviting a local reporter to film the glorious operation. In the resulting video, you can watch the SWAT team, decked out in black bulletproof vests and helmets and carrying window and door smashers, creep slowly up to the house. At some point, they apparently "knock" and announce their presence—though not with the goal of getting anyone to come to the door. As the local police chief admitted later to the Evansville Courier & Press, the process is really just “designed to distract." (SWAT does not need to wait for a response.)

Officers break the screen door and a window, tossing a flashbang into the house—which you can see explode in the video. A second flashbang gets tossed in for good measure a moment later. SWAT enters the house. On the news that night, the reporter ends his piece by talking about how this is "an investigation that hits home for many of these brave officers."

But the family in the home was released without any charges as police realized their mistake. Turns out the home had an open WiFi router, and the threats had been made by someone outside the house. Whoops.

So the cops did some more investigation and decided that the threats had come from a house on the same street. This time, apparently recognizing they had gone a little nuts on the first raid, the police department didn't send a SWAT team at all. Despite believing that they now had the right location and that a threat-making bomber lurked within, they just sent officers up to the door.
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http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/06/swat-team-throws-flashbangs-raids-wrong-home-due-to-open-wifi-network/

Idiots! With more surveillance and investigation BEFORE the raid, this could have been avoided.

The article also points out that the open router problem has come up in some child porn cases. That's scary. Once you get tagged with that charge, it can stick for a long time. A retraction or admission of a mistake doesn't get nearly enough attention.

[freshwest]

1. Yep. There are several reasons to avoid WiFi, so I do.

[Travis_0004]

2. Wifi isn't bad, just secure it.

Yes it can be broken, but the range is so limited, I doubt its much of a risk. Plus, you don't have to broadcast the SSID, which makes it more secure.

The bigger problem is sending in a swat team when it isn't needed.

[HillWilliam]

3. +1

I live way out in the sticks, up a dead-end dirt road. My WiFi barely covers much of my yard so it's a million-to-zilch chance anyone could wardrive it. Still, I secure it and turn off SSID broadcast. It's just decent sanitation.

It boils down to "RTFM" -- Read The Fu-, er, Fine Manual. If you're going to use a piece of technology, at least learn how to take care of it. There isn't that much to know to set one up properly: Tab A into Slot B kind of thing.

And welcome to DU!

[woo me with science]

6. Problems with that right now...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10952721

[MadHound]

4. Sad part is how many people not only accept this kind of BS,

But actually support the police actions(from original link).

"Not that all Evansville residents think the SWAT raid was in any way improper. Writing on the same Topix message boards where the initial threats emanated, one resident responded to critics: "They had a warrant. Sometimes warrants turn up nothing. Her home was repaired. On with your life now crusader!!! Lol"

"Noodle heads come on here thinking they are just big bad asses, threatening cops and their families," wrote another, "then the cops come back and bitch slap them with SWAT teams and flash bang grenades. Awesome. Teach these fools a lesson and make examples out of them."

[Art_from_Ark]

5. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

Words cannot describe my disdain for @$%@ peckerwoods who think that busting in on some innocent person's house like this is in any way, shape or form "awesome"

[woo me with science]

7. Thank you. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. There's an argument to be made that having an open router is a proactive legal defense.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/08/open-wifi-and-copyright-liability-setting-record