There is no knock on the door, just the sound of a SWAT team smashing through it. Times reporter Kevin Sack talks about his year-long investigation into a controversial police tactic. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2nAHfHi.
Duration
19m
Broadcast on
20 Mar 2017
Audio Format
other
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There is no knock on the door, just the sound of a SWAT team smashing through it. Times reporter Kevin Sack talks about his year-long investigation into a controversial police tactic. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2nAHfHi.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
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Brought to you by the Capital One Saver Card. With Saver, you are an unlimited 3% cashback on dining, entertainment, and at grocery stores. That's unlimited cashback on ordering takeout from home. Or unlimited cashback on tickets to concerts and games. So grab a bite, grab a seat, and earn unlimited 3% cashback with the Saver Card. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com for details. From The New York Times, I'm Michael Varbarro. This is The Daily. Today, there's no knock on the door. Just the sound of the SWAT team smashing through it. And it's happening all over the country. A year-long investigation by the Times reveals a police tactic that has led to dozens of avoidable deaths, gruesome injuries, and costly legal settlements. It's Monday, March 20th. Kevin, can you tell me the story of Hank McGee? Hank McGee is a 28-year-old who lives in Burleson County, Texas. It's in Central Texas. Kind of a dusty place. Kevin Sack is an investigative reporter based in Atlanta. In December of 2013, a friend of his became the confidential informant. He was a guy that went to jail for probation violation. He was a meth addict. One day, he calls in the sheriff's investigator who arrested him. You said you wanted to eradicate the problem, and I've been thinking for the past couple of days that maybe I'm putting this position to help you do this. And says that he's got some information for him. I know if I'm going to leave a girl operation. And he tells him that Hank McGee is growing marijuana hydroponically. Make grills small, really. It's kind of small. But at the same point, Mr. Lee, sure, weapons are involved, AR-15s, AR-30s, and his mobile home and his trailer. I mean, the boys are ready for war. With who? I don't know. But I'm just giving you that information, because if the boy does grab a horse and go in, try not to shoot him. Eventually, this turns into an investigation that really consisted a little more than driving by the trailer and taking some photographs. The deputies were able to go to a local magistrate and obtain a search warrant. Then what happened? Dark One Night, a force of Burleson County deputies, their version of a SWAT team, descends upon this trailer. They roll across a cattle guard and down a dirt road. It's pitch black. And Hank is inside sleeping with his pregnant girlfriend. The only light inside the trailer was from the bulbs on a Christmas tree.
Transcription truncated.
There is no knock on the door, just the sound of a SWAT team smashing through it. Times reporter Kevin Sack talks about his year-long investigation into a controversial police tactic. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2nAHfHi.
