. . . or Neighborhood Watch ain't nothing to F. I know I know. We need to wait for more facts to come in Rocket River http://www.inquisitr.com/223861/bla...y-accident-from-new-home/#UZF0DhbwvzsClJkG.01 Black Family Held At Gunpoint By New Neighbors, Arrested By Accident From New Home Posted: April 22, 2012 A black man and his family were held at gunpoint by their new neighbors while they were trying to change the locks in Newton, GA reported WSBTV. The Kalonji Family had just closed the purchase on a foreclosed home and were excited to begin the moving process. The realtor advised the family to begin by changing the locks on their new home. Jean Kalonji was in the process of changing the locks on the front door when their new neighbors mistook the Kalonji’s for thieves breaking into the house and confronted them with guns. “He say to put the hands up and get out from the house otherwise he would shoot us,” recounted Jean about the incident. Angelica Kalonji, Jean’s wife stated: “I get up my hands up, they put me by the wall.” The neighbors held the Kalonji’s at gunpoint and called the local authorities not believing they were the owners of the house. When authorities arrived they arrested the family who did not have the closing paper work with them at the time, charging them with loitering and prowling. The realtor, Yvette Harris, said the deputies had no right to arrest the couple, stating: “They rightfully own this house.” According to Newton County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Mark Mitchell authorities are investigating why everything that happened. “We’re kind of on the ground floor to this as far as looking into it exactly what occurred, why it occurred.” The experience brought back painful memories to Jean who was raised in the Congo. “There, they put me down with the gun to my head. Here, the same.”
For people who have to live next to each other for the foreseeable future, they really got off on the wrong foot.
This reminds me of the Joe Horn case and why such laws allowing neighbors to protect other people's property could cause problems. There is a lot of possibility for misinterpretations.
The Kalonji family have the oppotunity to look at this a couple of different ways: 1. play the victim card 2. know that their new neighborhood protects itself
There are always "problems", that shouldn't take away the right to protect property. The police would have arrested them anyways. Now the ones who held them at gunpoint have been arrested and charged. This is the way it should work. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/charges-dropped-against-couple-arrested-after-tryi/nMgQq/ Neighborhood watchmen charged in arrest mix-up By Jeff Dore NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — Charges have been dropped against a couple who got tossed in jail after visiting their son's new house, but not before they faced gun-wielding neighbors. Now, the neighbors are the ones behind bars. Jean and Angelica Kalonji's son closed on a Newton County home Thursday and, on the agent's advice, they went over to change the locks. Neighbors then showed up with guns drawn. "(I was) told to put my hands up and to get out, otherwise he shot us,” Jean Kalonji said. The Kalonjis said they were so glad when Newton County sheriff's deputies arrived to straighten things out, but the deputies took them to jail and charged them with loitering and prowling. "For me to get out, we had to pay bond," Kalonji said. Channel 2’s Jeff Dore talked with a spokesman for the Newton County sheriff, who said they have now dropped charges. The father-son pair of neighborhood watchmen in the confrontation turned themselves in to the Sheriff's Office Monday evening. Robert, 45, and Branden Canoles, 18, were charged with false imprisonment, aggravated assault and criminal trespass. As for the deputies who arrested innocent new residents, they were not on administrative leave at this time. “They just spontaneously arrested him, arrested his wife, threw them in jail, made no phone calls, made no effort to verify the truthfulness of what they were saying and told the people with the guns in essence, ‘Thank you for your good service,’” Kalonji family attorney Don Samuel said. The deputies are facing an internal investigation within the Newton County Sheriff's Department. "The case is still fluid. We're still investigating the case. And also our Office of Professional Standards, there's an internal investigation as well," Lt. Mark Mitchell of the Newton County Sheriff's Department said.
After having a gun pulled on you and you being held against your will, there are two ways you could look at it. 1. play the victim card 2. realize that you are stronger because you faced death and have a cool story to tell, except for the part where you didn't do anything about the people who pulled the gun on you, and it makes you sound like push over whimp.
Hmm, perhaps it is sexist of me, but I can't think of too many man/woman burglary teams since Bonnie and Clyde. I know the Conservafriends (TM) Led By Captain Texxxas and Corporal Hightop and crew might accuse me of "playing the race card"....but does anyone think there is even the slightest possibility this would have happened to a white couple.
Except that the watchman could've avoided arrest just by calling the police. Now we have two arrest taking up more of the police's time. Also you are talking about a rather expansive right since the law that Joe Horn acted under was a law to protect other's property not his own.
In a few years they'd look back at this incident at a neighborhood bbq party as a "remember when.." moment and everyone will chuckle.
The people holding guns on the family should have been arrested the day of. The husband and wife should have been given the opportunity to prove they were not breaking and entering. A simple phone call to the closing attorney or realtor could have cleared up any confusion. Heck, having a key to the house would have been strong evidence that they weren't there illegally. We don't know exactly how it all played out once police arrived, but hopefully the internal investigation will show what procedures the on scene officers followed.
