CBS) Gun-toting police burst into a South Carolina high school, ordering students to lie down in hall ways as they searched for drugs. The commando-style raid has parents questioning the wisdom of police tactics. The raid occurred Wednesday at Stratford High School in Goose Creek, S.C. Surveillance video obtained by CBS Affiliate WCSC in Charleston shows the police waving their guns and searching lockers as students lie flat on their stomachs or sides. The school's principal defends the dramatic sweep, caught on the school's surveillance tape. Police came into the school with guns at the ready, ordered all students to lie on the floor and then handcuffed anyone who apparently didn't comply quickly enough. "We received reports from staff members and students that there was a lot of drug activity. Recently we busted a student for having over 300 plus prescription pills. The volume and the amount of mar1juana coming into the school is unacceptable," said principal George McCrackin. Police didn't find any criminals in the armed sweep, but they say K-9 dogs smelled drugs on a dozen backpacks. Goose Creek police and school administrators defend the draconian measures as necessary for crime prevention. The parents of some students who were subjected to the sweep disagree. "I was just upset knowing they had guns put to their head and a K9 was barking at them and about to bite somebody. It was awful," parent Latonia Simmons told WCSC. The Post And Courier newspaper in Charleston reports the high school is one of the largest in the state with 2,760 students. It has an academic reputation as one of the Lowcountry's best. Source-CBS
Utterly ridiculous. I guess it gave the cops a hard-on to scare a few kids attacking like Nazi stormtroopers. And to think they didn't find any drugs!
That is rediculous. I'm all for being tough on crime, but they were in a school, not a crack house. Having loaded weapons out where they can accidentally go off is insane. Plus, where's the justification for doing this? They pointed guns at children and handcuffed them for no probable cause beyond the principal stating that his school has a drug problem. If this is just now occuring to him, well, he's an idiot. The ACLU and the kids parents should be all over this. There's no reason for it. They could have accomplished the same thing by using the drug dogs during classes, or doing a room by room search.
Oh, hell no! That is seriously going over the edge! What did they expect the kids to do, pull out automatic weapons on them? I agree with what was said earlier, why not just search during classes, and go room to room? What'd they do, pat down every kid as they lay on the floor, likely scared to death! And the worst part is, they had to lay on the dirty floor and get their expensive clothes all dirty.
"Well, sure we held hundreds of innocent kids at gunpoint potentially putting their lives in danger, but the dogs smelled mar1juana on twelve backpacks, so all in all...."
If this happened to one of my children I would sue the **** out of whoever was responsible. That is insane. Where do they think this is? Nazi Germany??
Not yet, but the way the drug war is going, it won't be long. Remember, they are now using the PATRIOT Act to prosecute drug crimes.
Come on, They don't have real criminals to chase in South Carolina, you gotta let the police let off a little steam
This is one of the most insane things I have seen in a long time. How can the police justify raiding the entire school with guns drawn? This incident needs to have a serious investigation of the police motives-- this is a traumatizing event for a innocent person to have to go through.
Actually, on second thought, that raid was a good idea. If someone doesn't do something, those kids could be lying on the couch, listening to music, and eating lots of cookies any minute now! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
stupid, just make them all hate and rebel more against authority. What do you expect from a state that still thinks it's 1865.
Oh my God, they might have the munchies! Call out Sgt. Stedenko with the callsign "Hardhat" crew! This just smacks of a police state. My wife couldn't believe it. And to think they didn't find anything. "But the dogs sniffed some suspicious book bags." Yeah, copper, CYOA, baby!
