PC correct Officers do not just kick door in

[TheeBadOne]

RACINE, Wis. - A woman was sexually assaulted in a home while police officers tried for more than half an hour to get inside, a criminal complaint says.

According to the complaint filed Monday in Racine County Circuit Court, a witness saw a man beat a 28-year-old woman and drag her from a vehicle into the home Sunday.

Officers arrived at the home at 9:49 a.m. and began banging on the door, the complaint said. No one answered, and officers received permission from a shift commander to force the door open at 10:25 a.m.

When they entered the home, the woman told them a man had raped her while the officers were outside trying to get in.

Matthew S. Rice, 28, of Racine, was charged with second-degree sexual assault with use of force and false imprisonment, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor battery.

Racine Police Sgt. William C. Macemon said when officers arrived there was no indication that anyone was in the home or that there was a disturbance.

"We got out there and we only had one witness," Macemon said. "The dilemma that comes up is officers, when they're deciding whether to enter without a search warrant, is balancing whether there's enough evidence (to enter)."

The officers also consulted with an assistant district attorney, who gave them the legal opinion they should enter, he said.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/7123012.htm
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I wonder just how much information they had to go on, doesn't sound like much.

 

[Steve in PA]

Damned if you do.......damned if you don't.

These types of calls get kicked around alot on LEO threads. You get a 911 hang up call. Thats how we get dispatched. The phone company sends an alert to our dispatch center, who in turns gives it to us. They usually are phone/phone line problems, someone dialing 911 instead of 411, dog or cat running loose in the house knocks phone off hook, etc...........

We arrive at the door, but its dark, quiet.......everyting looks fine. Doors and windows are all locked......peek in the window, everything is okie, dokie. Now what?

Kick in the door because there may be a problem?? Or clear, saying without anything further to go on......the call will be cleared.

The witness said they saw the woman being dragged into the house. Did the witness know if they left......were still inside, etc????

Not an easy call to make.