MAYOR'S DOGS GUNNED DOWN BY COPS IN IMPROPER DRUG RAID

Dog lovers of the world unite. Our federal government's
zero-tolerance anti-drug crusade reached a new low in Prince George's
County, Maryland, when police killed two innocent pet Labrador
retrievers while improperly conducting a SWAT-style drug raid on the
mayor's house.

On July 29, police burst into the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye
Calvo and immediately shot to death his two Labrador retrievers. They
were there to conduct a search for drugs. The raid was conducted by
county police narcotics officers and a sheriff's office SWAT Team.

The incident occurred after Calvo carried in a package that was
addressed to his wife. The mayor's mother-in-law had told the
deliverymen, who were actually undercover police officers, to leave
the package outside of his house. When Calvo arrived home that night,
he brought the package inside. That's when the police broke down the
door and immediately opened fire on the mayor's two dogs as they ran
away from the narco-cops.

Police began tracking the package at a Midwest post office where drug
sniffing dogs had discovered that the package contained 32 pounds of
marijuana. Calvo said he had no idea how the package arrived at his
home and that the sheriff's deputies entered without knocking. Then
they immediately executed Payton, his 7-year old dog first, followed
by Chase, a 4-year-old Lab, as he ran to another room.

Upon further investigation, it was found that the police did not even
bother to secure a needed no-knock search warrant. Timothy Maloney,
the mayor's attorney described the incident as a lawless act by law
enforcement.

Calvo has not been charged, though police said he, his wife and his
mother-in-law are all "persons of interest" in an ongoing
investigation. The mayor said, "These were two beautiful black
Labradors who were well-known in the community. We walked them twice
a day; little kids knew their names and would come up to them and pet
them," he said.

What makes this case unique is that this raid happened to a well
known elected official. What is not unique is that these gestapo-like
tactics happen every day in communities across America.

The drug war is an endless crusade by our government to promulgate
its senseless zero-tolerance drug policies by any means necessary.
This war on drugs has created convenient vehicles for appearing
"tough on crime" behind a shield of public safety. But that shield
gets worn down when our basic rights are curtailed through its use.
We need to promote policy alternatives to the drug war that are
grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. In doing so
we can reduce the harms of both drug misuse and drug prohibition, and
seek solutions that promote safety while upholding the sovereignty of
individuals over their own minds and bodies.