A Georgia Man Is Killed By Police In Drug Raid Led By Tip From Thief Who Stole His Car

The U.S. Drug war has been raging forward since the 1970s and has suffered unintended consequences to a disturbing degree. In its more than 40 year history, the unintended consequences are growing and becoming more severe. Some say that it has caused a rise in the militarization of police.

The Inquisitr reported early last month on a situation in Los Angeles that some might reference as an example of this charge. The school district police were found in possession of an armored vehicle and grenade launchers, some of which were in a “secret location”.

Despite the latest string of marijuana legalization legislation in the states, it seems that the “War On Drugs” rages on with even more ferocity. This massive bureaucracy is heavily funded at a combined amount of over $30 billion annually, reports estimate. Sometimes in this ongoing push to end drug use, the unintended consequences can be overt mistakes and lapses in judgement.

13WMAZ reported an incident that occurred exactly two weeks ago, where police raided a man’s home, shot and killed him based solely on the admissions of the man who robbed him twice earlier that week. 13WMAZ obtained the warrant that the Georgia Bureau Of Investigation was issued to conduct a night time no-knock raid on David Hooks’ residence.

“It says the night before that raid, a man claimed he found 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine inside a pickup at Hooks’ home. Rodney Garrett reportedly told investigators that he took a plastic bag from the pickup, believing that there was money inside, and a set of digital scales. Then he stole another vehicle from Hooks’ home, a Lincoln Aviator SUV.”

According to Attorney Shook’s account, Rodney Garrett had stolen Mr. Hooks’ vehicle and other items in the early morning hours of September 23. David Hooks filed a police report of the robbery with the Laurens county sheriff’s department.

Within 24 hours of issuing the arrest warrant for Mr. Garrett, he was taken into custody and confessed to burglary and theft of Mr. Hooks’ vehicle. It was then, reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine, he made the allegation against Mr. Hooks.

Mr. Garrett said that when he discovered that the bag allegedly had methamphetamine, he “feared for his safety” and turned himself in. David Hooks’ attorney Mitchell Shook stated that David and Teresa Hooks were unaware that the police were even there until they broke down the back door.

He recounts Mrs. Hooks’ account of being woken up and looking outside to seeing what she described as “people with hoods.” Feeling that the burglars had returned, she woke her husband and alerted him to hearing the men in their backyard. The original release from the sheriff’s office stated that the Hooks were alerted to their presence prior to entering the home.

Upon investigating the disturbance that Mr. Hooks’ wife alerted him to, he brandished a gun. According to Attorney Shook, the police broke down the back door and fired off 16 shots, shots that led to David Hooks’ death. There are no reports on how many times Mr. Hooks was shot and by how many of the officers.

The police entered the home and fired from multiple.40 caliber handguns and assault rifles. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr. Hooks fired a single shot at this time. Attorney Mitchell Shook explains that there were some discrepancies in the warrant and location of the shots fired from officers, according to 13WMAZ.

“Despite the fact that the illegal search warrant did not have a ‘no knock’ clause, the Drug Task Force and SRT members broke down the back door of the family’s home and entered firing in excess of 16 shots. Several shots were fired through a blind wall at David with the shooters not knowing who or what was on the other side of the wall.”

Reportedly, no evidence of contraband was found after a 44 hour search. There are no reports that any of the officers involved in the raid or investigation are to face suspension or any type of punishment. An investigation into the incident is so far not been announced.

It is important to note that this is the same GBI S.W.A.T. team that was involved in another mistaken drug raid that left a baby disfigured from a flash grenade that was thrown into its crib.

Attorney Shook is calling for the FBI to investigate David Hooks’ death.The family has also asked for the local district attorney to commit to his own investigation of the matter. No comment has come out the police department at this time and the officers involved have not been named.

In Attorney Shook’s released statement, he explained that David Hooks was a successful businessman with two reputable businesses.

“His construction company worked on military bases, including Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart. As such, he was vetted and underwent background checks by state and federal authorities including the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Based on those background checks, he was granted a security clearance which allowed him to work on these military bases.”

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