In capturing Walmart shoplifter Robert Seacat following a twenty-hour standoff, various police agencies severely damaged the home where he holed up.
Granted, Seacat fired shots at the officers, and four drug-related warrants were pending against him. But he'd chosen the Greenwood Village-area home at random, and now the residence is completely uninhabitable — and the city only offered assistance after the previous occupants complained that no one from the city had bothered to contact them.
This situation sparked a healthy conversation among our readers, with many decrying the levels of force being used by SWAT teams of late.
Here's one memorable take.
Lynn Stiles writes:
Can you spell lawsuit? I would find an expensive lawyer and sue Greenwood Village police until the have to sell their assult vehichles to repay this family. There are things called levels of force. I understand the police were shot at, but to destroy a home like this for a shoplifter. Wow! How many of these police officers were National Guardsmen? Are the police suffering from PTSD? Are they able to do their job ( to serve and protect) within community guidelines? How many deployments have they served? What justifies doing this in a peaceful home. NOT A WAR ZONE!Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts. For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.
