[Joe, why don't you put your username on your account?]



Or claims to have discovered so...  It would hardly be the first time
they raided someone based on incorrect evidence.


It was a "no-knock", according to the Associated Press report.
Here's something I found in my collection:

    Excerpts from an article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel Final
    Edition Monday, March 1, 1993 (the byline is associated press):

    WACO, Texas - Fierce gun battles erupted Sunday as more than 100
    law officers tried to arrest the leader of a heavily armed
    religious cult.  At least four federal agents and two cult members
    were reported killed.  [...]

    The gun battles began when federal agents hidden in livestock
    trailers stormed the sect's head-quarters Sunday morning,
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    witnesses said.  The agents had warrants to search for guns and
    explosives and to arrest Howell, said Les Stanford of the ATF in
    Washington.  [...]

    Witnesses said the law officers stormed the compound's main home,
    throwing concussion grenades and screaming "Come out," while three
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    National Guard helicopters approached.  For a moment, there was no
    response.  Then the shooting began. 

I think "storming the sect's head-quaters" and "throwing concussion
grenades" qualifies as a no-knock (or perhaps an illegal assault).

                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Probably not.  But then again, neither are you.

                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And just what is "his background"?  What prior crimes had he been
CONVICTED of?

  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorry, BATF are "Federal TAX Enforcement officials".  They're not
police, nor do they have police powers.

--
Charles Scripter   *   cescript@phy.mtu.edu
Dept of Physics, Michigan Tech, Houghton, MI 49931