Yeah, that's kinda the point with these videos. When SWAT guys show up, it's because we think we need to fuck shit up. If we're wrong, it's bad. But it isn't these guys' fault so much--we're making the best guesses we can, with the most certain information we can get. Watch/read one of those stories where you "know" that the serial murderer/rapist/clown is this guy, but the cops can't get a warrant because they don't have enough evidence. These situations do happen. And then situations like this happen. Basically, we just need perfect info about everything, without invading people's privacy. We need to be God.
Well, a few things that the SWAT guys could've found out beforehand (and I found out via video and article):-
- Dude has at least one kid. This means don't go in guns blazing because you could ACCIDENTALLY SHOOT A KID.
- Dude lives with his elderly mother in the house. See above.
- If he's dealing pot, he'll probably be stoned and therefore dazed when you head in.
- Actually trailed the guy to find out if he's a pot dealer, maybe? I don't know, but you really should get EVIDENCE before you smash someone's door in.
The cop said "hands behind your back" and the guy didn't put his hands behind his back. Problem?
He was an unarmed, half-naked man lying on his belly on the floor with a gun pointed at his head. He was about as little of a threat as any man could be.
They may have recieved, in this case false, information to the effect of "the individuals are armed and dangerous" and didn't want to risk sending a single agent (which would both warn the individuals in question, and give them a means of escape), it's also probably a part of SWAT training to shoot anything that is an immediate threat, if the dig were a trained attack dog (which will be the SWAT member's first thought), then it would be an immediate danger to the entire squad. I admit that some malpractice went down here, but you can easily see where many of the people involved were in fact "in the right," if you will.
Do American police operate solely on hearsay?