Killed by SWAT team for betting on football games

[rambone]

A conclusion has finally been reached for a family who lost their son to police. The 37-year-old optometrist was shot to death by a SWAT team who brought out the big guns to serve a warrant for a non-violent and completely victimless crime: Gambling.

An undercover police officer had spent 3 months with the deceased victim placing bets with him. (What a glorious waste of tax money.)

Finally when the season was over and the cop had enough fun watching football, they deployed a SWAT team to come and arrest him. One of the soldiers accidentally shot the man, unarmed, in his own front yard.

The result -- the officer who shot the man was given paid vacation. Additionally, the taxpayers paid $2,000,000 to the Culosi family.

Can someone explain to me why gambling is even a crime? Or why it would call for a 3 month undercover investigation? Or a SWAT team? Is it possible that the slap on the wrist that this officer got could have been any lighter?



Fairfax to pay $2 million to Culosi family

SWAT Tactics at Issue After Fairfax Shooting


YouTube - SWAT Team Kills Man Accused of Betting on Football Games

 

[Keyser Soze]

Wow. Could a murder charge be justified here? "Fairfax police were aware that Culosi had no criminal history or connection to weapons."

"Bullock, said his .45-caliber pistol accidentally discharged Jan. 24, 2006, after his vehicle door bumped his left side as he aimed at Culosi with his right hand, causing a sympathetic reflex response"

The gun may have accidentally went off but why was he even drawn down on him. Accidentally discharges happen but is it a true a.d. if you have the gun pointed at someone? I'm stumped. First negative leo article ive personally seen rambone post that has a moderately unbiased source one that also truly disgusts me.

 

[PatriotPride]

The officer should be brought up on criminal and civil charges immediately. This is unacceptable. At the very least this should be considered manslaughter.

 

[samot]

i look foward to the leos that will come in here & tell us why the pesky gambler shoulda ate a bullet
& how the copper was just doing his job.
Guy probably had a hose nozzle

Ready ,,,,,,,, GO ................

 

[Duncan]

Wow. Could a murder charge be justified here? "Fairfax police were aware that Culosi had no criminal history or connection to weapons."

"Bullock, said his .45-caliber pistol accidentally discharged Jan. 24, 2006, after his vehicle door bumped his left side as he aimed at Culosi with his right hand, causing a sympathetic reflex response"

The gun may have accidentally went off but why was he even drawn down on him. Accidentally discharges happen but is it a true a.d. if you have the gun pointed at someone? I'm stumped. First negative leo article ive personally seen rambone post that has a moderately unbiased source one that also truly disgusts me.

Sorry that is not correct ... No mechanical device goes off on it's own .
The owner operator of a weapon is responsible for the terminal resting place of every projectile from THEIR weapon .

There are not accidental discharges only - Negligent ones .

Thanks
Duncan

 

[BigMatt]

He could have said "I accidentally discharged my weapon"

I would buy that statement.

By the way, I thought that you were supposed to keep you finger out of the trigger guard unless you were in iminent danger - even if you have your gun pointed at a suspect. I am probably wrong on that.

 

[Eddie]

The part that puzzles me is why the cop even needed a gun in his hand to effect the arrest. It said he pulled up in his SUV to arrest the suspect, wouldn't he use his handcuffs to arrest the subject?

 

[col132]

"to serve a warrant for a non-violent and completely victimless crime: Gambling." You can't possibly be that ignorant. If you're a doper, meth is also a victimless crime. How about giving Michael Vick Sportsman of the Year Award? You don't have a clue what you're talking about unless you've had a spouse or a father who was a compulsive gambler.

Not defending the unintentional discharge, but you have no clue as to the facts of this case. Obviously, your axe to grind is with the states gambling laws and the cops.

***** **** ******* **** ****** ***.

 

[Hotdoger]

"to serve a warrant for a non-violent and completely victimless crime: Gambling." You can't possibly be that ignorant. If you're a doper, meth is also a victimless crime. How about giving Michael Vick Sportsman of the Year Award? You don't have a clue what you're talking about unless you've had a spouse or a father who was a compulsive gambler.

Not defending the unintentional discharge, but you have no clue as to the facts of this case. Obviously, your axe to grind is with the states gambling laws and the cops.

***** **** ******* **** ****** *** .

Even the ignorant know the state loves gambling.
Bow to the king.

No victim if the state approves of one chosing state gambling.

Hypocrisy at its finest to those that can be TRUTHFUL about it.

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

SERVES HIM RIGHT FOR GAMBLING AND NOT PAYING TAXES ON IT. OH DID I SAY TAXES? YES I SAID TAXES? THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU. YOU DON'T PAY YOUR TAXES YOU GONNA GET EXECUTED. SEEMS TO ME THE FRENCH DID IT BY LOPPING YOUR HEAD OFF. WELL AT LEAST HERE WE GIVE YOU THE DIGNITY OF BEING SHOT "EXECUTION" STYLE. IRS AGENTS WITH LICENSES TO KILL. OH JOY. I'M SO EXCITED. I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT. MAYBE I SHOULD BE COME AN IRS AGENT. THAT WAY WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T PAY TAXES ON GAMBLING I CAN HAVE THE SWAT TEAM COME AND EXECUTE THEM!!!!

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

"to serve a warrant for a non-violent and completely victimless crime: Gambling." You can't possibly be that ignorant. If you're a doper, meth is also a victimless crime. How about giving Michael Vick Sportsman of the Year Award? You don't have a clue what you're talking about unless you've had a spouse or a father who was a compulsive gambler.

Not defending the unintentional discharge, but you have no clue as to the facts of this case. Obviously, your axe to grind is with the states gambling laws and the cops.

***************************************.

how many other arrests are made daily that do not require a swat team?

 

[rambone]

"to serve a warrant for a non-violent and completely victimless crime: Gambling." You can't possibly be that ignorant. If you're a doper, meth is also a victimless crime. How about giving Michael Vick Sportsman of the Year Award? You don't have a clue what you're talking about unless you've had a spouse or a father who was a compulsive gambler.

Not defending the unintentional discharge, but you have no clue as to the facts of this case. Obviously, your axe to grind is with the states gambling laws and the cops.

****************************************.

Okay smart guy. You want to explain some things to me? How is the family better off if the spouse/father is in prison? People bet on stuff behind bars too, don't they? What's the moral difference between gambling in Virginia and gambling in Nevada? What gives the government the right to tell a person what he's allowed to do in his own home, peacefully between friends?

You're right about two things; I am upset at unjust gambling laws and the complete incompetence of the police in that area. Whoever deploys SWAT on cases like this should be fired. If you pull your gun on somebody who is not a threat -- and kill them -- you should be held responsible for your actions; at bare minimum fired from the public payroll. If I killed someone in my line of work I'd be fired; but then I'm not in the tax-collecting business.

I'm not saying that compulsive gambling is the greatest thing in the world. Like any addiction, the person needs to seek treatment to willingly stop the addiction. I don't support locking people up for it (or devoting months of undercover work towards it) at my expense.

 

[Eddie]

"to serve a warrant for a non-violent and completely victimless crime: Gambling." You can't possibly be that ignorant. If you're a doper, meth is also a victimless crime. How about giving Michael Vick Sportsman of the Year Award? You don't have a clue what you're talking about unless you've had a spouse or a father who was a compulsive gambler.

Not defending the unintentional discharge, but you have no clue as to the facts of this case. Obviously, your axe to grind is with the states gambling laws and the cops.

***************************************.

OK, since you know so much more about this case, who is the victim here?

 

[LPMan59]

Okay smart guy. You want to explain some things to me? How is the family better off if the spouse/father is in prison? People bet on stuff behind bars too, don't they? What's the moral difference between gambling in Virginia and gambling in Nevada? What gives the government the right to tell a person what he's allowed to do in his own home, peacefully between friends?

You're right about two things; I am upset at unjust gambling laws and the complete incompetence of the police in that area. Whoever deploys SWAT on cases like this should be fired. If you pull your gun on somebody who is not a threat -- and kill them -- you should be held responsible for your actions; at bare minimum fired from the public payroll. If I killed someone in my line of work I'd be fired; but then I'm not in the tax-collecting business.

I'm not saying that compulsive gambling is the greatest thing in the world. Like any addiction, the person needs to seek treatment to willingly stop the addiction. I don't support locking people up for it (or devoting months of undercover work towards it) at my expense.

+infinity.

i always thought that an accidental killing was called manslaughter. Apparently it's just a 3 week suspension.

 

[Denny347]

No support from me...you pull the trigger (intentionally/unintentionally) what you hit is bought and paid for by you. Yeah, I am surprised that no charges were filed. Kind of a no-brainer is seems. Not a big fan of Vice laws. I could never work in that division. I just don't care enough about it.

 

[96firephoenix]

trnsplntfrmohio, I find your purple post all the more funny due to the quote in your sig...

gambling as a crime does have a victim: the sate's bottom line. if you gamble outside the approved norms of the state, you are committing tax evasion and/or fraud.

Victimless: no
Non-Violent: yes
Worth SWAT backup: HELL NO

 

[rich8483]

victimless?? really?? gambling kill thousands of homeless kenyans each day!

srsly the victim would be us b/c of the taxpayer money and time spent on the 3 month investigation of something that shouldnt be illegal.

i do not totally condone gambling if you have an addiction and blow your kids collage money or the money for your families next meal. but its a personal issue. family issue at worst. financial problems can come from all sorts of things. not a legal issue.

but, if you do it with extra money resposibly, that wouldnt hurt if you totally loose it just for entertainment. i have no problem with it at all. moraly/biblicly at all.

btw. whats the practical difference between betting on a ball game when yes YOU CAN USE stats and advantages to see whos most likely to win. or buying stocks.
ones legal, ones not legal everywhere.

 

[steveh_131]

You don't have a clue what you're talking about unless you've had a spouse or a father who was a compulsive gambler.

if bad parenting was a crime, then obviously your parents deserve the death penalty.

*********************************

 

[mrjarrell]

Well, having lived in Fairfax county I can say that this is pretty much par for the course with their department. This isn't the first time that they've done something like this and it won't be the last. They are a power unto themselves and operate in secrecy, (try filing a FOIA with them. It's an exercise in futility), like most No. VA departments. Nothing is ever likely to come of this man's murder at their hands. All the money in the world won't replace that family's loss. The worst part is that he thought that cop was a friend. And that one sided friendship was betrayed. Radley Balko also took a look at this case and its resolution. It's one he's followed for a while.

Justice for Sal - Reason Magazine

 

[kevinj110]

I never understood how the police can put someone undercover who can and does break the same law as the ones they are investigating and people say well its their job and they are catching the bad guys. So to bust a gambler you have to send in a cop and have him gamble and do the same thing you are gonna arrest the guy for. Doesn't make sense to me.