©
 |
| Acting on a tip Wednesday, Chesapeake police go to a house in South Norfolk looking for a suspect in the killing of a toddler. (delores johnson | the virginian-pilot file phoo) |
CHESAPEAKE
Marva Morris and her six children are homeless, wondering who will put their house back together after a SWAT team tore it apart this week looking for a slaying suspect.
Police stormed her South Norfolk home Wednesday night, shooting out windows and firing chemical s into the house. After surrounding the house for more than five hours and scouring the insides, police found it empty.
"Now I have no home and all of my kids are just dispersed from here to there," Morris said Friday. "There's a lot of stress from all of this, and nobody cares."
Acting on a tip, Chesapeake police went to the house in the 2000 block of Stalham Road looking for Shawn Sir Charles Ward, a 21-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of a
toddler during a Nov. 10 home invasion.
Police had Morris' home under surveillance for several days before searching it. Ward, however, was arrested the next day in a relative's Virginia Beach home.
Morris, 44, doesn't know why police received a tip about her home. She's not related to Ward. In fact, she went to a magistrate earlier this year to get a warrant because Ward was "chasing" after her daughter, she said. She complained to police about him "terrorizing the neighborhood" on other occasions, she said.
"They were so wrong," she said. "It's Christmas time and we don't have a Christmas. They took a home from a single mother with six kids. "
Wrapped Christmas gifts inside the home are covered in chemical s used by police. The fumes make it impossible to live in the house, she said.
The children's hands and faces burn when they touch anything inside. All the windows have been shattered and the telephone line was cut. Morris found her clothing hanging out a back window and holes shot into mattresses, she said.
Police said homeowners, in such cases, are given information on how to obtain reimbursement for damage caused by the serving of a warrant.
They are instructed to contact the city's Risk Management Department and submit a claim, said Christi Golden, a police spokeswoman. The city will review the damage for reimbursement, she added.
Morris said she has contacted the city but hasn't heard back for immediate help. Her children are finding shelter with family and friends.
She was at work when she received a call about police with guns surrounding the house.
"It took me, a single black woman, 44 years to get a house, and it took them a day to tear my house down," she said. "I want it back. My house is a war zone."
Police have intensified their search for the suspects in last month's killing of 1-year-old Ny-Asia Tillmon. Three men entered an apartment in the 3700 block of Bainbridge Blvd. and shot the child, her grandmother and her uncle. The two adults survived their wounds.
Police identified Ward as one of the three suspects. He is now in jail, charged with murder, attempted murder, breaking and entering and firearms charges.
Police are still looking for the other two men, believed to be between ages 18 and 21.
John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
You See What the Pilot Wants You To See
Steve isn't the only one the Pilot doesn't want you to hear from. This posting program is as one sided as the original story. Wouldn't it be nice if the paper provided us with all of the facts and then let us decide what to think. Anyone taking the Pilot story as the gospel in this case is very ignorant of the facts. When you play with fire, eventually you will get burned!
Hmmmmm....
They got a tip there were fresh donunts in the house... why else would have have ripped the place apart looing for them??? Just fix the place, give the woman and her kids a decent Christmas, afterall, Chesapeake City owes her at least that....
Change
and I bet my bottom dollar it wouldnt have went down the same way.
Like "getting over" a mistaken amputation
It's interesting that someone would suggest that a person who had her home torn apart and her children dispersed was told to "get over it." She wasn't sick in the first place! The guy didn't live there, the tip wasn't really checked out, and the police used Gestapo tactics in tearing the place up.
Telling someone to "get over it" makes about as much sense as telling someone who had the wrong surgery and got a leg amputated to "get over it." Hey, bud, that leg isn't going to grow back.
There ought to be some malpractice option for people who have their homes and their lives ripped asunder when police act on a bogus tip and rampage through a home. And a demotion or dismissal might be in order here too.
The real traitors
This is what we get for allowing the right wing to control Congress (until recently, thank God) and the Oval office. (Until November 08, thank God). They will allow the state to violate any of our Constitutional rights - they are just "mistakes" after all - and we have to "get over it." The state and the cops must have a free hand to do whatever they want. If they are held accountable, we will be in great danger. Our civil rights are being eroded by cowardly conservatives who don't believe our Constitution provides us adaquate protection against our enemies. They would abandon our most fundamental rights against unreasonable search and seizures (4th Amendment) so that the state can protect us. They are traitors, even if they can spell.
Quit Whining and learn how to type
I just read through most of the comments. I want to say quit whining, learn how to spell and use proper grammar. The police were doing their job like they are supposed to. Thank you to the police officers. I am sorry the house is in shambles, but get over it. Bad things happen to lots of people. If you want more protocols against the police tell the liberals, so we can start getting all the officers killed here at home similar to Iraq. I support our uniformed service men/women and our troops. And I hope that the "rules" won't get so restrictive that our service members are being harmed more than they already are. Search "rules of engagement" It is not fair to our service men/women. They cannot defend themselves or our country.
Less than1/2 the story, 100% blame the police
What can I possibly add to a one sided story. Most of you people complaining probably aren't even interested in the other side. Thats because you really haven't any true personal emotions in the case. They were looking for the killer of a baby. Let's just skip that fact. Were there some procedures that could be done better. No doubt. However the next day they do get him holed up in another house. Perhaps after the first mistake the police should have given up rather then risk a second mistake. Is that the reasoning behind all you police bashers? Probably. Because it wasn't your baby killed. I pray none of you people ever need a policeofficer with your negative atitude towards them.
Thank you officers for defending us
Where there is smoke, there is fire. I don't feel sympathy for this woman and many of you wouldn't either if you knew the whole story. If it is found out that this woman had criminals in her house any time in the past year, she should get nothing. I live less than a mile from this house. The police were in a dangerous situation and acted professionally. The many spectators were adding stress to their job. Please remember that the police were looking for the killer of a one year old girl. Again, many commentors here are reacting out of emotion and are not privy to some info.
Too many facts missing
I'm with Ron. There are two sides to every story and huge chunks of this story are missing. Somewhere generally in the middle of both sides of a story is the truth. So instead of jumping on the cop/city bashing bandwagon, I think I'll reserve judgment till I know more of the facts.
Back up Brooke
I saw flashlights behind my home at the oceanfront. My yard was fenced and I let my dogs out to send a message to the possible intruder. They started barking at the fence and we noticed that a dog was barking back. I stepped outside and a cop was looking over the fence screaming obscenities at me. He said if I did not take the dogs inside he would eFfin shoot them. I pulled the dogs back and told him I was calling the precinct about his behaivor. He said he was looking for someone. I pointed out that if they where in my yard, the dogs would have caught them. The entire time he was screaming and cussing. I called the 2nd and never heard from anyone. Face folks, you are collateral damage.