South Carolina Man Who Defended Home from DEA No-Knock Raid Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

[Garion_55]

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A man who shot and injured a Drug Enforcement Administration agent during an early-morning no-knock raid was sentenced to eight years behind bars on Monday.

Joel Robinson, 33, was suspected of manufacturing and trafficking illegal narcotics, prompting a surprise home invasion from the DEA. Police say Robinson shot DEA agent Barry Wilson, who participated in the raid.

Robinson claims he was awoken by people he didn’t know were DEA agents, and fired in self-defense. No drugs were found anywhere in Robinson’s house.

John Comer, a DEA agent involved with the investigation, ignored Robinson’s testimony that he was defending his home from intruders, instead using the agent’s injuries in an attempt to sway public opinion in favor of the raiding party. “The wounding of our agent during the execution of a Federal Search Warrant reinforces the daily dangers law enforcement officers face while conducting narcotics investigations,” said Comer.

[Warpy]

1. Bullshit conviction

I have a feeling the sentence will be reduced on appeal.

[R. P. McMurphy]

5. Let's hope.

Maybe it's just me but it seems that, at all levels, those who are there to "protect" us are out of control.

[Warpy]

7. They are, they're there to control us

Anybody who watched the brutal crushing of OWS knows that.

[PatrickforO]

12. Let's hope so, but in the meantime, this poor guy is

languishing in jail on a trumped up charge, has lost his job and when he FINALLY gets out he won't have anything left AND he'll be a felon.

There's NOTHING good about this and these DEA gangsters need to have their power severely curtailed. No knock raids are unconstitutional. Or should be.

[Garion_55]

2. yay war on drugs!!!!!

fucked up more peoples lives for no reason.

kinda like bush did in iraq looking for wmd that werent there.

[NorthCarolinaL]

3. Freedumb

In the Just-Us system.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. "No drugs were found anywhere in Robinson’s house." That says it all.

DEA didn't know what they were doing, followed a tip from an informer with revenge in mind or just wanting to "earn" brownie points.

[Logical]

6. Was this a jury? Or a judge? Either of them are idiots. nt

[Dr. Strange]

8. Neither. He pled guilty.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Why?

[Dr. Strange]

10. Usual reason:

government piles up lots of charges that could have meant up to life in prison, and offers a plea deal that will net him a much smaller sentence.

[PatrickforO]

11. These people have WAY too much power and WAY too little accountability. It's Comer that should be

in jail.

[Snobblevitch]

13. Where is the link to the news story with details?