“The front door is hinged”: What happens when the police raid your home without knocking on the front door
A British man has lost patience with a group of police officers after they allegedly broke down his door on suspicion he was organizing a gathering during the coronavirus self-isolation order.
In the recording that went viral online, officers appeared to forcefully enter his home after he refused to open the door for fear of the coronavirus.
“Listen to us. We had a call – because otherwise we wouldn’t have come – there could be something going on here. So we need to double check,” one policewoman announced as she entered his home. “I appreciate you talking about social distancing so I’m keeping my distance…”
“Yes, get out,” the man replied.
“We need to check the rooms to make sure nothing happened,” she replied.
When the officer approached the man, he shouted, “Get away from me!” before repeatedly asking why they were in his house.
“I’m just explaining to you why I’m here. We received a call that there was a disturbance,” she explained.
“What, so you kicked my door?” the man asked, prompting the officer to reply, “If you open the door, we’ll explain it to you.”
The exchange heated up when the man said, “No, I told you the reason why I didn’t open the door was because of what was going on around. This virus. Now get out and get out of here.”
“We’re just looking…” one male officer added, prompting the crowd to scream, “Look at that bastard.”
As the policeman looked around an empty house, residents commented, “Isn’t there anything going on here?” before asking why they kicked the door in.
“You are pathetic! Out of here! You are an absolute disgrace, you have nothing else to do? You broke my damn door, the man continued to scream. “Get out. Damn pig. What, 20 thousand dollars a year to be a jerk? Get out. Get out of my damn house. Get out… Goodbye! Farewell!”
When the police team left, residents recorded the damaged door condition and concluded: “You fools, broke down my door. Look at this goddamn state. Damn British cop. Look at its damned condition. Damn stupid. Damn my life.
Police in the United Kingdom have faced criticism several times during the coronavirus crisis for their heavy-handed approach.
On Saturday, Bedfordshire Police were criticized for threatening families with a picnic in the countryside.
“If you think that by having a picnic in a countryside no one will find you, don’t be surprised if an officer emerges from the shadows! We’re covering the whole county,” warned the suite, which included silhouettes of two officers.
In March, Derbyshire Police twice made headlines for their aggressive stunts, including dyeing a picturesque “blue lagoon” black in an attempt to discourage visitors and the use of drones drive to openly embarrass the Peak District pedestrians.
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