SWAT raid scared school kids: parentA St. John's parent is angry with the way police – including members of a SWAT team – conducted a drug raid in St. John's last week in the shadow of an elementary school. The children witnessed officers in body armour carrying guns and a large battering ram. "It was pretty scary, actually. I didn't really know what was going on," said Julia Kennedy, 10. Jerome Kennedy "I saw this man in black and he had this … I think it was probably the thing that knocked down the doors, and it was really big, and somebody from my class was walking home and he walked right behind them," she said. Julia's father, St. John's lawyer Jerome Kennedy, fears the children's safety was in jeopardy. He said he will contact the police to find out more information. "What possible justification could [there] be for such stupid activity at 3 o'clock in the day, when a school of elementary kids is getting out? There's nothing that could justify that outrageous behaviour other than if someone's life was in jeopardy," said Kennedy. RNC Chief Richard Deering said he was assured by the officers in charge that people were not put at risk. However, he does not know for sure if officers took the school into account when they planned the raid. "Specifically, I can't answer that question, but my sense is that they did," Deering said. "Our officers are very familiar with the city and I can only assume that's what happened in this situation." Deering says the street would have been blocked to passersby during the raid, but he said children may have seen the police vehicles and officers afterwards. Last modified February 24, 2006 |