What would you do if homeland security showed up?

[musclestack]

So, this happened a few months ago. I was in my bedroom getting changed after gym, when I heard a distant 'cop knock'. My door was closed, so I figured it was probably someone knocking on the neighbors' door (I live in an apartment complex). I get my pants on; no shirt, then I hear the same knock again. So, I go to the door and look through the peep hole. There was a guy standing across the hallway looking in my direction. So, I think, this is strange; why would he knock then take 4 steps backward? I opened the door, and there was another guy to my right...he was purposely standing out of sight from the peep hole. The one across the hallway was tall, balding, and out of shape (beer belly). The other one was a scrawny, short guy. Shorty flashes me a badge, then he asks me what my name is; I tell him. He asks if I have any ID to prove it. I said 'yes, it's in my room. I'll get it.' He says "Can we come in?" I casually said 'no', then proceeded to shut the door and go get my driver's license. He kicks the door back open and says "We can't let you go back there alone in case you have a weapon back there." Now, looking back, I realize he only said this to get me to let them in and snoop around, but at the time I said 'fine'. So, the three of us head back to my bedroom. Shorty is following very close behind me. When I got to my room, I realized my driver's license is in my truck. So, we head outside, me still shirtless, and I notice they have 9mm on them. This whole time, they were being very snobbish; kind of like the attitude you would get from an insecure beta male who has something to prove by trying to intimidate others. This is one of my pet peeves.

I'm not going to lie, I was a bit nervous even though I know I didn't do anything wrong cuz, well, you know, I've never been confronted by homeland security before. I grab my license and hand it to Shorty. Chubby asks me why I'm breathing heavy, noticing I was nervous about something. I say, "I'm not breathing heavy, and I would ask you the same question but I already know the reason" (looking at his over-sized belly while I said it). He stares me down; I stare right back at him thinking, boy, I would destroy you. Shorty breaks the silence by telling me that a lot of times driver's licenses are faked, so it isn't proof that I am who I say I am. I'm thinking, I told you I was going to get my DRIVER'S LICENSE...why would we come all the way down here to my truck if you were going to suspect it as fake anyway?? I didn't say anything though; I figured the smart ass comment I made to chubby was enough for one day. He then asked me if I was Jewish. I said 'no'. He says 'you're not from Israel?' I said no. I already knew before this that I didn't do anything that would warrant homeland security to come after me, but after he asked that, I was 100% sure I was in the clear. He told me there was an immigrant from Israel who committed a federal crime, and they were looking for him to 'deport' him....yea right, I think to myself, you're just going to find him and send him on his mery way back home. Anyways, he asked if I had any other form of ID. I said I'd have to go check my room again, so we go back up to the apartment.

We all walk inside again with shorty on my a$$ once again like a dog in heat. Then, I notice chubby is going into the other room across the hall to snoop around. I'm thinking, I told you you could come in. I didn't give you permission to look through the apartment. But I don't say anything, as I know I don't have anything to hide. I couldn't find anything else that had my name as well as my picture on it, so they left it at that. They showed me a picture of the guy they were looking for; I told them I haven't seen him (which is the truth), and they asked me to keep a lookout for him. I said 'ok'. The end!

So, how would you guys have handled this? Would you have let them in your home? Obviously, I wasn't hiding anything so I figured it would be ok, but had I known they were going to be unprofessional snobs about it (barking orders at me instead of asking politely, their smug looks on their faces when they talked to me, and just the sense of 'I have a badge so I can do whatever I want kind of attitude), I probably would have told them they're not allowed in and to come back with a warrant just out of pure spite. What would you have done?

[GirlyGymRat]

If I am not expecting anyone, I don't open the door. If I don't know you, the door doesn't open. But I'm a girl

[kelkel]

I would not have let them in.

[zempey]

I would have become very defensive and agitated if someone kicked my door back open after I started to close it. The interrogation would have ended there and I would have told them to beat it.

[musclestack]

I would not have let them in.

Why is that, kelkel? Looking back I wouldn't have either, but my reason for it may differ from yours.

[zempey]

Once they are in they have more power and can do more to you legally. No way I am letting 3 guys with guns in my house without a very good explanation. Time and time again guys like that prove they are not to be trusted, so I trust no one.

[musclestack]

I would have become very defensive and agitated if someone kicked my door back open after I started to close it. The interrogation would have ended there and I would have told them to beat it.

That's how I see it now too, zempey. I was actually a little disappointed in myself for letting some guy who thought he was tough come in my home. Kind of sucks they had badges and guns; if not, I would've brought them back 'down to Earth'.

[musclestack]

Here's a question:

Does city/state law supercede federal law? For example, if I told them they couldn't come in, but they forced their way in anyway, could I have called the local police on them?

[Metalject]

It's a lose, lose situation. If you tell them they can't come in without a warrant, if they leave and come back with a warrant to search your home the door will be kicked in, house trashed and torn apart and who knows what else. I know, you didn't do anything wrong, but all LE has to do is present reasonable suspicion and cause and a judge will sign the warrant...at least in this day and age he will. LE in the U.S. has for awhile been above the citizenry. The slogan "Serve & Protect" should be changed to "Rule, Enforce and if there's time left over, Protect."

[kelkel]

Why is that, kelkel? Looking back I wouldn't have either, but my reason for it may differ from yours.

I just would not let anyone in without a justifiable reason. Saying you may have a gun was BS. Christ, you may have a rocket launcher for that matter. Then they questioned your ID. What about theirs?
Agree with metal though, it is a lose, lose situation.

[hawk14dl]

I would not, at this point in my life.

I did allow bounty hunters check my apartment once when I was about 18. Really didn't have any reason not to.

Still don't. But it's no matter, I wouldn't let them in on principal. I would be doing the questioning, if everything seemed legitimate I would allow them in.

I also don't open the door without my pistol. It's usually in my pocket, but I've got my hand on it. I don't trust anyone these days. So their concern of you going and retrieving a gun is just a cop-out.

[musclestack]

It's a lose, lose situation. If you tell them they can't come in without a warrant, if they leave and come back with a warrant to search your home the door will be kicked in, house trashed and torn apart and who knows what else. I know, you didn't do anything wrong, but all LE has to do is present reasonable suspicion and cause and a judge will sign the warrant...at least in this day and age he will. LE in the U.S. has for awhile been above the citizenry. The slogan "Serve & Protect" should be changed to "Rule, Enforce and if there's time left over, Protect."

What's strange and shady is the fact that they thought I was the one they were looking for (if not, they would not have told me I need to show them ID). But, as I noted in the OP, they have a picture of their suspect, who I don't look anything like.

[--->>405<<---]

agree its a lose, lose. sounds like u handled it well enough.

[Metalject]

I just would not let anyone in without a justifiable reason. Saying you may have a gun was BS. Christ, you may have a rocket launcher for that matter. Then they questioned your ID. What about theirs?
Agree with metal though, it is a lose, lose situation.

One thing I don't like is how my own views on LE is could be said to be inline with radical nut jobs. But because the way LE has evolved over the years in the U.S. the constant lose, lose situation simply is what it is. We (people) give up more and more in the name of feeling protected and this is the end result. But what's truly amazing is that so many still can't see this. LE is viewed as righteous at all times by most. The claim "these men put their lives on the line every day" somehow negates everything else. I do not begrudge the individual officers as a whole, it's a larger problem than that and is our own fault. Personally, I would like to hold a higher respect for LE but what it's become is borderline tyrannical and if continues will be just that.

[Deal Me In]

I would have been very polite but not allowed them in. I would have said I will be happy to reach some kind of agreement with you about how to prove my identification but you can't come in. Once they realized we are at a standstill they would have let you go get your ID. If they had reason to believe you were dangerous they would have shown up with a SWAT team and a no knock warrant.

[musclestack]

I would have been very polite but not allowed them in. I would have said I will be happy to reach some kind of agreement with you about how to prove my identification but you can't come in. Once they realized we are at a standstill they would have let you go get your ID. If they had reason to believe you were dangerous they would have shown up with a SWAT team and a no knock warrant.

A bit off-topic, but it's funny you mention the 'no knock warrant' because they have gotten many LE officers killed by non-dangerous civilians. I've heard of many LE officers say they hate the no knock warrant for that reason alone...it's dangerous for them when they are confronted by a startled home owner with a gun in the middle of the night who thinks he/she is being robbed and only wants to protect him/herself, their family, and their property.

[pasha]

I would not let then inn. as a matter a fact i would not even open the door for somebody i did not know.

[Honkey_Kong]

I wouldn't have shown my ID to those fvckers. I believe that being forced to identify yourself to law enforcement violates the 5th amendment. And I think it's time that somebody takes it back to the Supreme Court again to challenge this (I'm well aware of their previous decision).

And cops lie about shit all the time. Federal or local, they're all liars trying to trick you in to admitting something you may or may not have done. The only thing you can do is keep your fvcking mouth shut and if they have enough "evidence" to detain you, let your lawyer handle it.

[thegodfather]

I wouldn't have shown my ID to those fvckers. I believe that being forced to identify yourself to law enforcement violates the 5th amendment. And I think it's time that somebody takes it back to the Supreme Court again to challenge this (I'm well aware of their previous decision).

And cops lie about shit all the time. Federal or local, they're all liars trying to trick you in to admitting something you may or may not have done. The only thing you can do is keep your fvcking mouth shut and if they have enough "evidence" to detain you, let your lawyer handle it.

+1...you don't have to identify to law enforcement unless you've been suspected of committing a crime. I would not have answered a single question, and if they felt they had strong enough evidence they could come back with a search or arrest warrant. But other then that, nope, hit the road, and calling the local police would have been an appropriate response.

[Deal Me In]

A bit off-topic, but it's funny you mention the 'no knock warrant' because they have gotten many LE officers killed by non-dangerous civilians. I've heard of many LE officers say they hate the no knock warrant for that reason alone...it's dangerous for them when they are confronted by a startled home owner with a gun in the middle of the night who thinks he/she is being robbed and only wants to protect him/herself, their family, and their property.

I had a friend of mine killed in Tampa about 6 months ago in this scenario. Some kid got pinched and mentioned to the police that he had bought some weed from my buddy. The police made a small buy from him and noticed that he had a gun at his house (he lived in a bad neighborhood) Because they had seen a gun they brought the SWAT team. When they entered his house in the middle of the night he did what any of us would do, grabbed his gun and went to investigate. As soon as they saw the gun they shot him.

If they would have just knocked on his door in the afternoon he would have let them in.

[Kozmo]

Can't come in. No warrant. Goodbye