SWAT Kills Marine in His Home

"SWAT was returning fire."

That is what the first official press release said anyway, about a search warrant being served on United States Marine LCpl. Jose Guerena, by SWAT Officers, while he slept.  54 seconds later, he was bleeding out through 60 bullet holes.  Then it would then take an hour for SWAT to allow paramedics access to him, to confirm his death.


The second story released by Pima County Officials was that the point SWAT man 'fell' backwards, and they thought he had been hit, so they opened fire.  


Most recent, is a 54 second video that clearly features a siren sound for about 8-9 seconds, a team of SWAT officers standing at a front door, there's some muffled yelling, and banging on the door, then a breach of the door.  Once it swings fully open, a full 5 seconds elapses, then the SWAT team opens fire on the Marine, missing 11 out of 71 shots fired.


The question is what did this two tour combat hardened Marine actually DO to cause the SWAT team to open fire?


Well, for starters, he was asleep at 9:30 A.M. when the raid began, as he had just finished working a night shift.  He awoke to his wife saying, I think someone is trying to break-in the front door.  By this time, there are no more sirens, and SWAT is at his front door.  At this point, it is important to note that some of the Marine's extended family members had suffered a break-in about a year prior, in their home at a different location, and had all been shot and killed.  With potentially armed intruders at his doorstep, the Marine's training took over.


If you wake up a sleeping Marine, and tell him someone is trying to invade his perimeter, he will grab his weapon, shoulder it, train his sights on the point he expects to receive hostile forces from, and make his weapon ready to fire.  Upon SEEING the targets he will take aim and begin firing, IF the Marine concludes they are indeed hostile forces.  That the door was open for a full 5 seconds is evidence that the Marine did NOT perceive a threat.  Further investigation found that not only had the Marine NOT fired a single round, but his weapon was safetied.  So, upon SEEING Uniformed SWAT Officers, the Marine did exactly as his training dictated.  He put his weapon on safety, disengaged the target, and probably raised his weapon and hands and began to make himself visible.


SWAT Officers opened fire on a Marine actively surrendering...   We know this is what happened, because these are the actions the Marine's training would dictate.


As the Marine laid bleeding to death, this same SWAT team barred medical personnel from administering first aid for the length of an hour.  


Mistakes within this operation by law enforcement occurred at each and every level, with each and every step, and sealed the fate of a law abiding citizen and Marine Vet, who had no history of criminal behavior, and possessed nothing illegal on his person or in his home.  


Marine LCpl. Jose Guerena is dead today, his wife a widow, and his children left fatherless, because law enforcement officials failed to serve and protect him.