Pubdate: Sat, 18 May 2002
Source: Newsday (NY)
Copyright: 2002 Newsday Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308
Authors: Michael Rothfeld and Mitchell Freedman
Note: Staff writers Keiko Morris, Robin Topping and Eden Laikin contributed 
to this story.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

MAN SHOT IN AQUEBOGUE POLICE RAID

An early morning drug raid in Aquebogue went awry Friday when a New York 
State Police trooper shot and killed a 27-year-old man who was one target 
of an investigation into a marijuana and cocaine ring, law enforcement 
officials said.

The shooting at 12 Overlook Drive came seconds after two State Police 
troopers with guns drawn entered John Rasanen's dark basement bedroom at 
about 6 a.m. Friday, police said. Rasanen was in bed with a woman when the 
troopers stormed inside.

"He was sleeping," said Maj. Walter Heesch, commander of the State Police 
on Long Island. "They announced they were coming in, he was awoken, and 
despite repeated commands announcing that they were police and to lie down, 
he lunged toward the trooper, who was armed, obviously, and this resulted 
in him being shot once in the chest, causing his death."

Rasanen died on the spot. Investigators later found a loaded automatic 
handgun that they believe was Rasanen's behind a television within feet of 
his body. Heesch said Rasanen was not moving in the direction of that gun, 
however, and he did not know whether Rasanen was attempting to grab the 
trooper's gun, a 9-mm semiautomatic pistol.

State Police would not release the identity of the trooper who fired at 
Rasanen or the names of the four others, three women and a man, who were in 
bed at the house at the time of the raid.

Detectives from the State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and its 
Albany-based Internal Affairs Bureau were combing the house and 
interviewing witnesses Friday. They will submit their findings to the 
Suffolk County district attorney's Office when the investigation is 
complete and a grand jury will likely be asked to determine whether the 
shooting was justified, officials said.

The state penal law says a police officer may use "deadly physical force" 
against someone only if the officer "reasonably believes" the person is 
committing or attempting to commit certain felonies, threatening to use 
"imminent" physical force against someone else, or if the officer believes 
it is "reasonably necessary" to use "deadly physical force" to defend 
himself or someone else against the "imminent use of deadly force."

The raid in Aquebogue Friday morning began simultaneously with three others 
in Riverhead, Hampton Bays and Middle Island as part of what police said 
was a six-month joint narcotics investigation conducted by the State and 
Suffolk County police. At the three other locations, seven people were 
arrested and two more were being sought, said Suffolk Chief of Department 
Philip Robilotto.

Rasanen's only drug conviction was a misdemeanor for cocaine possession for 
which he received 3 years' probation, according to court records. But 
Heesch said he was a "mid-level" narcotics distributor of late. "He was 
doing substantial weight," Heesch said. Armed with arrest and search 
warrants, officers from State and Suffolk police began with a briefing at 5 
a.m. Friday, then dispersed to the four homes. Twenty of them went to the 
split-level house on Overlook Drive that Rasanen was renting.

According to Heesch, the events transpired this way: Eight officers from 
State Police's Mobile Response Team walked up to the front door, announced 
they were coming in, and used a battering ram to enter. Four went upstairs 
and four downstairs, he said. Upstairs, a man and a woman were sleeping in 
two different rooms. Downstairs, a sergeant and a trooper found a woman 
sleeping in a living area.

Two other troopers entered Rasanen's bedroom, where they found him and a 
woman. Rasanen sprang up, Heesch said, and the shooting occurred.

"It's very quick," Heesch said.

Heesch said all four raids were linked as part of the ongoing investigation 
of East End drug sales. All four of the state cops in the room during the 
shooting are being questioned about the incident. "There are a lot of loose 
ends to tie up," Heesch said.

Police and sheriff's deputies also raided 10 Birch Court in Northampton, 
where Rasanen's parents, Leroy and Peggy, live and where John Rasanen has 
lived in the past. Daniel Rogers, a Riverhead attorney who said he was 
representing Rasanen on "minor traffic violations," said police seized a 
car and two motorcyles from the house.

On Overlook Drive, three or four police cars blocked the road most of the day.

Rogers came to the scene and complained to reporters that police had lied 
to him when he asked about the victim. Rogers said Rasanen's parents had 
called him around 8:30 a.m., because they heard something about someone 
getting shot on the radio. "They heard a rumor he was injured," Rogers said.

Rogers said State Police at the Hampton Bays barracks told him Rasanen was 
under arrest and refused to show him the arrest warrant. He said he called 
Rasanen's family members and told them he was not hurt. Then, he said, he 
went to the scene and learned that Rasanen was dead.

"On behalf of the family, what happened is an absolute tragedy," Rogers 
said. "The police refuse to talk to us. The police are indicating, by their 
conduct, that they have something to hide... "

Heesch said he couldn't comment on Rogers' complaint because he was still 
gathering information about Friday morning's events.

Neighbors in Northampton said Rasanen, who had three brothers, had attended 
Riverhead High School but did not graduate. Kenneth Harris said Rasanen was 
a good friend of his son, Kenneth Jr., and both loved riding motorcycles. 
Rasanen had both a dirt bike and a Japanese high-performance motorcycle. 
Sometimes he would pay Rasanen to cut down trees.

"He was a good kid. He never bothered anyone," Harris said. "I can't 
believe it. He kept his hair short. He was a clean-cut kid."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Alex