[ryguytilidie]

I don't know why the article didn't really discuss this, but if you know that there are armed gamblers inside and are worried that they will be a danger to you, why not just announce that you are outside, have the people come out and just wait? Storming through the door with weapons drawn SPECIFICALLY because you believe that they are armed is probably the worst piece of logic possible. You are basically causing deaths with negligence at this point. But there isn't really much of an incentive to change this process when you get to murder whatever civilian you want and take their stuff and know that even if they fight back, they will go to prison for a very very long time. I don't get why this is the way things work.

[kdeberk]

Well I don't think that the police officers risk waiting. I can think of several reasons why you don't want to have this standoff. Mainly, it would give the suspects enough time to destroy any evidence that could incriminate the suspects. Furthermore, if you are assuming that the only way for this standoff to end will be through the own volition of the suspects, then this standoff could turn into a siege and last months.

[philwelch]

A months-long siege over a home poker game!?