Who is Doug Balli? Innocent Texan family's home DESTROYED by SWAT team raid ordered by police chief
GALVESTON, TEXAS: Officials report that a Galveston family's home was destroyed by a SWAT team during a raid that was conducted in search of a murder suspect. It turns out, they had wrongly suspected a person who had visited the innocent family earlier. As a result, the Texas police chief, Doug Balli, who ordered the raid has been placed on administrative leave.
According to Erika Rios's statement to a local news outlet, she and her three teenage daughters were roused from sleep on January 22, at approximately two in the morning by the sound of a voice on a megaphone screaming outside. The voice claimed to be from the Galveston Police Department.
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Who is Doug Balli?
In 1994, Assistant Chief Doug Balli started his career in law enforcement by joining the Galveston Police Department as a patrol officer. In the year 2003, he was given the rank of Sergeant, and in the year 2015, he was promoted to the level of Lieutenant. Assistant Chief Balli served in the Criminal Investigation Division, the Property Room, and the Office of Professional Standards over the course of his tenure.
What happened on SWAT raid gone wrong?
On January 22, the SWAT team raided the home of a Galveston family. According to the Galveston Police Department, they were seeking a suspect named Cameron Vargas, who was 17 years old and suspected of being involved in the murder of a person, shot dead on January 20.
However, not only did Vargas not reside in the house, but the Galveston police have now stated that Vargas himself is no longer a suspect in the case. "Vargas had visited the family home earlier in the day but was not there at the time of the raid," Rios told Daily News.
The raid was caught on security camera, which revealed that the SWAT squad had broken through the front door before leading the terrified family members out of the house barefoot. The police chief of Galveston, Texas, was put on administrative leave as he had ordered the SWAT raid on the home of the innocent family and then failed to mention the incident to officials.
The Galveston Municipal Police Association released a statement "In the recent articles about Galveston Police Chief D. Balli, we would like the public to know that although GMPA’s relationship with the Chief is more often adversarial, you can be certain of this...Chief Balli would NEVER intentionally or knowingly allow an officer, specialized unit, or even a citizen to harm to someone, or violate the law. If by chance there was a miscommunication issue, it will be uncovered and addressed in the investigation. Chief Balli would also never allow facts or actions to be hidden or concealed. Chief Balli is an upstanding citizen and leader who cares about the Island. GMPA is going to wait for the conclusion of the investigation before passing judgment and we ask that everyone else does the same. Thank you for your understanding in this difficult time.”