Betton suit receives national coverage in debate over the deadly consequences of police SWAT teams

More than a year ago, Patterson Harkavy filed suit on behalf of Julian Betton, a South Carolina man who was shot nine times in his own home during a police raid. The shooting left Mr. Betton in a coma for six weeks; he is now paralyzed from the waist down.

Both the New York Times and the Washington Post recently discussed Mr. Betton's tragic shooting in series questioning the increased use of municipal SWAT teams. The series note that SWAT teams are increasingly used for minor drug charges such as those brought against Mr. Betton. And they discuss the deadly consequences such militarized tactics have for the communities police forces are supposed to protect.

The New York Times discussed Mr. Betton's shooting in an article titled "Door-Busting Drug Raids Leave a Trail of Blood."

In the Washington Post, Radley Balko wrote a follow-up article about Betton's suit: "South Carolina Police Shot a Man to Pieces Over $100 Worth of Pot, Then Lied About It."