Bang Bang Blame

Early Sunday morning a seven-year old Detroit girl was killed.  That kind of thing happens, but this time it's different, the seven-year old in this case, Aiyana Jones, was killed by Detroit police.

The warrant was executed about 12:40 a.m. ET Sunday at a home on the city's east side, Godbee said. Authorities believed the suspect in the Friday shooting death of 17-year-old high school student Jarean Blake was hiding out at the home. Blake was gunned down in front of a store as his girlfriend watched, Godbee said.

Preliminary information indicates that members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team approached the house and announced themselves as police, Godbee said, citing the officers and at least one independent witness.

"As is common in these types of situations, the officers deployed a distractionary device commonly known as a flash bang," he said in the statement. "The purpose of the device is to temporarily disorient occupants of the house to make it easier for officers to safely gain control of anyone inside and secure the premise."

Upon entering the home, the officer encountered a 46-year-old female inside the front room, Godbee said. "Exactly what happened next is a matter still under investigation, but it appears the officer and the woman had some level of physical contact.

"At about this time, the officer's weapon discharged one round which, tragically, struck 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley Jones in the neck/head area."

The girl was immediately transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Godbee said he and other officers went to the hospital while others stayed at the home to execute the warrant.

Aiyana's father, Charles Jones, told CNN affiliate WDIV, "She was sleeping and they came in the door shooting and throwing flash grenades ... burned my baby up and shot her, killed her."

Jones claimed the officers had the wrong house, but Godbee said in the statement the 34-year-old suspect in Blake's death was found and arrested at the home. In addition, a vehicle and a moped matching the descriptions of those involved in Blake's shooting were also found, he said.

The suspect's name was not released.

The cops say they had a suspect's location and went in with flashbang grenades and guns.  Into a home.  Now...what happened when Aiyana Jones was killed may never be fully known, but when the common response of a city police department is to use flashbang grenades, there's something wrong.  Clearly the grenade didn't "disorient" everyone in there.  And they used this weapon and still discharged deadly force on a seven-year old girl.

A suspect in a shooting in 2010 now rates flashbangs and a full SWAT team like something out of a Tom Clancy movie?  On our own citizens?  Nice.