Updated: Police SWAT Team Holds Entire Family at Gunpoint for Hours By By Patrick Burwell Dec 5, 2008 in Crime A police SWAT team conducted a food raid in rural Ohio, holding an entire family at gunpoint for hours without explanation. John Loeffler of IRN joined Brannon Howse of WVN to report this latest story. Agents from the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture with the S.W.A.T. team did not give any explanation to the family other than a warrant, did not provide them a phone call, did not charge the family with anything as they burst into their private home. But what they did do was make a big mess, taking over ten thousand dollars of merchandise with them, reported the IVN Bureau Chief. "They were not read their rights… Over ten thousand dollars worth of food was taken, including the family’s personal stock of food for the coming year. All of their computers and all of their cell phones were taken, as well as phone and contact records. The food cooperative was virtually shut down. There was no rational explanation, nor justification, for this extreme violation of Constitutional rights." - John Loeffler, IRN/USA Mr. Loeffler is the Station Bureau Chief of IRN/USA Radio News, a 40-year broadcast news veteran and host of the weekly news program “Steel on Steel” ( America is now becoming a nation that steals food from its own citizens? "Presumably Manna Storehouse might eventually be charged with running a retail establishment without a license. Why then the Gestapo-type interrogation for a 3rd degree misdemeanor charge? This incident has raised the ominous specter of a restrictive new era in State regulation and enforcement over the nation’s private food supply."- steveandpaularunyan.blogspot.com Have we entered a new era of police brutality at the hands of our own government? John said, “They kept guns trained on the parents, the kids, toddlers, from about 11 in the morning until eight in the afternoon.” Is this what we expect now from our government? We’ll be reporting more on this story as it develops. A call was placed this morning to the Farmer to Consumer Legal Defense Fund for a statement on whether they will be representing the Stowers family and the Mannah Storehouse in the future but there was no answer. The Stowers family cannot be reached but an email was dispatched for comment. The radio talk show Brannon Howse streams live every day [ ---------------- Update: The Stowers Family representative has responded and stated they would be making a statement in the near future. -Patrick J Burwell Update: 1820hrs: December 5, 2008 A call to the Lagrange Township Sheriff's Department, 440-329-3710, and the Lorain Sheriff Dept., (440)355-4469, Reports there was no SWAT call for that address December 1st. The Family is still not available for further comment but the IRN Network Bureau Chief reported SWAT was there with a specific Department of Agriculture agent. I placed a call to John Loeffler who is presently recording his radio show and he will respond by phone when he comes out. More details to follow as they are revealed... ----------------- Update here ------------------------ Latest Update from Mannah Storehouse: Hi everyone. We are happy to announce that you can now follow our case through our attorney's website: We are unable to personally answer questions about the case or do interviews at this time, so please direct those types of questions to our lawyer, who is doing that for us. His contact information: Maurice Thompson (614) 224-4422 mthompson@buckeyeinstitute.org We would also encourage people to write letters, especially to the Governor of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Lorain County Health Department. We have had people inquire about making a donation to our legal fund. We would encourage anyone wanting to make a donation for that purpose to make it to the Buckeye Institute. The following is from their website: "The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and education group. As such, we do not perform contract work or accept government grants. To maintain the highest degree of intellectual integrity, we need the support of the people whose lives we're seeking to improve through sound public policy. We thank you in advance for your support. " Jackie would also request that anyone who has a similar story to share (government abuse), please mail or email it to us! Thank you again to everyone for your encouragement and support! Katie Stowers (for the rest of the family) :) Manna Storehouse 43565 State Route 303 LaGrange, OH 44050 (440) 355-5826; (440) 355-5831 fax www.mannastorehouse.com mannastorehouse@windstream.net Brannon Howse interviewed John Loeffler about his article on ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com on why SWAT police, armed for riot control weapons, packing automatic rifles and armored for a terrorist response stormed a family food cooperative in Ohio.Agents from the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture with the S.W.A.T. team did not give any explanation to the family other than a warrant, did not provide them a phone call, did not charge the family with anything as they burst into their private home. But what they did do was make a big mess, taking over ten thousand dollars of merchandise with them, reported the IVN Bureau Chief.Mr. Loeffler is the Station Bureau Chief of IRN/USA Radio News, a 40-year broadcast news veteran and host of the weekly news program “Steel on Steel” ( www.steelonsteel.com ), which began in 1990, heard on the Information Radio Network.America is now becoming a nation that steals food from its own citizens?Have we entered a new era of police brutality at the hands of our own government?John said, “They kept guns trained on the parents, the kids, toddlers, from about 11 in the morning until eight in the afternoon.” Is this what we expect now from our government?We’ll be reporting more on this story as it develops.A call was placed this morning to the Farmer to Consumer Legal Defense Fund for a statement on whether they will be representing the Stowers family and the Mannah Storehouse in the future but there was no answer. The Stowers family cannot be reached but an email was dispatched for comment.The radio talk show Brannon Howse streams live every day [ http://www.worldviewmatters.net ] is an excellent source of information and worth your while subscribing to.----------------Update: The Stowers Family representative has responded and stated they would be making a statement in the near future. -Patrick J BurwellUpdate:1820hrs: December 5, 2008A call to the Lagrange Township Sheriff's Department, 440-329-3710, and the Lorain Sheriff Dept., (440)355-4469, Reports there was no SWAT call for that address December 1st.The Family is still not available for further comment but the IRN Network Bureau Chief reported SWAT was there with a specific Department of Agriculture agent.I placed a call to John Loeffler who is presently recording his radio show and he will respond by phone when he comes out.More details to follow as they are revealed...-----------------------------------------Latest Update from Mannah Storehouse:Hi everyone. We are happy to announce that you can now follow our case through our attorney's website: www.buckeyeinstitute.org . The press statement can be seen directly at: http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/article/1284 We are unable to personally answer questions about the case or do interviews at this time, so please direct those types of questions to our lawyer, who is doing that for us. His contact information:Maurice Thompson(614) 224-4422We would also encourage people to write letters, especially to the Governor of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Lorain County Health Department.We have had people inquire about making a donation to our legal fund. We would encourage anyone wanting to make a donation for that purpose to make it to the Buckeye Institute. The following is from their website:"The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and education group. As such, we do not perform contract work or accept government grants. To maintain the highest degree of intellectual integrity, we need the support of the people whose lives we're seeking to improve through sound public policy. We thank you in advance for your support. "Jackie would also request that anyone who has a similar story to share (government abuse), please mail or email it to us!Thank you again to everyone for your encouragement and support!Katie Stowers(for the rest of the family) :)Manna Storehouse43565 State Route 303LaGrange, OH 44050(440) 355-5826; (440) 355-5831 fax More about Police, Brutality, Homeopathic, Co-op More news from police brutality homeopathic co-op