Help Matthew Stewart
Contact Information
If you are a legal professional, pertinent expert witness, or ballistics expert, and you’d like to donate your services to Matthew’s defense please use the following contact information.
Email: info@helpmatthewstewart.org
Mailing address:
HMS
P.O. BOX 43
Ogden, UT 84402
Matthew, While I don’t imagine myself ever being in your situation, I want you to know that I support you… Support you in your fighting for yourself against police aggression and fighting for your right to cultivate and consume anything you damn well please in the privacy of your own home. Fuck the Drug War and its false pretenses. I’m a former Marine and Desert Storm veteran. Hang in there, buddy.
Good luck and please – do what ever you can to get the venue changed to SLC and try to get Yengich involved in your defense.
A hundred buck check is in the mail today.
Given the latest news today about the state still threatening action on fund raising, please hold my check when you get it until such time as you are able to proceed.
Also, for future reference – who should checks be made out to? You might want to include that here. I wrote mine to: Matt Stewart defense fund.
Just here to say I support Matt and these comments posted here.
I want to find out what really happened.
This whole thing seems as if there is a cover-up of some sort.
Did the officers shoot each other? Are they destroying evidence such as bullet holes originating from different angles?
I don’t like the idea of authorities trying to seize the house, especially since no-one has been tried or convicted, or denying the defense access to the premise to gather evidence.
Why do we need 12 armed and armored officers to show up and break the door down for “suspected” cultivation?
He was not an obvious threat, nor was he violent before these “peace officers” broke his door down.
I have also experienced the terror of the weber morgan strike force when they broke in my front door march 2009. I don’t understand how matthew had time to shoot anyone once let alone 6 times, it happens so fast! I would like to suggest the family and others concerned solicit feedback from other people that have been victims of the home invasion tactics of the strike force. It may shed light on what actually happens and the trauma that people suffer from these violent tactics. I can tell you that whenever I see the strike force suited up and ready to raid someplace, I go into a panic. I suffer from PSTD from the march 2009 invasion of my home. I would be glad to speak to anyone about what happened that day, my partner has told me that she would like to tell her feelings and experience of that day.
Extra_Input
posted 10 hours ago
Yes it is wrong to require permits to ask for donations. But that is the bureaucratic method. I would LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT “The department said all groups seeking to solicit donations have to go through the same process, including those soliciting money for Francom’s fund. Stewart’s fundraising effort was not singled out.”
I figured I would check on that little detail yet again. AND GUESS WHAT? THE FRANCOM AND OTHER CHARITIES for the injured officers DO NOT HAVE A PERMIT EITHER! http://consumerprotection.utah.gov/consumerinfo/lists.html and using their search feature to rifle through their database shows that THE DRUGGY IS BEING SINGLED OUT!
So in summary it is absurd that people should have to register to solicit funds for whatever reason they choose. But since they’re going after the druggy, they SHOULD go after the other groups who according to the Utah Department of Consumer Protection HAVE NOT REGISTERED to fund raise EITHER!
glad to see there are people willing to help. this state really needs to wake up! please keep us informed on the progress. got the address checks in the mail.
“storm troopers?”
Really???
Mike, Sonja…you both have a serious stake in moderating these kinds of sentiments that only drive the city further apart. One can only assume that, by allowing these kinds of comments to remain on the website, you both condone these sentiments against OPD and anyone else who sympathizes with the death of a police officer and the injury of many others.
I think you can all do better than this…
Again, God Bless.
We have gotten a great deal of flack for monitoring our websites, it seems as if we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. In case you were wondering Mike and Sonja do not monitor this site. However other family members do, or at least try to do their best while in the face of much scrutiny. No, not all the views that are expressed on this site are exact sentiments of the family members but they do offer support and a form of understanding of what Matthew is going through. Have you tried to talk to Mike and Sonja in person to tell them how you feel? You might be surprised of their standing in all of this. WE LOVE OUR OFFICERS. We do not blame them for doing their job and we are DEEPLY saddened by what our community has gone through and for the families that have had to deal with the trauma and especially for Officer Jared Francom’s family. No one can replace their loved one. I do thank you for visiting the site. Much gratitude and respect.
Its the rule of the law i dont agree with. I dont hate cops. Not real fond of our lawmakers though. Its insane that we live in a state where our freedom of choice is taken away by the moral police.I feel bad for all involved. I for one would like to see reasonable people passing laws for normal people.Marijuana should be legal. Right now it is Americas largest cash crop. Legal in a lot of places ignored in others. It is my belief that this event could only happen in Utah.Brought on by narrow minded lawmakers. I for one will support the Stewart family to the end. By the way Mr. Stewart im an old guy, not much on computers. I will come to future events if I know about them. Id of brought my whole family! We are with you. Ill send more money as i can.
I worked with the Stewarts for 5 years at Walmart and each one of them have a special place in my heart including Matt. I want to do whatever I can to support them in this battle. It’s ugly and they need to know that there are people out there that do care and will be there. So, here I am you guys. Let me know what I can do.
I believe that the so called cops are lying and went the wrong way when they shouldn’t have. I am a soldier and combat veteran and even I know when its right and wrong. All of the cops involved should be charged with a crime of terrorism. And this I know 100%… red white and blue.
Police procedures need to change! They can be brutal at times and it is not safe for anyone involved.
When I saw the pictures of the strike force officers on the KSL website the first thing I thought was those guys are definitly undercover. If I saw one of them on the street I would never think they were law enforcement officers. They looked like druggies themselves with the long hair and facial hair. I dont think I would believe they were the laws even if they said “Police warrent open the door” I would think they are thugs breaking into my house.
What were the Cops Wearing ? What did the Search Warrant say ? Was any of the materials mentioned in the Warrant found ? Reasonable Belief that you are in Imminent Danger of Serious Bodily Injury Justifies the Use of Deadly Force …. I am specifically interested in What EXACTLY revealed that these Cops properly identified themselves ? Unfortunately you are dealing with Mormons at all levels and Frankly Mormons are very Arrogant and exceptionally PACK minded. The entire KOLOBIAN Brainwash is an amazingly powerful SELF RIGHTEOUS Brain Washing. Thanks
I will have you know that I may not suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there have been times when the wind blows too hard, and I wake with my heart pounding wondering what the heck that noise was. I can assure you that if several armed men were to “raid” my home, I would see them only as a threat. The fact that they are treating a man that risked his life to defend our country like this, is disgusting. They knew exactly what they were doing. All Mr Stewart did was defend his home as well as his life. There is not a doubt in my mind that Mr. Stewart was exercising the “stand your ground” law. The fact that they broke into his home, which was supposed to be his safe haven, and they were ready for combat, clearly spells out their intentions. I do not understand what he was supposed to do, lay down and die? Were the officers shooting at him to scare him or kill him? When officers fired upon him their goal was to end his life, end his dreams, his thoughts, his goals, everything he ever was or would have been.
It does not matter if it is an officer of the “law” or a crack fiend who will do anything it takes to get drug money….if they are trying to slay you, you do everything in your power to live another day. I believe Mr. Stewart knew that and did just that for his will to live, but the court may murder him for it. It is clear to me that this case is incredibly biased. I beg of anyone who reads this to do anything you can to help him in anyway way. They are trying to murder a potentially innocent man.
Let me stress the fact that they knew that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Please think about it, they knew that he worked at Walmart, and they could have easily apprehended him there, without incident. Instead, they decided to show up at his house in the middle of the night while he lay peacefully, as if it were any other day. They decided to make a political statement out of him. It seems to me that there is more to this than a simple possession of marijuana. Because of this, there is a man dead and a man that has been horribly disfigured. As if that is not enough, a man who has been victim to a terrible injustice is going to be punished for it.
Again, if you read this, please do anything you can to help justice prevail in this dismal, biased case for a man’s freedom. Spread the message.
Seth L. Teti
sethlt@yahoo.com
Michael….I am so sorry to learn of your sons situation. You and I go way back to elementary school in Ogden. I have also suffered police bombarding me in my home looking for my son who had a false police report issued against him. Twelve police officers against me alone…and the woman who made the false police report went along her way with no repercusions. My heart goes out to you and your family. Matt is your son and believe me, I know your love for him.
I will pray for Matt and this injustice. Marian
I cant help out with funding, but Id like to express my concerns on this case and support for Matthew to the judge that is taking on his case, is this information known? If so please email me the information. Thank you.
Seems like there are some thoughtful, reasonable people contributing their thoughts here, and it’s my hope that Mr. Matthews’ defense is able to get some similarly thoughtful people on his jury.
You’re obviously already aware that the massive upswing in the use of no-knock raids to serve simple search warrants has led to a corresponding increase in the number of such warrants served on the wrong premises, often with tragic results. If you haven’t already, you might contact Radley Balko at the Huffington Post; his entire journalistic career has been spent chronicling the rise of no-knock raids and their often-tragic consequences. He has written of myriad instances where homeowners have been killed when the police had the wrong address and where police have been killed because the homeowner quite understandably believed he was the victim of a simple home invasion.
You need to get your story out. There’s a wonderful site called change.org where you can start a petition drive. While other civil rights and human rights organizations waited or refused to do anything, this organization got the word out on the Travyon Martin tragedy. Otherwise, that tragedy would have been swept under the rug, as the Florida police chief had already announced no charges would be filed against Martin’s killer. change.org was able to get national and international support. Best of luck. This reminds me of other similar cases that have ended in tragedy where police raided a home, claiming they announced themselves when they didn’t. I believe that’s what happened here. They burst down the door and may or may not have announced themselves later. These raids almost always end tragically with someone or the family pet getting killed. On rare occasions an officer may get shot or killed, but usually it’s by friendly fire. Wish you and your family all the luck.