As you mention this is quite common in the U.S. These "high-risk" warrant teams are used all the time for serving narcotics warrants on non-violent offenders.

As you mention this is quite common in the U.S. These "high-risk" warrant teams are used all the time for serving narcotics warrants on non-violent offenders. They also commonly get the wrong address or the wrong suspect with tragic results. Take a peek at the map of botched paramilitary raids for a sobering look at what happens when the police screw up: http://www.cato.org/raidmap http://www.cato.org/raidmap