Hey out of curiosity how do search warrants work on a day like today? What happens if an officer goes to a house and says "Can we check your house" and the owner is like "No way."?
Not trying to make a point here at all.
There has to be an imminent danger type situation to search a house without a warrant (or permission). The police could do it anyway, but they run the risk of having all of the evidence tossed out and certainly open themselves up to potential liability by the home owner. Now in the situation where you are looking for a person (and not evidence) the risk of getting evidence tossed out is diminished, but is still there (like say the person has a bunch of evidence on him).
Well the danger is very very imminent. This is the single most wanted alive man in the history of the country essentially. Other than maybe Jefferson Davis and John Wilkes Booth, but those guys weren't suspected of wearing suicide vests
This is imminent danger as such that would allow the police to forego the constitution. Imminent danger, means immediate, like a fire, an assault, a weird chemical smell, medical emergencies, etc. Hunting down a fugitive is not imminent danger unless said fugitive is taking hostages (which by all accounts these guys were not doing - though they did commit a robbery).
Say you are a homeowner minding your business and the cops ask to search your home for this person. You don't have the person there, but maybe you have some pot out or maybe you have a sick child sleeping or maybe you just don't want a bunch of cops going through your house opening doors and looking for someone that just isn't there. What if the cops damage your property, track mud all through your white carpet, etc. How would you feel? Your rights have been violated without cause and you could and many would sue.
The U.S. is not a police state. The law must and will be followed even when tracking down a fugitive. And let's be clear this guy is a sick twisted individual, but he is no where near the most wanted fugitive in the history of the U.S. That is such a gross exaggeration of the highest order. I mean the kid in the Colorado shooting killed far more people and that was just last year. McVeigh caused far greater damage and a much higher death toll with the OKC bombing in the 90's. Don't get me wrong it was a horrific event, but the hyperbole is just crazy.