Of Cops, Guns, and God-Given Rights

Article in the local daily:

A mask, a shotgun and gloves - that's what a Gatorville police officer saw on a man early Tuesday behind a St. Nicholas apartment when officers responded to a home invasion call there.

What the officer didn't realize was that the masked man was one of three bail bondsmen another group of officers had helped at the same Mayfair Village complex minutes earlier.  In the confusion, two of the bondsmen were shot, with one dead and one critical.

WTF?  Masked, armed, bail bondsmen sneaking around in the middle of the night trying to apprehend someone who jumped bail??  But wait, there's more:

...police got a call for help from the bondsmen just before 2 a.m. to serve a warrant for a driver's license and motor vehicle tag issue.  They got no answer to their knocks and officers left, although the bondsmen apparently stayed and at least one of them put on a ski mask and was armed with a shotgun.

Police dispatchers later got a call from a woman in the apartment, saying she saw  "armed individuals... dressed all in black " outside...   That upgraded the call to an armed home invasion, prompting officers to take a  "tactical approach "... officer Jason Bailey saw the masked man with a shotgun behind one building and shot him...

This whole scene raises so many questions about bail bondsmen it's difficult to know where to start.  But here's the capper:

Linda Braswell, president of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States, said,  "The whole incident is unfortunate.  I know bail agents have the right to pursue individuals that have not appeared in court.  That is their God-given right ."

OK friends, let's hear from you.  Masks, guns, God-given rights.  Are we fucked up or what?