crockett

Hate to break it to you, but this is perfectly legal and constitutional. Cops, FBI, ATF and probably Home Land Security have the right under the constitution to do warrantless searches if there is exigent circumstances or imminent threat.

You don't really think the LAPD had warrants to go search all those cabins out in the mountains now do yea when they were looking for Chris Dorner?

In this case and that case there was an "active" manhunt where officers had been shot as well as been in gun fights with the subject. Not to mention he was suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon.. The searches above are searches done in the "locked" down perimeter where they thought the second subject was hiding.

He was considered a imminent threat, and while no one wants cops busting through their doors, they did have the constitutional right to do warrantless door to door searches in this rare circumstance.

Now they can't just do that with any Axe Murdering Joe that might of chopped up his neighbor. However when there is a serious public threat they have the right. It just doesn't get used very often because there quite simply aren't many times they could legally get away with doing it.

A more common usage of this, would be the police chasing a suspect whom went into a random home. They don't need a warrant to proceed.