Submachine Guns Drawn, Seattle Police Break Down Door of Medical Marijuana Patient-

[asdjrocky]

Push Him to the Floor, and Raid His Home—for Two Tiny Pot Plants

The Seattle Police Department and the mayor's office have repeatedly insisted that marijuana possession, per city law, is the lowest law enforcement priority. They also adhere, they say, to a state law that makes it legal for authorized patients to use and grow marijuana.

But last night provided evidence that Seattle police are willing to invest tremendous resources in the smallest of pot cases—even cases where the pot is legal—and the mayor’s office will remain silent.

Just before 9:00 p.m., officers at SPD’s East Precinct held a briefing about the complaint of marijuana at a four-unit apartment building in the Leschi neighborhood. One week earlier, officers applied for a search warrant from King County Superior Court, sent an officer with a K9 to sniff at the door, confirmed the scent of marijuana, and were in the process last night of planning a raid. “Once the briefing was completed, officers donned their raid equipment clearly marked ‘Police’ on all sides,” according to a draft incident report filed by police.

A cadre of between six and nine officers ran up the stairs; some carried MP5 submachine guns, others held pistols, and at least one held the battering ram. They pounded on the apartment door and said it was the police.

The whole story is worth a read, more so for those who are cannabis activists in the Seattle area. This guy, after all, was pro police and a former veteran Airborne Ranger who served in Desert Shield, and he had no criminal record or had he drawn any unwarranted attention from the local police. Why the hard nosed tactics?

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/10/26/submachine-guns-drawn-seattle-police-break-down-door-of-medical-marijuana-patient-push-him-to-the-floor-and-raid-his-homefor-two-tin

[Chulanowa]

1. Ah, Seattle

I swear my town's cops have a competition running with the LAPD. Disgusting

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. They're nowhere near the LAPD.

But they're in huge backslide mode.

[Fumesucker]

2. Cops by and large looooove the drug laws and attendant hysteria..

It's great fun and vastly profitable to bust into people's homes in the middle of the night, shoot their dogs and maybe even the people themselves if they react a bit too strongly to masked men kicking their door down.

The drug laws really should be named the Law Enforcement Officer's Job Protection and Wage Enhancement Act.

[glitch]

6. And without drug laws they'd get no big budget toys from the feds.

They love their toys almost as much as their jobs and wages. For some the toys are why they became cops in the first place.

[thereismore]

4. But the tiny plants could become huge plants, so a pre-emptive strike was warranted.

:smoke:

Oh fuck me.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Talk about overkill. Wonder how much that cost the city.

And I bet the stoned look on his face was priceless. What are we coming to in this country?

[asdjrocky]

7. Good point.

But I guess it's worth it to... why did they do it again?