Drug War Issues
The Memphis police officer who was shot and killed last Saturday night died after approaching a vehicle and interrupting an apparent marijuana transaction. Officer Sean Bolton was shot in the head during the incident and died that same evening.
Officer Bolton becomes the 37th person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year. All the others are civilians, except for a pair of Mississippi police officers killed in April in a traffic stop turned drug search.
At a Sunday press conference, Memphis Police Chief Toney Armstrong said Officer Bolton saw a vehicle parked illegally, pulled in front of it, and turned on his spotlight. As Bolton approached, a passenger got out and fought with Bolton, then shot him.
"After inventorying the suspect vehicle, it was found that Officer Bolton apparently interrupted some sort of drug transaction," Armstrong said, noting that police found a digital scale and 1.7 grams of marijuana. "We're talking about less than 2 grams of marijuana. We're talking about a misdemeanor citation. We probably would not have even transported for that."
That such a seemingly petty offense resulted in an officer's death galled the police chief.
"You gun down, you murder a police officer, for less than two grams of marijuana," he said. "You literally destroy a family. Look at the impact this has had on this department, this community, this city, for less than two grams of marijuana."
But for someone on parole, getting caught with even a little weed could have serious consequences. The man who police have identified as the suspect, 29-year-old Tremaine Wilbourn, was on parole after serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery. Now he's back behind bars, awaiting trial for murder.
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Comments
Less than two grams
"You literally destroy a family. Look at the impact this has had on this department, this community, this city, for less than two grams of marijuana."
Indeed, but more than enough peoples futures and careers have been destroyed for less than two grams of marijuana, because of the horrible prohibition and the legal consequences. Thanks to our police and unjust laws.
"You Literally Destroy a Family"
and for each police officers family destroyed, 1000's of "criminals" and their familys have been destroyed destroyed by the drug war.
mandatory minimums
enhancement zones
we have supported and kept dictators in power in almost ever single country in latin america
and every one of them have committed atrocities on their populations using their training or weapon from the US.
Prohibition is also what drives te price of these drugs so extremely high, that selling them can easily change your life. That means someone will always step up to continue the work, and they are worth killing over.
Then the many many Trillions we have spent in the US alone, not to mention all the other places.
That doesn't include the Trillions we spend on locking people up, The USA has more people in prisons than any other country on Earth, and yet we have more people buying and using drugs than ever before.
More than when you could buy Morphine at the Pharm w/o a RX, and Cocaine was the main thing in Coca-Cola.
Pathetic and Depressing
Family destroyed...
Seriously. How many people has the drug war destroyed mentally, socially and physically. When you weigh those costs against getting caught for something that is "NEVER" going away then don't be surprised when bad things happen to the people involved in enforcing or supporting these drug laws.
This Memphis policeman, and
Eric Garner was killed behind
Eric Garner was killed behind selling loose cigarettes His family was destroyed, his community was impacted.
Are his murderers in jail awaiting trial?
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