Police Steal Xbox From Innocent Marijuana Suspect
This is exactly the sort of daily injustice that comes to mind when drug war proponents insist that no one goes to jail for marijuana. It’s false, but also completely beside the point. You don’t even have to have any marijuana to get screwed over in the war on drugs:
So does the story end there?
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 1:17amI wanna know if they are going to fire this asshole armed robber disguised as a cop, or will it be filed as a "Miscommunication."
Just Doin' our Job
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 3:53ama little surprised they didn't drop a joint in his garbage.
His system is gone...forever
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 12:46pmHaving grown up around large numbers of police (father was a cop) I have a pretty fair understanding of how things work. First, the officer of course shouldnt have confiscated the system in the first place. Secondly, police are required to provide you a reciept if they do confiscate something, not just tell you to call them and they will meet you somewhere to return it. That way you have a document to prove what it is that you are supposed to be having returned to you if the officer that actually confiscated the item is not available for some reason. Also, while police reports are not required for a traffic stop in most instances, any traffic stop that ends with an arrest, a further investigation, or the confiscation of the car or anything in the car does require that a police report be filed immediately.
Apparently, none of these things happened. The reporter says there wasnt even a record of the traffic stop at all. This was wrong, an abuse of power, and quite frankly sanctioned theft. If this is allowed, what prevents an officer from looking in your window of your home, deciding that you don't look like you should be able to afford that really nice flat TV on your wall or that it is out of place in your neihborhood and confiscating that until such time as you can prove to the officer that you purchased it? What if you didnt purchase it from a store? What if you bought whatever it may be from a yard sale ( I see x boxs and tons of games for sale at yard sales all the time).
The X-box is gone forever. This was simply theft.
Someone made out with it
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 2:24pmI hate the cops that act like they're above the law (maybe he made a few bucks on the side). I feel bad for the guy, the things people do to steal these game systems (like when someone had an elaborate scheme of stealing a few Nintendo Wii's then floating down a river on an innertube as a getaway)
Armed robbery
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 2:25pmThese cops have obviously gotten away with robbing people like that black man so many times they see little risk in putting their police career on the line for a video game set.
Sad but true
Comment posted by Scott Morgan on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 3:17pmWell said. This reflects terribly on existing standards of professionalism.
Erin J response
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 4:10pmThis kind of thing happens all the time, I am just so suprised that this ONE incident got national attention. Should the law enforcement agencies investigate? YES! Will they....NO. SHould this officer be fired or suspended without leave? YES! WIll it happen, probably not. I praise the victim on obvioulsy getting the badge number and filing a complaint in this incident, but what does this say about our legal system as Americans.What will we do to ensure our rights are not infringed upon by any police officer who didn't have any friends in high school and now abuses his authority on the streets as a bully. The answer is simple: STOP consenting to searches...the probable cause LIE wouldn't have held up in court in this situation, there was no reason for the young man to be searched. Either stand for something or Fall for ANYTHING!
Report the X-Box as stolen?
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 4:40pmMaybe he should report it as stolen? He has a receipt, with the serial #. If the cop has it.....can he be arrested for possession of stolen property....or even theft?
abuse of power
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 4:59pmA perfect example of guilty until proven innocent!!!!!
exactly why I can't trust cops
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:05pmAs people have said, this kind of thing happens way too often. They really need to get rid of "I smell Marijuana" as probable cause for a search because even if you refuse a search they can just bs you and say that then bam, they can legally search your car regardless of whether or not it actually smells like marijuana. I had this happen to me TWO YEARS BEFORE I started smoking marijuana (by the Long Beach Police, a city right outside of OC, ironically) and he only mentioned that he smelt marijuana AFTER I refused to permit him to search my car so as nice as our right to refuse search is it really doesn't mean anything at all, not a damn thing. We have no rights against pigs when there are loopholes like "I smell marijuana". If the guy didn't mention he's poor I'd say he should hire a lawyer and take that prick to court. I don't think reporting it stolen would do any good, pigs of a feather abuse power together so they'd probably "never find it". It's really sad because obviously there are very good an honorable cops out there but because of the bad apples none of them can be trusted because you never know if you're going to get the nice guy actually trying to keep the peace or the asshole that pulled this guy over.
some cops are gangsters with
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:26pmsome cops are gangsters with a badge...
so true... down with the
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 4:57amso true... down with the weed haters.
Glad to see this is being
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/02/2008 - 3:28pmGlad to see this is being reported on CNN. Maybe it will make the police departments clean up their act.
Yeah, I can't actually type that with a straight face.
wow
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/04/2008 - 6:02pmI just went through the CHP hiring process and got denied because the recruiter thought I wasnt good enough and that maybe I was hiding something. They think they are hiring only the best and honest and trusting people but I dont think so! I have never stolen anything in my life and have gone to church my whole life and they wont let me in but they will let scumbag thieves like this into Law Enforcement!??? its a travesty and a joke! unbelievable!
game gold
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 2:43amI hope i can get aoc gold in low price, and then i can
save some money.
Yesterday i bought conan gold
for my friend. i want him like it. i will give age of conan gold to him
as birthday present. i like the cheap aoc gold very much.
I usually buy the aoc money and keep it in my store.










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Abuse of Authority
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 12:36amThe whole thing sounds messed up to me. Using the excuse that he "smelled" marijuana, so he searched the car and after finding no drugs took the most expensive thing in the car? That is a clear abuse of authority.
Merleon