Breaking News:Dangerous Delays: What Washington State (Re)Teaches Us About Cash and Cannabis Store Robberies [REPORT]

Two Oklahoma Cops Among Four Latest Drug War Deaths

Two Incidents; four more drug war deaths: A Louisiana man was killed in drug bust gone wrong last Tuesday and two Oklahoma police officers and the drug suspect they were after were killed in car crashes last Thursday.

Kenner, Louisiana resident Eldrin Smart and Oklahoma lawmen Kristian Willhight and Brian Beck and the man they were chasing, Quentin Lee Johnson, become the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th persons to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

In the Louisiana incident, WGNO News reported that two undercover narcotics officers were investigating two men "suspected of drug activity" in a car parked at an Airline Highway gas station. Kenner Police Chief Steve Caraway told the media outlet one of the officers leaned into the car to take the keys from the ignition, and the driver then took off with the officer still partly inside the vehicle.

The cop then shot the driver, Eldrin Smart, 31, four times while the car was in motion before it crashed into a parked pickup truck and through a fence. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Smart was on parole for gun, drugs, and escape felonies. His unidentified passenger was charged with marijuana possession.

In the bizarre Oklahoma incident -- or, more accurately -- incidents, Officer.com reported that Washita County Undersheriff Beck, 39, was attempting to serve a drug arrest warrant on Johnson, 27, when Johnson fled in a vehicle. Johnson was then killed when he drove his car off the road and crashed into an embankment.

Meanwhile, unaware that Johnson had already crashed, Beck and another cop, Burns Flat Police Officer Willhight were racing at high speed to catch him when their two vehicles collided at a rural intersection south of Dill City, three miles from where Johnson had crashed minutes early. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Neither was wearing a seat belt.

Johnson had been warned by Beck himself weeks earlier that he was likely to be arrested after, working on a tip, Beck searched his home and found drugs, used needles, and a stolen pistol. Beck told Johnson he was submitting a report to the district attorney and would probably be back with an arrest warrant.

When Beck returned with one, Johnson fled. He had already done five years in state prison for possession of a controlled substance.

Permission to Reprint: This article is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!

Drug

It is a war. The government declared a war on drugs. And in wars there are casualties. On both sides! Stop the insanity.

Drug War Deaths

It simply amazes me how the deaths of two guys who got way too excited about catching a criminal to even put their seat-belts on, driving crazily at high speeds, lights and sirens screaming, recklessly endangering themselves and others, wind up dead at their own hands, can be counted as a drug war death ???

Put it on 100 dumbest ways to die - or Social Darwinism at work or something applicable huh?  

Cops need much better training and some counseling about not giving in to panic!!!  

You can help no one if you become part of the problem.

driving is inherently dangerous

Reality check. Driving is never safe. Cars kill.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <i> <blockquote> <p> <address> <pre> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <br> <b>

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Drug War Issues

Criminal JusticeAsset Forfeiture, Collateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Court Rulings, Drug Courts, Due Process, Felony Disenfranchisement, Incarceration, Policing (2011 Drug War Killings, 2012 Drug War Killings, 2013 Drug War Killings, 2014 Drug War Killings, 2015 Drug War Killings, 2016 Drug War Killings, 2017 Drug War Killings, Arrests, Eradication, Informants, Interdiction, Lowest Priority Policies, Police Corruption, Police Raids, Profiling, Search and Seizure, SWAT/Paramilitarization, Task Forces, Undercover Work), Probation or Parole, Prosecution, Reentry/Rehabilitation, Sentencing (Alternatives to Incarceration, Clemency and Pardon, Crack/Powder Cocaine Disparity, Death Penalty, Decriminalization, Defelonization, Drug Free Zones, Mandatory Minimums, Rockefeller Drug Laws, Sentencing Guidelines)CultureArt, Celebrities, Counter-Culture, Music, Poetry/Literature, Television, TheaterDrug UseParaphernalia, Vaping, ViolenceIntersecting IssuesCollateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Violence, Border, Budgets/Taxes/Economics, Business, Civil Rights, Driving, Economics, Education (College Aid), Employment, Environment, Families, Free Speech, Gun Policy, Human Rights, Immigration, Militarization, Money Laundering, Pregnancy, Privacy (Search and Seizure, Drug Testing), Race, Religion, Science, Sports, Women's IssuesMarijuana PolicyGateway Theory, Hemp, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Marijuana Industry, Medical MarijuanaMedicineMedical Marijuana, Science of Drugs, Under-treatment of PainPublic HealthAddiction, Addiction Treatment (Science of Drugs), Drug Education, Drug Prevention, Drug-Related AIDS/HIV or Hepatitis C, Harm Reduction (Methadone & Other Opiate Maintenance, Needle Exchange, Overdose Prevention, Pill Testing, Safer Injection Sites)Source and Transit CountriesAndean Drug War, Coca, Hashish, Mexican Drug War, Opium ProductionSpecific DrugsAlcohol, Ayahuasca, Cocaine (Crack Cocaine), Ecstasy, Heroin, Ibogaine, ketamine, Khat, Kratom, Marijuana (Gateway Theory, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Medical Marijuana, Hashish), Methamphetamine, New Synthetic Drugs (Synthetic Cannabinoids, Synthetic Stimulants), Nicotine, Prescription Opiates (Fentanyl, Oxycontin), Psilocybin / Magic Mushrooms, Psychedelics (LSD, Mescaline, Peyote, Salvia Divinorum)YouthGrade School, Post-Secondary School, Raves, Secondary School