Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues
An Indiana man died after eating drugs during a traffic stop, an Ohio man wanted on drug charges was killed by police during a traffic stop, and an Oregon man was killed by police breaking up an apparent street drug deal. Lance Royal, 31, Jeremy Linhart, 30, and Allen Lee Bellew, 29, become the 30th, 31st, and 32nd persons to die so far this year in US domestic drug law enforcement operations.
According to Fort Wayne 21 Alive, citing police sources, Fort Wayne Police with an arrest warrant for another man pulled over a vehicle Royal was in. Both occupants of the vehicle then tried to eat drugs in a bid to escape arrest. The other person, a woman, complained of distress and was hospitalized, but Royal refused treatment at first. But he then collapsed and went into cardiac arrest before medics could arrive. Medics tried CPR, then took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Findlay Courier, citing police sources, on June 9 at about 3 a.m., a Findlay police officer pulled over a car in which Jeremy Linhart was a passenger. The officer ordered both people out of the car, and both complied, but then Linhart tried to get back in the car and was shot in a scuffle with the officer.
Linhart was being sought on a warrant for failure to comply with his bond conditions for his cocaine charge. Police found a gun in the car.
According to the Portland Tribune, police investigating suspicious activity in a parking lot on the night of June 28 made contact with three people standing by a car. While police were talking to the men, Bellew reached into the car, pulled out a gun, and pointed it at them. Both officers opened fire, shooting Bellew, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
It's not clear if the police were in uniform or undercover. Bellew's gun turned out to be a starter pistol.
Bellew was from Eugene and was wanted in Lane County on a failure to appear warrant for heroin possession and probation violation for resisting arrest.
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