The Drug Warriors Are A Little Dim
And where did they grow up (that they found the item they actually busted the guy for to be so unrecognizable), on a mountain top in Tibet?
NYPD officers bust a man for possession of meth -- that turned out to be (this is amazing) Jolly Ranchers!
From The Smoking Gun:
OCTOBER 18--A New York City man arrested this summer for possession of methamphetamine was actually carrying Jolly Rancher candies that cops mistook for a controlled substance, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit.Love Olatunjiojo was busted in late-June after being searched by cops who approached the 25-year-old and a friend as they walked on a Coney Island street. According to a police report, officers seized six "crystalline rocks of solid material." Four of the rocks were blue, while two were red.
As detailed in Olatunjiojo's October 15 lawsuit (which does not specify monetary damages), he had stopped at the It'Sugar candy store before being approached by police. While there, Olatunjiojo and his friend "purchased various candies...including some 'Jolly Rancher' brand candies."
Kenneth Smith, Olatunjiojo's lawyer, told TSG that the Jolly Ranchers were in their "individual wrappers" when seized by police.
Olatunjiojo, who is of African descent, was charged with drug possession. He spent 24 hours in custody before being released on his own recognizance on the misdemeanor count.
A Criminal Court complaint alleged that officers seized a "quantity of methamphetamine" that field tested positive for a controlled substance. One of the arresting officers "has had professional testing as a police officer in the identification of methamphetamine."
But the crystalline rocks purportedly containing methamphetamine were not illegal. Two days after Olatunjiojo's arrest, the NYPD's Controlled Substance Analysis Section performed lab tests that revealed they contained no controlled substances.
Too bad these officers are allowed to run around uncontrollably busting men with candy.
I suppose now he'll have to pay to get his picture off the mugshot web sites.
Ken R at October 19, 2013 5:46 AM
Some cops just shouldn't be allowed outside to play.
StephUF at October 19, 2013 7:14 AM
Are DEA agents getting their science from "Breaking Bad" now? Blue crystals! Must be DRUUUUGS!
Morons. Badge and gun enabled morons.
BlogDog at October 19, 2013 9:06 AM
"One of the arresting officers "has had professional testing as a police officer in the identification of methamphetamine."
hmm, I wonder if it the same cop who was working undercover when he bashed in the back window of an SUV while riding with a motorcycle gang?
Or was he one of the cops who shot up civilians near the Empire State Building?
Oh wait, I know, he might have been one of those cops who gunned down an unarmed African immigrant in Harlem.
New York's "finest" ain't doing so fine lately.
Charles at October 19, 2013 4:04 PM
Well, according to Artemis on the other thread, people like us who view government intrusion into every facet of our lives as an evil lost the last election, so suck it bitches. This is the way we roll now. What was the probable cause for stopping these guys? Walking while black? We are slowly losing all of our rights.
Sheep mommy at October 19, 2013 4:18 PM
Does Nanny Bloomberg have enough time left in office to ban candy?
jdgalt at October 19, 2013 4:23 PM
How stupid do you have to be? It's not like finding a joint in a pack of cigarettes. These are pre-wrapped candies.
Jim P. at October 19, 2013 6:48 PM
Not only are these cops stupid; but everyone knows Jolly Ranchers suck.
If you're gonna bust them, for Pete's sake, bust them for something good!
Charles at October 19, 2013 7:10 PM
Hmmm...maybe sugar should be a controlled substance.
Patrick at October 19, 2013 9:58 PM
I do not know but would meth come in a uniform shape. From what little I cam remember from Breaking Bad" I thought meth always came in random smallish crystal shards or dust?
Why it could not be meth
1) Each candy is wrapped individually. To much effort for crystals. I think a drug dealer would go with basic baggies or weights.
2) Likely each candy is wrapped with some uniformity. Think homemade versus manufactured goods.
3) Colors. Notice the S on the end of colors. OK maybe if crystal were all one different color but when you start getting more then one color I would say odds go down. I do not think meth users want a choice of color of their drug.
4) Smell. Does not candy often have at least a sweet smell and would not jolly ranchers smell like the flavor they are.
5) Stickiness. Once again my knowledge of drugs is well limited to TV. But what I can remember of jolly ranchers is the cellophane and candy have a tendency to stick together. Would meth be the same.
6) Taste. Well probably not a good idea but taste. If all the above say NO to meth, why not a simple fingertip taste would settle the question.
8) Size, I would think a jolly ranger candy size crystal of meth would be a huge ass dose.
Why it might be meth.
1) People do use subterfuge to hide things. SO maybe there is a drug dealer who sells innocuous looking drugs in everyday looking forms. Maybe it will be TicTacs next or something. Or lollipop shape.
BUT
I would comment that many drug manufacturers of the illegal variety are not worried about uniformity, shape size and packaging. It would be low of the process plus the time and money spent to make into a hidden form would not be worth it.
2) A grown man going into a candy store is a bit strange. Plus carrying candy too. When I think a man and candy I thing gum, breath mints, and maybe the odd chocolate bar. Yet that is me.
BUT
If many a man goes into a Candy store and comes out with candy. It is likely going a high chance of a man having some candy on him.
My question is if the officer is trained in spotting drugs. And I am not, but I could see many reasons why it was not meth. How the heck could he get it so wrong. It does not say much for their training or intelligence.
John Pauslon at October 19, 2013 10:22 PM
They claim the candy field tested positive for drugs.
Meaning
I. The cops lied
II. The field test was faulty
One guess as to which it was.
lujlp at October 20, 2013 6:34 AM
What lujlp said. Anyway, I'm not seeing the probable cause to stop and search these guys...
a_random_guy at October 20, 2013 7:01 AM
They probably were smoking some of the good weed they'd found in the evidence locker prior to busting this guy for jolly ranchers.
Wut?
I R A Darth Aggie at October 20, 2013 8:04 AM
Luj, you forgot one possibility: they have rigged tests, to go along with the dogs that they can cue whenever they need probable cause for something that they want to do.
Cousin Dave at October 20, 2013 11:03 AM
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