You Break It, You Pay For It (Oh - Except If You're The Government)
Without the permission of the semi truck owner, the DEA conducted a botched drug sting in which the driver was shot to death as they looked on.
The DEA has so far stuck the owner of the truck with the cost of the repairs after his insurance company denied his claim because the truck was used in a law-enforcement (is that what they're calling it?) operation.
From Chron.com, Dane Schiller writes:
The phone rang before sunrise. It woke Craig Patty, owner of a tiny North Texas trucking company, to vexing news about Truck 793 - a big red semi supposedly getting repairs in Houston."Your driver was shot in your truck," said the caller, a business colleague. "Your truck was loaded with marijuana. He was shot eight times while sitting in the cab. Do you know anything about your driver hauling marijuana?"
"What did you say?" Patty recalled asking. "Could you please repeat that?"
The truck, it turned out, had been everywhere but in the repair shop.
Commandeered by one of his drivers, who was secretly working with federal agents, the truck had been hauling marijuana from the border as part of an undercover operation. And without Patty's knowledge, the Drug Enforcement Administration was paying his driver, Lawrence Chapa, to use the truck to bust traffickers.
At least 17 hours before that early morning phone call, Chapa was shot dead in front of more than a dozen law enforcement officers - all of them taken by surprise by hijackers trying to steal the red Kenworth T600 truck and its load of pot.
In the confusion of the attack in northwest Harris County, compounded by officers in the operation not all knowing each other, a Houston policeman shot and wounded a Harris County sheriff's deputy.
Dumbshits.
Patty is demanding $133K for repairs and lost wages over the bullet-sprayed trucks and he's trying for $1.3 million more for himself and his family over fears of retaliation by the drug cartel -- according to the article.
In what universe is this sort of thing okay -- the government commandeering a man's property without his knowledge and then refusing to pay damages? I can't assess from the article whether he's actually in danger from some cartel, but there should be payment for what he lost having the truck out of commission and for the bullet holes and other damage.
via @walterolson
Not to mention one helluva wrongful death suit by the driver's family. Who is dead. And had absolutely no business being involved in such a risky undercover operation. That's what cops are trained for, Right? Isn't that what we are told time and time again, we *can't* be trusted because LEO's have the training and we don't, so don't take the law into our own hands, don't arm ourselves, Trust that the police will save us....
Yeah, how's that working out for y'all?
Witless, gutless bastards. Putting a civilian out there with the equivalent of a "Fresh Meat" sign around his neck, then doing their best Keystone Cops impression while the man is mudered. I wonder if any of the guns were Of Fast and Furious vintage? Wouldn't surprise me.
Kat at July 30, 2012 11:28 PM
I hope this guy gets a good lawyer and gets what he's looking for, and then some. And Kat's right, the dead guy's family needs to sue for wrongful death. What colossal ASSHOLES the fucking DEA are.
Flynne at July 31, 2012 5:23 AM
How's that war on drugs working for you?
Heads ought to roll, but nothing will happen. They work for the government. They can't be fired short of selling missle technology to the Chinese.
MarkD at July 31, 2012 5:35 AM
Good lord. All of this, just to keep people from smoking pot?
Pirate Jo at July 31, 2012 11:57 AM
Kat, I don't have much sympathy for the driver. He made the choice to do it. Maybe if he was pressured to use the truck without permission, we'll likely never know unless he had a history of drug use or something leveraged against him that the DEA can't hide.
The gov will not give up the war on drugs, they make too much money and power from it.
Sio at July 31, 2012 12:47 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/07/you-break-it-yo.html#comment-3292249">comment from Pirate JoGood lord. All of this, just to keep people from smoking pot?
Well-said, Pirate Jo.
Amy Alkon
at July 31, 2012 2:54 PM
"Fast and Furious" the Sequel.
Bill O Rights at July 31, 2012 3:19 PM
So, this entry has 7 comments, and that damn abortion topic has 67.
When I think about how many people will be affected by this, vs how many people will be affected by the abortion thing, I think ...
People's priorities are going to change.
And not soon enough.
Pirate Jo at July 31, 2012 6:59 PM
So.
Anybody here got a plan for commercial distribution of this stuff yet?
Radwaste at August 1, 2012 10:56 AM
I think you all missed the memo.
Cops are heroes. 9/11.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at August 1, 2012 6:26 PM
>>Anybody here got a plan for commercial distribution of this stuff yet?
Absolutely. There's an entire distribution system already in place. It's just outside the law at the moment. Networks of indivuals, and groups. Get the feds to leave it to the states, then the states can set up their own rules. People, groups and gangs will follow the law to sell their MJ if it means avoiding prosecution. Over 21 and a guarantee of purity works for me.
I really don't see a significant increase in marijuana users, just because it is legal. The overwhelming vast majority of people can get pot if they want to, they just risk getting ripped off and/or prosecuted.
Right now, it is easier for my child to get pot then it is for him to get alcohol. Meaning he can get pot from his classmates at school but he can't get any alcohol. So how's that prohibition working for ya?
Assholio at August 1, 2012 7:45 PM
But did you see, way down in the article? Craig Patty's lawyer is none other than Mark Bennett ("Defending People", bennettandbennett.com.) Bennett is also a Libertarian candidate for Texas Supreme Court.
David T at August 4, 2012 3:34 PM
"Hey, we've got qualified immunity, and the .gov is paying for our lawyers, so we can drag it out forever.
We can kick in the wrong doors and shoot pets and scare hell out of- sometimes kill- innocent people, you think we care about a truck and driver and ruining a business?"
Why yes, I have grown a bit cynical
Firehand at August 4, 2012 5:41 PM
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