Man Left In Cell For Five Days Without Food Or Water; DEA Agents Get Reprimands, Short Suspensions
Daniel Chong was almost a Drug War casualty, and agents who forgot him in a holding cell for five days get off with gentle wrist slaps.
Timothy M. Phelps writes for the LA Times:
Obama administration officials and lawmakers are calling for greater accountability and tougher disciplinary procedures at the Drug Enforcement Administration after the agency imposed only light punishments on agents who forgot a San Diego man in a holding cell, leaving him without food or water for five days and nearly killing him.Daniel Chong, a UC San Diego student, was detained in 2012 for what he was told would be five minutes after he was swept up in a drug bust at a friend's house, where he had been smoking marijuana. Instead, agents forgot about him. Chong, who was 23 at the time, drank his own urine to stave off dehydration until he was found, delirious and suffering from severe breathing problems, according to a report last summer by the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General.
...Chong, who was never charged with a crime, was kept in total isolation with his hands handcuffed behind his back in a windowless cell with no bathroom. Midway through the ordeal, someone turned off the light in his cell, leaving him in darkness. Chong periodically shouted for help and, at some point, slipped out of one of his handcuffs.
After he was found, Chong was hospitalized for four days. He and his lawyers said at a news conference last summer that he underwent intensive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. The DEA paid Chong a $4.1-million settlement.
Last month, the DEA's Board of Professional Conduct issued four reprimands to DEA agents involved in the incident and a five-day suspension without pay to another. The supervisor in charge at the time received a seven-day suspension.
Gene Iredale, a San Diego lawyer who represents Chong, said the punishments were insufficient.
"In a situation where someone goes over four days without food and water and almost dies, some reprimands and a couple of brief suspensions are not proportionate to the danger that was caused by this misconduct," Iredale said. "I cannot accept that the head of the agency was powerless to ensure there would be appropriate punishment meted out. It may be that the regime of Miss Leonhart created a culture of unaccountability."
Here are the DEA sex parties in Colombia that we taxpayers footed the bill for:
Agents who participated in these parties got suspended for just one to 10 days. Even in the case of violence against one of the prostitutes.
More and more, being a cop is a way to be a law-violating thug with immunity from prosecution.
Laws are for the little people.
And there's another scary thing that is implied by this story: the only way this could have happened as stated is that Chong was held in a secret prison. Such prisons, like the Chicago PD one that was revealed a few months ago, exists specifically so that detainees can be denied due process rights. So obviously the DEA has at least one such facility, and given that DEA is an agency with nationwide scope, if there is one, there are probably many.
Cousin Dave at May 6, 2015 8:42 AM
Isn`t there at least someone cleaning the place daily?
I am okay with admin being excluded lest too-light or too extreme punishments result, but what kind of whackos are on the Board of Professional Conduct, or the `top independent official`?
John A at May 6, 2015 8:44 AM
So the people responsible are going to pay the $4.1 million, right? It's not like taxpayers have to foot that bill, I'm sure.
Must be Obama's fault.
drcos at May 6, 2015 9:10 AM
How's that federalized policing workin' out for you?
Conan the Grammarian at May 6, 2015 9:13 AM
Let me guess, they got 5 days suspensions with pay? Known elsewhere as "vacation".
I R A Darth Aggie at May 6, 2015 9:36 AM
This dude has PTSD. He'll never fully overcome that.
My old boyfriend always had a startle effect despite being about 80% cured. Really bad panic attacks. It's a SUPER magnified anxiety disorder.
Ppen at May 6, 2015 1:30 PM
"Ms. Leonhart noted there was little she could do because of civil service protections for federal workers."
Hey it worked out. If there's nothing she can do then we don't need her any more. See ya!
Canvasback at May 6, 2015 2:31 PM
Which is why so many are opposed to unions for public employees.
Give someone the authority to arrest and detain someone and union stonewalling when they abuse that authority and you won't need to actually implement a police state, you'll have one by default.
Conan the Grammarian at May 6, 2015 2:38 PM
"Ms. Leonhart noted there was little she could do because of civil service protections for federal workers."
Which is why I dont care when people kill cops.
Sure most of those killed probably dont deserve it, but then again they do support the stonewalling that prevents their criminal brethren from being punished
lujlp at May 6, 2015 4:37 PM
Maybe they can't be fired, but they can still go to jail.
Andrew_M_Garland at May 6, 2015 6:18 PM
Andrew: Exactly - if Ms. Chickenhart actually wanted to do something, she could have insisted that federal prosecutors indict, arrest, and try these cops. Then fire them for missing work even before the verdict is in.
But prosecutors and other government officials almost never even think about criminal penalties for other government employees. We need to bring back private prosecutions for crimes by government employees: it has become quite clear that no one a government payroll will enforce the laws against their fellow employees.
markm at May 7, 2015 9:27 AM
So this is the American Way we all fought to protect?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at May 7, 2015 5:22 PM
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