T
The420Guy
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BEND - A couple have filed a federal lawsuit against nine law
enforcement officials, saying they vandalized the couple's trailer home
and stole money, jewelry and auto parts during a drug investigation in
October 2000.
In the lawsuit filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court in
Portland, Wayne Roberts and Christy Winters allege members of the
Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team handcuffed them for seven hours
while searching their home and smashed paint balls on their trailer.
The drug enforcement team includes police and deputies from Crook,
Deschutes and Jefferson counties.
Listed as defendants in the lawsuit are Robert Short, a Deschutes County
sheriff's detective, and eight unnamed law enforcement officers.
Roberts and Winters are seeking unspecified damages from the defendants
for economic losses and emotional distress. Their attorney, Spencer Neal
of Portland, characterized the incident as a situation that flew out of
control. "I'm just mystified why they (the police) did this," he said.
Jim Soules, the police chief in Prineville and chairman of the committee
that oversees the drug task force, declined to comment on the lawsuit,
except to say the agencies' attorneys and insurance carrier were
reviewing it.
Soules also confirmed that an internal investigation of the incident had
been done but would not comment on what it found.
None of the police agencies for whom the officers work is named in the
suit.
"I'm assuming a lot of the things these officers did were not authorized
by their agency. This amounts to vandalism," Neal said.
According to the complaint, the travel trailer was parked on U.S. Bureau
of Land Management property in rural Deschutes County east of Bend on
Oct. 6, 2000. The drug team allegedly came to the trailer while serving
a search warrant on the owner of adjacent private land.
The suit says after handcuffing them, the officers arrested Roberts and
Winters on drug accusations. Roberts was also accused of being a felon
in possession of a firearm.
Neal says all charges against his clients were later dismissed. The
Deschutes County district attorney's office confirmed there are no
criminal charges pending against either person.
Pubdate: Sun, 31 Mar 2002
Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)
Copyright: 2002 The Register-Guard
Contact: rgletters@guardnet.com
Website: Breaking local news, news updates, sports, business and weather | Eugene, Oregon
Details: MapInc
Author: Associated Press
enforcement officials, saying they vandalized the couple's trailer home
and stole money, jewelry and auto parts during a drug investigation in
October 2000.
In the lawsuit filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court in
Portland, Wayne Roberts and Christy Winters allege members of the
Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team handcuffed them for seven hours
while searching their home and smashed paint balls on their trailer.
The drug enforcement team includes police and deputies from Crook,
Deschutes and Jefferson counties.
Listed as defendants in the lawsuit are Robert Short, a Deschutes County
sheriff's detective, and eight unnamed law enforcement officers.
Roberts and Winters are seeking unspecified damages from the defendants
for economic losses and emotional distress. Their attorney, Spencer Neal
of Portland, characterized the incident as a situation that flew out of
control. "I'm just mystified why they (the police) did this," he said.
Jim Soules, the police chief in Prineville and chairman of the committee
that oversees the drug task force, declined to comment on the lawsuit,
except to say the agencies' attorneys and insurance carrier were
reviewing it.
Soules also confirmed that an internal investigation of the incident had
been done but would not comment on what it found.
None of the police agencies for whom the officers work is named in the
suit.
"I'm assuming a lot of the things these officers did were not authorized
by their agency. This amounts to vandalism," Neal said.
According to the complaint, the travel trailer was parked on U.S. Bureau
of Land Management property in rural Deschutes County east of Bend on
Oct. 6, 2000. The drug team allegedly came to the trailer while serving
a search warrant on the owner of adjacent private land.
The suit says after handcuffing them, the officers arrested Roberts and
Winters on drug accusations. Roberts was also accused of being a felon
in possession of a firearm.
Neal says all charges against his clients were later dismissed. The
Deschutes County district attorney's office confirmed there are no
criminal charges pending against either person.
Pubdate: Sun, 31 Mar 2002
Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)
Copyright: 2002 The Register-Guard
Contact: rgletters@guardnet.com
Website: Breaking local news, news updates, sports, business and weather | Eugene, Oregon
Details: MapInc
Author: Associated Press
