Officer Resigns Over Pot-Use Claim

[qWERTY]

A Spokane police officer resigned Tuesday after he was confronted about whether he consumed two marijuana-laced cookies while attending a Tool concert Sunday at the Gorge Amphitheater in Grant County.

Two off-duty Spokane police officers who attended the concert told authorities they saw three-year veteran Officer Jonathon Smith, who was not with them, purchase and consume what appeared to be marijuana cookies, police spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee said.

The two officers, Sgt. Craig Meidl and Cpl. Robbie Dashiell, immediately called acting Spokane Police Chief Jim Nicks at home, and he then placed them on duty, Grant County sheriff's Deputy John Turley said. However, Turley told Nicks that his office would handle the investigation.

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"I'm sure it saddens Chief Nicks," Turley said. "I know the department has had its share of problems of late with its employees. I told him I empathized with what he was going through and to let us do the investigation part."

More than 22,000 people attended the Tool concert on Sunday, including Meidl and Dashiell and a man they saw walking around with a Tupperware bowl offering marijuana cookies for $1, Turley said.

"The subject was very open about marijuana being in the cookies," Turley said.

The man offered to sell Meidl and Dashiell cookies but they declined, Turley said.

"A little later they saw the same gentleman with the same Tupperware bowl sell two cookies to one of their patrol officers," Turley said.

The two officers called Nicks, who then spoke to Turley. The Grant County deputies and an undercover detective handled the investigation.

"We could not find that officer (Smith) again. Our detective waited for the concert to end, and the (cookie salesman) came back to his vehicle and they placed him under arrest," Turley said.

Investigators seized the man's 1999 Chevy Blazer, got a search warrant and found 2.8 grams of marijuana inside. They also found $300 in one-dollar bills and a Tupperware with crumbs inside, Turley said.

Based on that information, they arrested Steven Cory Mack, 26, of Bothell, Wash., on a charge of delivery of marijuana. However, investigators do not plan to charge Smith, Turley said.

"It's tough to do any kind of field testing on food products. We have to send that off to the lab," Turley said.

Smith returned to Spokane, where he showed up for work Sunday night, and police officials confronted him about the marijuana-laced cookies.

"He was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a Spokane Police internal investigation," Lee wrote in a press release. "Facing the likelihood of being terminated, Smith chose to resign his position as a Spokane Police Officer."

Nicks praised Meidl and Dashiell for reporting what they saw.

"It is my belief that this is an isolated incident," Nicks said in the press release. "Smith's actions should not reflect upon the good employees that comprise the Spokane Police Department."

Turley offered no sympathy for Smith.

"What a knucklehead he is. That dollar just cost him a $50,000 job," Turley said. "Yeah, that's pretty smart."


NewsHawk: _qWERTY - 420 Magazine
Source: SpokesmanReview.com
Pubdate: August 30, 2006
Copyright: 2006 SpokesmanReview Online
Contact: news@spokesman.com
Website: SpokesmanReview.com

 

[Marianne]

This is so stupid. He wasn't on duty, and he wasn't hurting anybody. Those other cops ought to be ashamed of themselves for snitching. Besides, how high is a one doller cookie going to get the guy?

 

[Stoner4Life]

Un-friggin-believable! Why the hell didn't they bust everyone that bought a cookie? I hate 'selective law enforcement' having been a victim of it myself. When I was able to prove my case in court the charges were dismissed and the judge asked for a private audience with the officer (clearly inferring by his language there was gonna be an ass whipping) in his chambers.
That poor cop, he's a victim of the law as we most are right now. Worse yet he's off the force when I'm thinking he could've been an asset to smokers if he was the sympatheic type. I knew several cops that were stoners and they never busted anyone for grass unless that person had it coming for other reasons.
And what about the 'Blue Wall of Silence' we hear about so often? These two pricks were snitches, probably just out of diapers & looking to make a grade increase in the dept. They'll never be trusted again by their brothers, they might as well get the bump to Internal Affairs now..........

 

[Happy Kitty]

That's is unbelievable!!!

So the guy eats a brownie and his fellow officers bust him for eating a brownie on his own time!!! I hope they sleep well at night knowing that it was them they cost a man his job for a brownie. I really feel for the guy.
I hope he sues the crap out of them.

And they took the other guy's truck for selling brownies? OMG, is that all they had to do was make an arrest for one dollar brownies?

And did they ever find out if their was actually pot in the brownies. The way I read it , they did not. There probably was smoke in the brownies, but they never really checked. It sounds like a case of he said-she said here.

We, the people, should be allowed to do whatever the hell we want to on our own time!!!

I thought Washington was pot friendly?

Peace and happiness

 

[Marek]

Ive met some good cops, and ive met cops that would rat on their own mother for a pat on the back from their superiors... sad sad world

They were at a TOOL concert, yea, they were sober right ? Assholes, the guy probably wouldn't share his cookies with their pig asses.

PFFFF!

 

[Marek]

Exactly.

 

[Lilstinky420]

That is how cops are, I think everyone knows this. It was prolly to fat "Farva" looking bastards too.