Texas Police Hit Organic Farm With Massive SWAT Raid
A small organic farm in Arlington, Texas, was the target of a massive police action last week that included aerial surveillance, a SWAT raid and a 10-hour search.
Members of the local police raiding party had a search warrant for marijuana plants, which they failed to find at the Garden of Eden farm. But farm owners and residents who live on the property told a Dallas-Ft. Worth NBC station that the real reason for the law enforcement exercise appears to have been code enforcement. The police seized "17 blackberry bushes, 15 okra plants, 14 tomatillo plants ... native grasses and sunflowers," after holding residents inside at gunpoint for at least a half-hour, property owner Shellie Smith said in a statement. The raid lasted about 10 hours, she said. - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/texas-swat-team-conducts-_n_3764951.html
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I wonder how much this idiocy cost?
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They probably didn't use Monsanto products.
From the article:
A Fox television affiliate reported this week , for example, that police in St. Louis County, Mo., brought out the SWAT team to serve an administrative warrant. The report went on to explain that all felony warrants are served with a SWAT team, regardless whether the crime being alleged involves violence.
What is this country coming to??? Where is the justification for this use of force and the tax money that makes it possible?
Possibly the most telling thing:
According to ABC affiliate WFAA , resident Quinn Eaker was the only person arrested -- for outstanding traffic violations.
I saw this this morning. How stupid can you get ? Enforcing a municipal code violation with a swat team ? This town must have a lot of money in their coffers (not). 10 hours to determine there were no pot plants or criminal activity ? This makes Barney Fife look smart. It might be laughable if it weren't so frightening.
I read this article today. Just another example of the militarization of the police. Maybe the police just needed a snack.