cannabisnews.com: Shot Kills 1 at Pot Camp Shot Kills 1 at Pot Camp Posted by FoM on August 25, 2000 at 10:03:11 PT By Matthew Kreamer, The Fresno Bee Source: Fresno Bee Madera deputy fires when a suspected grower aims at him. An alleged marijuana grower who officers say pointed a gun at a Madera County sheriff's deputy was shot and killed early Thursday east of Ahwahnee. The deputy who fired the single shot was one of a team of 14 sheriff's officials who trekked deep into a wooded area acting on a tip that there was a large marijuana garden there, spokeswoman Rita Valdivia said. The officer apparently surprised the suspect, who pointed the semiautomatic pistol before he was shot, Valdivia said. It wasn't known Thursday whether the suspect's pistol was loaded. "Sheriff John Anderson said the deputy did exactly what he was supposed to and what they're all trained to do," Valdivia said. "It was either him or the suspect." The veteran officer asked that his name not be made public. He was relieved of enforcement duties, pending an internal affairs investigation. The suspect, in his late 20s or early 30s, carried no identification. Detectives hope fingerprints will reveal who he was. "We believe he was from Mexico, but that's about all we know about him right now," Valdivia said. The man apparently had been camped among more than 7,000 marijuana plants for quite some time. Garbage was strewn around the campsite. An elaborate camouflaged canopy had been built over the campsite, covering a hammock for sleeping and a Coleman stove for cooking. The deputy who fired the shot was leading the group -- which included Anderson and Valdivia -- into the campsite. "I was toward the back of the group and when I heard the shot, I hit the deck," Valdivia said. "The deputy was quick to react. The officers there were grateful for him because if this officer had been shot, who's to say the gunman would have not gone after the rest of us." The eradication team members were interviewed at a sheriff's substation Thursday by internal affairs investigators. The value of the plants, which measured from 5 to 8 feet tall, was estimated at $21 million. Published: August 25, 2000Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)Copyright: 2000 The Fresno BeeContact: letters fresnobee.comFeedback: http://www.fresnobee.com/man/opinion/letters.htmlWebsite: http://www.fresnobee.com/Forum: http://www.fresnobee.com/man/projects/webforums/opinion.htmlCannabisNews Justice Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/justice.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Dan B on August 26, 2000 at 06:52:27 PT: Did What He Was Trained To Do? "Sheriff John Anderson said the deputy did exactly what he was supposed to and what they're all trained to do," Valdivia said. "It was either him or the suspect." So, that's what they teach people in the police academies these days, eh? Shoot to kil whenever possible? Whatever happened to shooting the gun out of someone's hand? Are we really to believe that the only recourse this cop had was to shoot to kill? What about protecting people's lives, which is supposed to be the primary goal of the police?I'm sick of these "Starsky and Hutch" types who seem to think that the best way to handle someone with a gun is to blow his or her head off. : (Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by MikeEEEEE on August 25, 2000 at 20:30:27 PT Personal Experience Some years ago I seen a police captain at the end of a parade throw a little boy off a police barrier, actually knocked the kid to the floor. The other police their acted as if nothing happened. This is the type of mentality they have, the us and them mentality. They fear the people they work for, fear creates hate and abuse. I really don't think any of them, actually deep down inside, really like the job they do, in some cases they don't like themselves.However, to be fair, I have met 1 or 2 cops over the years that are against the drug war, but they won't go public out of fear of losing their jobs. Yes, these guys that work for the system have to fear the system, and at times fear the public, as if they're caught in the middle, it's no wonder things are screwed up. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Frank on August 25, 2000 at 17:59:13 PT Police are proud of killing The Law Enforcement people who do this type of thing are scum and nothing more. Marijuana causes violence (on the part of the police): The vicious and corrupt police are attacking and killing, they are the sadistic and violent ones. The officer who killed this person most likely will go home a pour himself and Scotch and soda and tell his family how proud he is that he finally killed one of those marijuana addicts. What the officer should do is us his pistol to blow his brains out and do his family and humanity a big favor. These law “enforcement” people are the worst violent scum there is. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on August 25, 2000 at 17:01:01 PT Feeling Safer Yet? Another drug war victim.:( [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by observer on August 25, 2000 at 16:56:07 PT Another Hunter Slain by Anti-Ganja Gestapo? The officer apparently surprised the suspect, who pointed the semiautomatic pistol before he was shot, Valdivia said. It wasn't known Thursday whether the suspect's pistol was loaded.Oh yeah. Another "drug kingpin" taken down, the police can high-five each other all night over a round of brewskies in the local watering hole. After all, they're saving The Children from "the dread marihuana". Still, I wonder if this poor bloke was simply a wild pig hunter? How do they know the campsite was his? Maybe he just stubbled through the woods and happened on this area in search of game? Wild pig is in season all year 'round in Calfornia http://www.arwhead.com/calhunt/pigs.html I'm not sure if pistols are allowed for pig hunting; that varies from state to state. I don't think the penalty for using a piston rather than a rifle for hunting is instant death, even in California. I wonder if he had the proper tags for wild pig hunting in California when he left, would he still have them when he reached the morgue? the suspect, who pointed the semiautomatic pistol before he was shotAw shucks. I bet the California police say that about all the guys (they shoot/frame). http://www.cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=Perez+LAPD+plantedhttp://www.mapinc.org/find?K=Perez+LAPD+planted+&COL=Body&T=All+words&MAX=200&DE=Low&Y=All [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: