Free Thought Project – by Jack Burns
Knightdale, NC — The Knightdale Police Department, in North Carolina, boasts their K-9 unit provides, “a number of valuable services to the Knightdale community.” Apparently, one of those community interactions using their trained attack dogs involves busting juveniles with weed.
In a WNCN local news story titled, “3 teens smoking pot busted when Knightdale police officer drives by, officials say,” the town is getting a bit of recognition for tracking down those potheads and giving them a dose of canine justice. “Three teens were nabbed in Knightdale Sunday afternoon when they were smoking marijuana outside as a police officer drove by, authorities say,” the article states indicating the officer of the peace’s olfactory senses were alerted to the skunky smell of freshly burned cannabis.
The article continues, “According to Knightdale officials, three boys – two who were 16 and one who was 18 — were smoking marijuana outside when an officer pulled up in his squad car,” apparently busted red handed with the Maryjane. “The trio ran into nearby woods and more police were called in for a search,” the story continues indicating the potheads made a break for it.
Here’s where the story gets dangerous, and in light of the juveniles’ ages, the search should have been called off. The police decided to bring in the attack dogs. “A K-9 police unit was also involved in the search, which eventually found the three teens,” reports WNCN adding, “Their identities and specific charges were unavailable.” As The Free Thought Project recently reported, police K9s can be uncontrollable and quite unpredictable, even ripping off the face of one such suspect.
While many states across the country may find the story laughable, that multiple police officers had nothing better to do than to go after a few pothead wannabes, North Carolina still has not embraced any form of legalized marijuana.
As TFTP has reported on numerous occasions, weed has become somewhat of a wonder drug, healing children of seizures, treating ADD and ADHD, and has even demonstrated promise in helping heroin addicts kick their opiate addiction. Even with the anecdotal evidence, and growing medical research, states like NC and many Southern states have yet to embrace the natural remedies cannabis can offer.
Maybe it was Officer Thomes Cagle and his canine “Echo” who tracked down those vicious criminals (sarcasm), or Kevin Jorgenson and the PD’s other canine “Maverick” which tracked down the teenage drug users. At any rate, the police got their bad guys.
When not treeing young pot smokers like Carolina raccoons, Knightdale PD days their dogs “make appearances at local elementary schools and community events.” It’s unclear if the PD considers the arrest of said teenagers one of their “big arrest(s)” but they consider their use of canines an integral part of their “team’s commitment to community policing” is as strong as their desire to take a bite out of crime!
Probably less than 5 years from the date of this story, North Carolina will likely legalize medical marijuana, and the Knightdale Police department’s days of busting juvenile weed smokers will be seen as a thing as ancient as unleashing attack dogs on civil rights activists in 1960’s Selma Alabama. Either way, using cannabis is quickly becoming a right of the people to self-medicate using something as natural as saline for infections, and calcium for upset stomachs. Until then, stories like the ones coming out of Knightdale are enough to give us all a bad tummy ache.
Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/knightdale-north-carolina-police-nothing-better-unleash-k9s-kids/#OOJLdiXXp7ck6XLG.99