some supporters in the law enforcement community who testified that he probably thought his actions followed an accepted practice.I'd love to see the transcript of that testimony. I wonder if they testified he "probably thought" that was okay because he received poor training, or because other officers do it and it happens all the time?
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Snitch agreement gone awry in Fredericksburg
A Fredericksburg, TX police officer was convicted of a third degree felony for returning marijuana taken from a snitch in exchange for a promise to cooperate. Though his actions were illegal, reported the San Antonio Express News ("Snitch agreement goes awry," June 20), there were
Oh goodness. I'll have to ask my father if he's heard anything about this back in Fritztown.
ReplyDeleteIf a cop takes somebody's illegal drugs without making an arrest, he is committing an armed robbery, compounding his crime by illegal possession of a controlled substance. The cop needs to pay for his crimes with prison time.
ReplyDelete"If a cop takes somebody's illegal drugs without making an arrest, he is committing an armed robbery, compounding his crime by illegal possession of a controlled substance."
ReplyDeleteNot true at all. Officers often do this when they intend to work the person as a snitch. If the snitch doesn't keep his end of the bargain, a warrant is issued. Totally legal.
The problem in this case is when the officer actually returned the dope to the suspect. That is crazy. The dope should still be turned into evidence once it is seized, whether or not an arrest was made.