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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGeorgia deputies raid man's home after mistaking okra plants for marijuana
Seriously? In Georgia?? You boys don't know the difference between okra and Mary Jane? Why, didn't your Mamas ever fry that slimy stuff for you all? My lord!Mon Oct 06, 2014 at 10:15 AM PDT
Georgia deputies raid man's home after mistaking okra plants for marijuana
by Jen Hayden
Helicopter hovering over Dwayne Perry's backyard attribution: screenshot from video
Once again, from the "not The Onion" files, Georgia deputies went full SWAT to raid Dwayne Perry's home because they thought he was growing marijuana in his backyard. But, no. It was okra:
All he noticed was that there was a chopper sitting unusually low over his house, then Bartow County deputies and a K-9 unit appeared at his doorstep in minutes.
"They were strapped to the gills, Perry said.
Georgia State Patrol says they still haven't identified the mysterious (and enormously popular Southern vegetable):
Dwayne Perry says he's still embarrassed and feels his reputation has been damaged, not to mention being terrified at how quickly something could have gone wrong.
Even if this were one small patch of homegrown marijuana, isn't this type of police response just a wee bit overkill? Especially when 75% of Americans don't even think it should be a jailable offense and 58% think it should be legal outright?
See an interview with Dwayne Perry below the fold.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/06/1334661/-Georgia-deputies-raid-man-s-home-after-mistaking-okra-plants-for-marijuana
NickB79
(19,243 posts)Uh, not buying it, cops.
Though I've always had a concern a police officer would think something is up should I ever plant a Korean maple in my yard:
TexasMommaWithAHat
(3,212 posts)Sure tasted good; didn't know we could smoke it, too!
RandiFan1290
(6,232 posts)before attempting to grow our own food.
They have done this before.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)and made an "anonymous" phone call to the cops...
(It has been done before...)
wyldwolf
(43,867 posts)jmowreader
(50,557 posts)The one on the left is an okra plant. The one on the right is not an okra plant.
Can you tell the difference? If you can, you're overqualified to work for the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.
..... I grow okra every year. While the stalk of the plant you have pictured here looks like my plants (Clemson Spineless), the leaves are very different and do in fact have a slight resemblance to mj.
yesiwasacop
(93 posts)is that from the air- the two plants look similar probably. I have never seen an okra plant in person, but looked it up and prob from the air they look similar.
That being said, the proper procedure and the safer way to do things is take the photos from the air to a judge and get a warrant.
While TRYING to get a warrant, do some research on the resident of the house. Cops have access to all kinds of info so its not like they couldn't figure out a little bit about this guy and who he lives with. Additionally, you have a couple cops keep an eye on the place while getting a warrant, because if he all of a sudden goes outside and tries to dispose of his "marijuana" plants, you can then stop him until the warrant is served.
Last, with warrant in hand and if you have no info to suspect the okra farmer is a bad guy (no history), you do what is called a "surround and call." Surround the property with a few cops, call inside and tell the occupant what is going on. Ask them to come outside and talk. 99% of the time they will. Tell them what you are doing and at that point you will find out what is going on. Easy, and real police agencies handle these things that way. If you still are not sure whether it is weed, find a dried portion of it and light it on fire. All cops know what it smells like while burning- hell fresh weed has its own unique smell too.
We have discovered several grow operations from the air via thermal temp measurement and water usage analysis (weed drinks lots of water and it will show on the meter). Anyway- that is how we handle those. I only remember about two of them turning out to be someone growing veggies/flowers in the house---all the rest were weed.
These guys were dumb and in a hurry. Bad police work.
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)Nearly every weed bust I've ever read about weighed the fucking dirt along with the weed, then multiplied the total grams by what one gram of the highest priced weed goes for in order to say "the plants had a street value of $2.2 million".
Busting weed is the biggest cop racket going. Cops ought to be ashamed for busting weed.
FourScore
(9,704 posts)And thanks for the response!
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)Kyllo v. United States.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Adding just a bit of sweet butter. But then I'm from Texas.
Hubby is from WI and he thinks it is disgusting...I even like the hairyness of it...and those little white pods inside, YUM.
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)Especially when pickled with cayenne.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)It wasn't a big batch just a few stragglers but was they good, slim and all. I love steamed baby okra, like you said with a bit of real butter.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)I'm from the north and I know what it looks like. Dumbasses.
FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)The deputies should be ashamed of themselves.