The evidence at trial showed that the defendant and his co-defendants were members of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy, led by former Los Angeles police officer Ruben Palomares and including other law enforcement officers and drug dealers. Together, they committed more than 40 burglaries and robberies throughout the Los Angeles area between early 1999 and June of 2001. The robberies generally were committed after the group received information that a particular location was involved in illegal drug-trafficking. The robbery teams usually consisted of multiple sworn police officers in uniform or displaying a badge, who would gain access to the residence by falsely telling any occupants that they were conducting a legitimate search for drugs or drug dealers. Victims often were restrained, threatened or assaulted during the search. These assaults included firing a stun gun at a victim, striking victims with police batons and putting a gun in the mouth of a victim. When the group stole drugs, they would use co-conspirators to sell the drugs and they would split the profits among the group.Yeah, these are "The Only Ones" trustworthy enough to be armed in LA, alright. Just try getting a "permit" (if you're not "connected") from Obergruppenführers Baca and Bratton.
But they're just "a few bad apples," right? From four different agencies, and all seriously warped enough to think the systems they operated within provided enough opportunities to make it worth the risk.
Why was it we're not supposed to have "ammunition capable of penetrating a police vest" again?
[Via Plug Nickel Times]
Unintended consequences of the War on (some) Drugs.
ReplyDeleteSad thing is that even if all restrictions were removed from the manufacture, transport, sale, possession and use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, opium, hashish, mescaline, peyote, and any other drug you want to name, nothing would change. The "sin taxes" would still be crushing, the bootleggers and smugglers (who still bootleg and smuggle tobacco and alcohol, fer crissakes) would still rake in millions avoiding the tariffs, and the cops would still bash in the wrong doors and terrorize innocent citizens.
ReplyDeleteOf course, then I wouldn't have to go through the criminal background check to buy Sudafed, so at least that would be worth something.
Wasn't this a movie starring Denzel Washington??
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