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Police Mistake Tomato Plants for Marijuana, Destroy Farm (Video)
Opposing Views ^ | 08/14/2013 | By Michael Allen

Posted on 08/14/2013 11:23:23 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd

Several residents at the “Garden of Eden” sustainability garden in Arlington, Texas, claim that local police raided their farm because they thought tomato plants were marijuana plants.

The police reportedly damaged the garden's property and the crops during the Aug. 2 raid, which included a SWAT team (video below).

“They came here under the guise that we were doing a drug trafficking, marijuana-growing operation. They destroyed everything,” said garden owner Shellie Smith to WFAA-TV.

Apparently, an undercover officer and a helicopter surveillance crew believed there was probable cause that the wrong kind of plant was being grown in the garden and an armed raid was planned.

“They can’t even tell the difference between tomato plants and a marijuana drug cartel," said farm resident Quinn Eaker to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. "That’s just really bad intel.”

According to the Garden of Eden's website, the raid lasted for an estimated 10 hours.

However, the City of Arlington stated: “No cultivated marijuana plants were located on the premises. Narcotics detectives and members of the tactical unit cleared the scene within 45 minutes.”

According to reports, police officers removed legally cultivated plants such as blackberries and okra. Police also removed pallets, tires and cardboard that were used for sustainability projects.

Instead of the damage done to the farm, police spokesman Christopher Cook seemed more concerned about the reaction on Facebook against the police.

“That’s what concerns me about their social media allegations," Cook told the Dallas Morning News. "Yes, they were initially handcuffed, however once it was determined it was secure they were taken out of handcuffs. Typically we wouldn’t do that, but they were compliant."

Sources: Dallas Morning News, WFAA-TV, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, IntoTheGardenofEden.com


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agenda21; arlington; donutwatch; govtabuse; leooutofcontrol; marijuana; militarizedpolice; moronwithbadge; rapeofliberty; swat; swatabuse; tyranny; warriorcops; wod
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And the WOTP* continues.

*War on Tomato Plants

1 posted on 08/14/2013 11:23:23 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd

Don’t mess with Texas (cops gone wild).

LOL.


2 posted on 08/14/2013 11:24:20 AM PDT by James C. Bennett (An Australian.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
article image

Wow. The had the police out there. A SWAT team. Even the EMS. For 10 hours. Probably costs the taxpayers tens of thousand of dollars.

But in the end it was worth it. All illegal tomato plants were  confiscated.

3 posted on 08/14/2013 11:25:58 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Attack of the killer tomatoes.


4 posted on 08/14/2013 11:26:09 AM PDT by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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To: James C. Bennett

Some marijuana growers DO put red Christmas ornaments on their plants to try and hide from the fuzz. From the air the infrared signature of Marijuana and Tomatoes is similar.


5 posted on 08/14/2013 11:26:34 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: James C. Bennett

Fast-n-Rototilled.


6 posted on 08/14/2013 11:26:56 AM PDT by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Responsibility2nd

Did the family dog get away?


8 posted on 08/14/2013 11:27:56 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Not a bigger waste in society than the war on drugs.


9 posted on 08/14/2013 11:29:00 AM PDT by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Just our Medieval minded cops going medieval on some hippies, after all back in the 1500’s tomatoes were considered poisonous.


10 posted on 08/14/2013 11:29:16 AM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Not the sharpest tools in the shed. Armed. Ignorant. Dangerous.
11 posted on 08/14/2013 11:29:23 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Responsibility2nd

Obviously, the cultivation of blackberries in captivity constituted a hate crime.


12 posted on 08/14/2013 11:30:00 AM PDT by alancarp (Obama will grab your guns and ship them to Mexican drug mobs.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

“sustainability” is a code word for UN Agenda 21. I am not sure that I care what happened.


13 posted on 08/14/2013 11:30:23 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

“You say tomayto and I say tomahto ... just CHILL, Dude!”


14 posted on 08/14/2013 11:30:28 AM PDT by mikrofon (Puree' Coincidental)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

“From the air the infrared signature of Marijuana and Tomatoes is similar.”

Shrubs all pretty much have the same heat signature.

What they look for is the heat signature from grow lights or hot houses.


15 posted on 08/14/2013 11:30:33 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

I’m surprised the local gestapo hasn’t descended on my little garden yet. Of course, how many marijuana plants have tomatoes handing from them?


16 posted on 08/14/2013 11:30:33 AM PDT by tgusa (gun control: deep breath, sight alignment, squeeze the trigger .......)
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To: blackdog

“..Attack of the killer tomatoes....”

No.. Attack of the Tomato Killers.


17 posted on 08/14/2013 11:31:07 AM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
From the air the infrared signature of Marijuana and Tomatoes is similar.

LOL

18 posted on 08/14/2013 11:31:11 AM PDT by vbmoneyspender
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To: Responsibility2nd

When the city gets the bill for damages, it should be taken from the paychecks of the offending officers.


19 posted on 08/14/2013 11:32:29 AM PDT by RC one
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To: Responsibility2nd

“Yes, they were initially handcuffed, however once it was determined it was secure they were taken out of handcuffs. Typically we wouldn’t do that, but they were compliant.”

We let them go when we found out they were innocent,
typically we wouldn’t do that...


20 posted on 08/14/2013 11:32:48 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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