War On Okra (Mistaking okra plants for marijuana leads to internal affairs investigation)

Houston Chronicle ^ | Oct. 2, 2002 | ROBERT CROWE

[MrLeRoy]

After mistaking a backyard patch of okra for homegrown marijuana, the La Porte Police Department has found itself in the middle of an internal affairs investigation into whether an officer stole personal property during the mistaken drug raid.

The officers on Aug. 14 served a warrant at the home of 88-year-old Irene Gilliam Hensley, in the 200 block of North Nugent Street. Officers believed her grandson, Charles Gilliam, who also lives there, was growing pot in a backyard shed and garden.

The department received a warrant after an officer -- following a tip from a family member of Gilliam's -- said he saw marijuana plants growing in the backyard after he peeked over Hensley's fence.

While the officers seized a pipe, catalogs and High Times magazines, they found no marijuana. The plants the officer identified in the backyard turned out to be okra in Hensley's garden.

[...]

Hensley said the whole situation would not have happened had her family not been feuding. It was Gilliam's 15-year-old cousin, Clinton Ryan Tully, who stated for the search warrant that Gilliam may be growing marijuana in a backyard shed.

Just days before the arrest, Gilliam and his aunt, Peggy Tellez, had been arguing. Tellez is Tully's grandmother.

While she alleges he threatened her and told her "to watch her back," Gilliam alleges she told him she would "find a way to get him out of the house."

"I did not tip the police department off (about the marijuana), but he threatened me," she said of the incident at Hensley's house a few days before the arrest.

Gilliam thinks Tellez and Tully cooked up the story about the marijuana to get him out of his grandmother's house.

The warrant specifically stated the officers seeking the warrant had experience identifying marijuana plants.

Reff said he was not embarrassed about the snafu his officers made when misidentifying the plants.

"I wouldn't say it's embarrassing, but I was surprised," he said.

[MrLeRoy]

Wod_list ping

[Mo1]

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[bert]

Thanks for posting this article. Now I know why the dinner guests all went wild after esting the gumbo.

[Texas_Jarhead]

"It was Gilliam's 15-year-old cousin, Clinton Ryan Tully, who stated for the search warrant that Gilliam may be growing marijuana in a backyard shed."

Sounds like this boy needs to be taken to the wood shed for a spell himself.

[Oberon]

"I wouldn't say it's embarrassing, but I was surprised," he said.

I'll say it for you then, chief. It's embarrassing.

[EggsAckley]

QUESTION: What is the best way to serve okra?

ANSWER: To someone else.

[Space Wrangler]

Yes, I'd say Clint Ryan definitely has a well-deserved ass-whuppin' coming his way!! LOL!!

[Space Wrangler]

I can tell you've never had my grandmother's fried okra before. Truly one of my favorite southern dishes!!

[N. Theknow]

Was it medicinal okra?

[MrLeRoy]

Now I know why the dinner guests all went wild after esting the gumbo.

Straight out of "Reefer Madness," was it?

[EggsAckley]

I guess it's sort of an acquired taste. My Mom (from Alabama) cooked a mean fried okra. The part I couldn't get past was the slimy insides. Maybe I should try some again...after all these years. Could be that somewhere along the way I....*gasp*.....grew up?!?

LOL!

[The FRugitive]

How embarassing for the police. Geez.

Well at least grandma didn't get shot. They'll allways have that.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"I wouldn't say it's embarrassing, but I was surprised," he said.

Translation: "Usually when we do stuff like this we get away with it clean."

[The FRugitive]

I tell you I didn't like okra as a kid, but now, man southern fried okra extra crispy? Man, that's good eatin'.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I hope this was some newly hired yankee.

Texas okra ping!

[just me]

"""okra"""

YUCK YUCK YUCKY

[PaxMacian]

left out from this excerpt was the accusation of the police having stolen notebooks from the searched location.

The cop bossman Reff said:"You have to prove that something was actually stolen. He says it was stolen and they(cops) say it was not. Somehow we have to prove that a theft occurred"

I am sure that the first thing going through your mind as they put your face to the floor and the boot to your head is that you need a receipt for everything they take from your house as they search it.

Once again, cameras are everywhere except where they should be! Who is watching the watchers?

Every cop's gun, every search, every vehicle stop should be video documented in order that the people are not taken for a ride by setup lawsuits.

[ErnBatavia]

I guess I'm confused....I did a photo search and can't see how anybody could confuse okra with marijuana....

[ikka]

AAGGGGH!

Agricultural profiling!