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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPolice mistook hibiscus plants for marijuana - elderly couple terrorized
A Buffalo Township (PA) couple is suing the township police and the Nationwide Insurance Co. after, their lawsuit says, hibiscus plants growing in their backyard were mistaken for marijuana plants.
In a lawsuit, Edward Cramer, 69, and his wife, Audrey Cramer, 66, claim that Buffalo Township police handcuffed them both and made them sit in the back of a police car for hours last month as police ransacked their house looking for marijuana.
But rather than running a pot-growing operation, the Cramers say they grow flowering hibiscus in their backyard.
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The police apparently arrived at the Cramers' home around noon Oct. 7 while Audrey Cramer was on the second floor only partially dressed.
When she answered the door, she alleges that about a dozen officers were pointing assault-style rifles at her.
According to the complaint, Sgt. Scott Hess demanded that Cramer put her hands up and told her that he had a search warrant but would not show it to her.
Then, (Officer) Hess entered the home and went upstairs. Upon returning downstairs, he demanded that (Cramer), a 66-year-old woman, be handcuffed behind her back in a state of partial undress.
The suit claims Cramer asked if she could put on a pair of pants next to her, and was told in no uncertain terms that she could not.
The complaint alleges that she was walked outside and made to stand handcuffed, in her underwear and without shoes for 10 minutes.
The suit claims that Hess refused her request to get sandals. Police walked her down the gravel driveway, barefoot, to a police car.
The complaint alleges that she was left in the very hot patrol car, with her hands cuffed behind her, for four-and-a-half hours.
A half-hour later, Edward Cramer arrived home to find his wife handcuffed in the police cruiser and officers searching his home.
The suit claims he was met with leveled guns, removed from his car, placed under arrest and put in the police car with his wife ...
The high temperature that day was 82, according to the Accuweather company.
Read more at:
http://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/12960252-74/police-mistook-hibiscus-plants-for-marijuana-arrested-buffalo-township-couple-suit-claims
riversedge
(70,464 posts)mentality.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)one of the police officers claimed to be an expert in identifying marijuana plants.
MineralMan
(146,351 posts)Hibiscus Plant
Marijuana Plant
struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)MineralMan
(146,351 posts)the plant.
C_U_L8R
(45,040 posts)Hibiscus plant, that is. Should I be worried? Maybe I should disguise it as a pet or a small building or something.
MattBaggins
(7,905 posts)Those cops apparently couldn't find the real thing if it was right under their nose.
Dread Pirate Roberts
(1,898 posts)Maybe they should use this in one of their commercials.
Nationwide is not in a position to discuss the matter at this time, company spokesman David Gilligan wrote in an email.
I'll bet...On the positive side, when this is all over, I'd wager the Cramers will be able to get a new fence!
MineralMan
(146,351 posts)Back in the early 1970s, in my dope-smoking days, I used to plant the seeds from my baggies of weed here and there, just for the LULZ.
Inspired one weekend, I went to the county courthouse, and planted a bunch of them in the landscaping around the courthouse entrance. It was mostly hedges and other tall plants. I worked near there, so I kept checking over the next three months. Sure enough, with good watering, fertilization and care, they sprouted and grew well.
It wasn't until the plants were at least 6' high that someone from the police department noticed them. They were all removed and a little story about their "find" appeared in the local paper.
Dozens of cops each day passed through the doors near where the plants were growing. Nobody noticed them until they were huge.
Note: My pranking days are in the past.
moriah
(8,311 posts)I had this vision of our terrible pipes, which had tree roots growing through them so ladies had to be good to the environment and throw away "flushable" products (which everyone should do anyway, they really aren't good for water treatment).
I was imagining them getting clogged, Rotor-Rooter coming out, and finding things growing up from the pipes out through to the ground. As I said, they already had tree roots through them, it wasn't completely impossible for that to be a great germination spot for a seed, and a shoot break through to get to sunlight...
MineralMan
(146,351 posts)However, I always found it more amusing to plant those seeds here and there in public places. Cleverly, though, I never returned to those locations to harvest the bounty. Too risky.
Those I didn't plant, I fed to my cockatiel, who delighted in them as a treat.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)I worked at a music store in a mall and used to put the seeds in the gigantic potted plants and the other flower beds around the escalator near the store. We'd smoke up in the service corridor and kick a huge kick out of watching them grow in the mall.
MineralMan
(146,351 posts)watching dope growing in public places. In those days of seedy weed that required grooming, pretty much everyone had seeds to deal with. Sinsemilla was right out of my price range back then. So, what do do with them? Why, plant them of course!
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Hibiscus:
Marijuana:
MineralMan
(146,351 posts)leaves, but they don't look a think like marijuana plants. Dumb cops. That's the answer.
Iggo
(47,597 posts)Orsino
(37,428 posts)...until we can figure out what's going on.
GoCubsGo
(32,103 posts)Safe to say it likely wasn't in bloom. Nonetheless, an actual expert would be able to tell it isn't marijuana, even without the flowers.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)From the linked article:
"According to the complaint, Edward Cramer repeatedly asked to show the police that the plants were hibiscus and noted the flowers clearly in bloom."
GoCubsGo
(32,103 posts)Which makes the cops' actions even more egregious.