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A Cop Is Dead Because An Informant Mistook Japanese Maple Trees For Marijuana

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peanutbutter Advanced Member

peanutbutter

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A Cop is Dead Because An Informant Mistook Japanese Maple Trees For Marijuana

 

This is one of those stories that is simultaneously so unbelievable and yet nauseatingly familiar that you just know our deeply flawed drug laws are behind it.

 

Ryan Frederick is an amateur gardener who grows tomatoes and Japanese maple trees, which look like marijuana. An informant told police there was pot growing at the residence and a warrant was issued. Frederick, who had been burglarized earlier in the week, mistook the police for thieves and sought to defend his home by firing on the unexpected intruders. Police officer Jarrod Shivers was killed.

 

Now, as we learned in the strikingly similar case of Cory Maye, law-enforcement does not take kindly to people defending their homes during mistaken drug raids. Ryan Frederick has been charged with first-degree murder on the theory that he knew the intruders were police and fired on them anyway.

 

Frederick had no criminal record and no marijuana plants. The informant was just wrong. Although a few joints were found in the home, it just doesn’t make much sense to contend that Frederick would provoke a shoot-out with police over a misdemeanor. Nonetheless, he's being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and can only hope the jury understands the horrible situation he's been placed in.

 

This is still a developing story, but at this point it seems pretty clear that the only reason this raid ever happened is that some idiot mistook Japanese Maple trees for marijuana. That's all it took. There are no safeguards built into the drug war to prevent this type of thing. If you call in a suspected marijuana grow, you are assumed to be a botanist capable of accurately identifying plants. Police will even risk their lives to investigate your idiotic claims.

 

Prosecuting Ryan Frederick for murder will do nothing to curb the inevitable result of continuing to raid homes based on informant testimony. This is all just one more injustice stacked atop a precarious edifice. Like Cory Maye, Ryan Frederick is lucky to even be alive, which begs the question of how many dead innocent people would have been unfairly charged with attempted cop-murder if they'd been fortunate enough to even survive the raid.

 

http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2008/feb/04/cop_dead_because_informant_misto

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peanutbutter Advanced Member

peanutbutter

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Again .. a suggestion for any Law enforcement reading this.

 

A LOT of people are being victimized by home invaders right now.

 

In the split second at the moment of waking up, completely innocent citizens must correctly figure out if this is you or a ripper crashing in wearing ski masks.

 

For the safety of everyone, turn on the flashing lights and sirens just before hitting the door. It is unlikely rippers would do this.

 

It might save the life of an officer.

 

And while I'm at it .. change the tactics. A marijuana plant doesn't run very fast.

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bobandtorey Advanced Member

bobandtorey

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Again .. a suggestion for any Law enforcement reading this.

 

A LOT of people are being victimized by home invaders right now.

 

In the split second at the moment of waking up, completely innocent citizens must correctly figure out if this is you or a ripper crashing in wearing ski masks.

 

For the safety of everyone, turn on the flashing lights and sirens just before hitting the door. It is unlikely rippers would do this.

 

It might save the life of an officer.

 

And while I'm at it .. change the tactics. A marijuana plant doesn't run very fast.

 

Thanks for the post PB i know you no all about rippers i know your story no one should die because of raids on marihuana(Maple trees) this is going to happen here one day (i hope not) but if thing don't change soon it will

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mayorherb Advanced Member

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I knew it was going to happen,And will continue to happen as long as the cops keep pullign this crap..I for one. am wondering why the president hasnt stepped in..Maybe now cops getting shot..The President should be locking up cpl of these Sherriff,s and cops..cpl of them in Jail WILL stop all this non sense..AND why is this guy being prosecuted for protecting his castle? He has the RIGHT to protect..Cops are not protecting any one from being robbed..Heck cops are not even looking for the Robbers in most cases..The Cops think all this crap against us is Funny..Well i do not see any thing funny. Them prosecuting this guy is another Scare tatict they are useing agaisnt us...So lets KEEP fighting the fight....This is why it is important to stick together not fight agaisnt each other....Meetings are important. Asa group we are strong , as abunch of small groupd together , we are stroger..LETS STAY STRONG...and in June at the bbq we can all meet and talk and see what we can do as a big groupp..till then stay safe and low key...Love all my brothers and sisters in the movemnet as well as all should love back...

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bobandtorey Advanced Member

bobandtorey

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I knew it was going to happen,And will continue to happen as long as the cops keep pullign this crap..I for one. am wondering why the president hasnt stepped in..Maybe now cops getting shot..The President should be locking up cpl of these Sherriff,s and cops..cpl of them in Jail WILL stop all this non sense..AND why is this guy being prosecuted for protecting his castle? He has the RIGHT to protect..Cops are not protecting any one from being robbed..Heck cops are not even looking for the Robbers in most cases..The Cops think all this crap against us is Funny..Well i do not see any thing funny. Them prosecuting this guy is another Scare tatict they are useing agaisnt us...So lets KEEP fighting the fight....This is why it is important to stick together not fight agaisnt each other....Meetings are important. Asa group we are strong , as abunch of small groupd together , we are stroger..LETS STAY STRONG...and in June at the bbq we can all meet and talk and see what we can do as a big groupp..till then stay safe and low key...Love all my brothers and sisters in the movemnet as well as all should love back...

 

i hope i can go to the BBQ that sounds fun for all

wear is it again? maybe you can have it put on your page that may help :rolleyes:

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peanutbutter Advanced Member

peanutbutter

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I understand what this person was going through.

 

I've been a victim of home invasion at least ten times.

 

After about the fifth time, I learned that the people most likely involved were illegal gun collectors. The gun collections were taken in a unrelated raid several months. Court records indicate these people had these firearms at the same time they were attacking my wife and myself in our home.

 

It was only after learning these invaders were likely armed, I purchased a 9mm high point rifle.

 

It is a nightmare to live a live fire situation every day and night. For months at a time.

 

Enter into that mix a police raid and there are likely to be some real problems.

 

If we could get the police to be more likely to pursue the rippers it would help reduce the tension greatly. As it stands right now, many completely legal patients and caregivers are afraid to report the home invasions. They fear that reporting the robbery will result in themselves being investigated for marijuana related things. While the rippers are completely ignored.

 

The people that commit these home invasions don't target legal mmj grows exclusively. These same people are typically involved in other commercial and residential burglaries. When a small group become active in the area, the legal marijuana grower is likely to become a repeat victim.

 

Clusters of rippers are a danger to everyone. And they keep going until they are stopped.

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peanutbutter Advanced Member

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Although the story is three years old is certainly does show the lack of investigation work done by police.

 

Thanks. Didn't notice the date.

 

The informant later testified that he had seen marijuana plants growing at the location three days before the raid. This shows the informant may have been the initial home invader.

 

A case of the police using home invaders to gather information about the public.

 

One police officer dead.

One home owner in jail for 7 1/2 years.

 

One ripper left to run the streets.

 

Here is a follow up story:

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_wavy_ryan_frederick_free_20090205

 

Ryan Frederick to be free in 7 1/2 yrs.

 

Updated: Friday, 06 Feb 2009, 6:17 PM EST

Published : Thursday, 05 Feb 2009, 7:21 PM EST

 

* Mary Kay Mallonee

 

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Ryan Frederick, who has been convicted by a jury of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of Chesapeake Police Officer Jarrod Shivers, will be a free man 7 1/2 years from now, according to special prosecutor Paul Ebert.

 

Ebert, who's back at his Northern Virginia office, told WAVY.com Frederick, by law only has to serve 85 percent of his sentence, which means he will serve a total of 8 1/2 years in prison.

 

Also, Frederick will get credit for the year he spent in jail awaiting trial, which means Frederick will be set free in 7 1/2 years, according to Ebert.

 

"I am very disappointed in the jury's verdict. I really thought they were going to find 2nd degree murder," said Ebert. "Detective Jarrod Shivers lost his life for no reason."

 

Wednesday, a Chesapeake jury refused to convict Frederick of Capital Murder and instead found him guilty of a lesser charge, Voluntary Manslaughter and Simple Possesion of Marijuana.

 

Detective Shivers and a team of undercover narcotics detectives went to Frederick's house on January 17, 2008 to search for a marijuana growing operation based on information from a confidential informant. Frederick shot and killed Detective Shivers as Shivers attempted to bust through his front door.

 

Many police officers around Hampton Roads say they're very disappointed, and concerned with the jury's verdict.

 

"This verdict puts the lives of police officers in jeopardy," said Detective Jack Crimmins, president of the Chesapeake Coalition of Police.

 

"There are a lot of disturbed people out there who would take a chance at killing a police officer for only 10 years in prison ," said Crimmins. "Mr. Frederick should be in prison for the rest of his life."

 

Crimmins said police officers are always there for the community when needed.

 

"And when something happens to one of us, we ask the community to come to our aid and when Jarrod Shivers was murdered we asked the community to come to the aid of our police officers and Jarrod's family and they failed us. So, there is some bitterness."

 

Crimmins quickly added that any lingering bitterness on the part of local police officers will never stop them from protecting and serving the people of Hampton Roads.

 

"We are able to put those bitter feelings in a lock box and go out and do our jobs and help people. But, I don't think anyone can go to Jarrod's three children right now and tell them, 'The trial is over, you have closure now.' There is no closure. This wound will be open forever."

 

As for widespread criticism of Chesapeake Police, that they should not have put the lives of the officers or Ryan Frederick in jeopardy "over a little bit of marijuana," Detective Crimmins asks citizens to remember, police officers do not make the laws.

 

"We don't write the laws, we enforce them and we can't be blamed for doing our jobs and enforcing laws that someone else passed," said Crimmins.

 

Crimmins said if the community does not believe marijuana is serious enough to warrant police action, then the community should push their lawmakers to change the law. Until then, he said, police officers are hired to, sworn to enforce the laws on the books, they can't pick and choose which ones they believe are worth enforcing.

 

"We have to take risks. It's the nature of our job," said Crimmins.

 

Prosecutor Ebert voiced great support for the police as well.

 

"Police got a bad rap from the public when they did nothing more than their job," said Ebert. "They acted professionally that night and absolutely by the book."

 

Ebert went on to tell WAVY.com, "In some parts of the country Mr. Frederick would be dead now because police would not have tolerated losing one of their own. But these fellas showed a lot of restraint that night I thought."

 

Ebert said it would have been understandable if, on that night, the officers standing right behind Detective Shivers as he was fired upon, returned fire and shot Frederick.

 

"Police need more support from the community, but I don't know how they could have been more careful than they were in this case," said Ebert.

 

The judge on Ryan Frederick's case is set to make a final ruling on Frederick's sentence in May.

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jaman Advanced Member

jaman

Posted
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A Cop is Dead Because An Informant Mistook Japanese Maple Trees For Marijuana

 

This is one of those stories that is simultaneously so unbelievable and yet nauseatingly familiar that you just know our deeply flawed drug laws are behind it.

 

Ryan Frederick is an amateur gardener who grows tomatoes and Japanese maple trees, which look like marijuana. An informant told police there was pot growing at the residence and a warrant was issued. Frederick, who had been burglarized earlier in the week, mistook the police for thieves and sought to defend his home by firing on the unexpected intruders. Police officer Jarrod Shivers was killed.

 

Now, as we learned in the strikingly similar case of Cory Maye, law-enforcement does not take kindly to people defending their homes during mistaken drug raids. Ryan Frederick has been charged with first-degree murder on the theory that he knew the intruders were police and fired on them anyway.

 

Frederick had no criminal record and no marijuana plants. The informant was just wrong. Although a few joints were found in the home, it just doesn’t make much sense to contend that Frederick would provoke a shoot-out with police over a misdemeanor. Nonetheless, he's being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and can only hope the jury understands the horrible situation he's been placed in.

 

This is still a developing story, but at this point it seems pretty clear that the only reason this raid ever happened is that some idiot mistook Japanese Maple trees for marijuana. That's all it took. There are no safeguards built into the drug war to prevent this type of thing. If you call in a suspected marijuana grow, you are assumed to be a botanist capable of accurately identifying plants. Police will even risk their lives to investigate your idiotic claims.

 

Prosecuting Ryan Frederick for murder will do nothing to curb the inevitable result of continuing to raid homes based on informant testimony. This is all just one more injustice stacked atop a precarious edifice. Like Cory Maye, Ryan Frederick is lucky to even be alive, which begs the question of how many dead innocent people would have been unfairly charged with attempted cop-murder if they'd been fortunate enough to even survive the raid.

 

http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2008/feb/04/cop_dead_because_informant_misto

It say's he is now in prison and appealing. UN#$%beliveable

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