Pubdate: Sun, 02 Feb 2014
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2014 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.mercurynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Page: B12

EX- OFFICER SAYS SUPERIOR SET POT SEIZURE QUOTA

A former police officer in Humboldt County is claiming that one of his
superiors offered to buy dinner and drinks for members of a unit that
investigates marijuana grows if they met a quota for seizing pot
plants and money from cultivators.

The Times- Standard of Eureka reported Saturday that former Arcata
Police Department Officer Kevin Stonebarger made the allegation in a
sworn declaration for a lawsuit brought by a widow who is suing the
city over a 2011 raid at her home.

Stonebarger says a sergeant promised the celebration that year if the
department's Special Services Unit destroyed 10,000 marijuana plants
and recovered $ 150,000 from people found to be growing weed illegally.

A lawyer for the city, Nancy Delaney, denied any wrongdoing by police
and accused Stonebarger of lying in the declaration.

The Times-Standard says Stonebarger resigned from the force last year
because of a knee injury.
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