Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
The decisions of the Citizens Police Review Board and Columbia’s police chief concerning a February SWAT raid have been confirmed by City Manager Bill Watkins.
The decisions of the Citizens Police Review Board and Columbia’s police chief concerning a February SWAT raid have been confirmed by City Manager Bill Watkins.
Watkins’ letter is dated Friday and addressed to California marijuana activist Ed Rosenthal, who appealed the board’s decision. The letter says that based upon his review of Rosenthal’s complaint, a Columbia Police Department internal investigation, Chief Ken Burton’s decision and the recommendations of the review board, Watkins supports Burton’s decision in the matter.
Watkins’ decision is the third that has found the officers to have acted appropriately in the drug-related raid at a southwest Columbia home. The review board voted 4-3 in support of police actions concerning the raid during an Aug. 4 meeting, which was a confirmation of Burton’s prior internal investigation.
“This is unfortunate but not unexpected,” Rosenthal said. “I don’t understand why the city manager and the so-called citizens review board would rather protect the police and not the citizens. It’s obvious they are protecting a bad policy.”
Rosenthal’s original appeal of Burton’s investigation included four points. His appeal of the board’s decision was been stretched to 12 points, many of which were speculative.
“They were ignored,” Rosenthal said of his complaints.
Watkins could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
A civil lawsuit was filed yesterday in U.S. Western District Court by Jonathan Whitworth and other family members who reside in the Kinloch Court residence seeking payment for damages.
The ordinance establishing the review board calls for the city manager to review appeals of the board’s decisions and for the city manager to seek additional information from those involved in the investigations. In his decision, Watkins also considered additional information from the three officers who fired shots in Whitworth’s home, resulting in the death of a pit bull and injuries to another dog.
During the raid, police had expected to find evidence of a drug operation but found only a misdemeanor amount of marijuana. Changes to the police department’s SWAT policies followed.
“This is supposed to be of the lowest priority,” Rosenthal said of marijuana enforcement in Columbia. He was referring to a voter-approved ordinance that makes marijuana enforcement among the lowest priorities of law enforcement in the city. “I would have to presume police have solved all the murders and crime against people and property before they go after” marijuana. “Why are they wasting their time like this? The chief has said he will continue to enforce state law. He is like a rogue official.”
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: columbiatribune.com
Author: Brennan David
Copyright: 2010 The Columbia Daily Tribune
Contact: The Columbia Daily Tribune
Website: City manager concurs with chief
The decisions of the Citizens Police Review Board and Columbia’s police chief concerning a February SWAT raid have been confirmed by City Manager Bill Watkins.
Watkins’ letter is dated Friday and addressed to California marijuana activist Ed Rosenthal, who appealed the board’s decision. The letter says that based upon his review of Rosenthal’s complaint, a Columbia Police Department internal investigation, Chief Ken Burton’s decision and the recommendations of the review board, Watkins supports Burton’s decision in the matter.
Watkins’ decision is the third that has found the officers to have acted appropriately in the drug-related raid at a southwest Columbia home. The review board voted 4-3 in support of police actions concerning the raid during an Aug. 4 meeting, which was a confirmation of Burton’s prior internal investigation.
“This is unfortunate but not unexpected,” Rosenthal said. “I don’t understand why the city manager and the so-called citizens review board would rather protect the police and not the citizens. It’s obvious they are protecting a bad policy.”
Rosenthal’s original appeal of Burton’s investigation included four points. His appeal of the board’s decision was been stretched to 12 points, many of which were speculative.
“They were ignored,” Rosenthal said of his complaints.
Watkins could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
A civil lawsuit was filed yesterday in U.S. Western District Court by Jonathan Whitworth and other family members who reside in the Kinloch Court residence seeking payment for damages.
The ordinance establishing the review board calls for the city manager to review appeals of the board’s decisions and for the city manager to seek additional information from those involved in the investigations. In his decision, Watkins also considered additional information from the three officers who fired shots in Whitworth’s home, resulting in the death of a pit bull and injuries to another dog.
During the raid, police had expected to find evidence of a drug operation but found only a misdemeanor amount of marijuana. Changes to the police department’s SWAT policies followed.
“This is supposed to be of the lowest priority,” Rosenthal said of marijuana enforcement in Columbia. He was referring to a voter-approved ordinance that makes marijuana enforcement among the lowest priorities of law enforcement in the city. “I would have to presume police have solved all the murders and crime against people and property before they go after” marijuana. “Why are they wasting their time like this? The chief has said he will continue to enforce state law. He is like a rogue official.”
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: columbiatribune.com
Author: Brennan David
Copyright: 2010 The Columbia Daily Tribune
Contact: The Columbia Daily Tribune
Website: City manager concurs with chief
