In what has to be one of the most ignorant and bizarre attempts to cover up illegal actions committed by police during a raid, a lawsuit has been filed seeking to squash CCTV video – the same video showing officers stealing and eating marijuana edibles at a marijuana dispensary.
The lawsuit, which was filed by three unidentified Santa Ana police officers, seeks to prevent Internal Affairs from using the video footage as evidence against the same police that took part in the raid.
Sky High Holistic, a marijuana dispensary in Santa Ana, had been the subject of police bullying since they opened shop. To help protect them and their business from the police, they installed a state-of-the-art CCTV system. Unfortunately for Sky High, it didn’t take very long to catch the criminals in the act during another raid.
Moments after initiating the raid, the police sought out and disabled and destroyed security cameras. Fortunately for the shop owners, the inept officers missed at least two cameras that continued to record their illegal actions. The estimated damage to the store, equipment, safes, furniture, and the security system is over $100,000.
The basis for the lawsuit is that the officers involved “didn’t know they were on camera” and thus “shouldn’t be used as evidence”.
Matthew Pappas, Sky High’s attorney, said the claims are baseless, adding that the officers “knew they were on video” and that “Just because they missed one camera doesn’t make it illegal.”
How many times have you entered a business and noticed a sign stating that you are being recorded? Surveillance or security systems, commonly referred to as CCTV, are very affordable and are installed in a majority of businesses. It not only protects the businesses that use them from frivolous lawsuits, but they can also protect you against the police. Let’s hope the Courts rule against these officers. Just because they thought they had destroyed all of the cameras, that shouldn’t be a ‘legal’ defense to their illegal actions.
More detailed information with links Including LA Times accusing Mayor of taking bribes for Dispensary Lottery Here
