A Tampa, FL man returned from a concert to find that his expensive business truck completely ransacked – by police.
They had no warrant and did so without his presence, simply leaving him a note, which read:
“Sir, your car was checked by TPD K-9. The vehicle was searched for marijuana due to a strong odor coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. Any questions call Cpl Fanning”
“You think if anyone is going to break into your vehicle in Ybor, the last person you think, it’s going to be the cops,” stated owner Matthew Heller.
Police actually ripped out wires and trashed the electronics in his truck, which he used as a display model for his business. They found no marijuana.
The local police dept claims they had a right to perform this search, but attorney Bryant Camareno disagrees:
“It’s an illegal search,” Camareno stated. “Usually if it’s some kind of unoccupied vehicle there has to be some level of exigent circumstance to justify searching a vehicle without a search warrant. Exigent could mean if there is a dead body inside, if there is a screaming child locked in the car, a dog but if the car is unoccupied there is no exigency to justify the search.”
THUGS !
the ones doing it should be punished just like anyone else doing something like that and be made to go through a drug course so that next time they will know what they are smelling
Where was he probable cause. Who’s to say it didn’t come from the vehicle parked next to it, or someone smoked a joint shortly before the cops arrived. Where was the probable cause for bringing in a K-9 unit. You still need a search warrant.
just a little fun fact, probable cause throws all warrant precedings out of the window and in the trash. No i am not a sheep, nor an Obama supporter .i think logically and with common sense.
No longer a free country, liberties constantly violated, cops probably thought this was cute.
Place a bag of Parsely on top of a loaded Rat Trap under the seats. That’ll get ‘um! 😉
Thea police should pay out of his own pocket, or be arrested for breaking and entering
BULL$#%&!@*,COME SEARCH MY $#%&!@* LIKE THAT AND SEE WHO DIES.
Jill it’s stupid people like you the reason our country is so $#%&!@*ed up. Can’t fix stupid.
MAKE THE P.D. PAY FOR ANY DAMAGES CAUSED DURING THE SEARCH.