Police raid Arbor Heights house, seize marijuana plants

| Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

If you’re in the area of 40th SW and SW 102nd in Arbor Heights (map), that video shows what all the police presence late today was about — officers, with a search warrant, forcibly entering a house where they say a major marijuana-growing operation is based. Through an open door, we could see some of the plants that police believe may number in the hundreds:

Police say there have been claims that it’s raised for medical-marijuana purposes, but the situation has caused neighborhood trouble – police say they have responded repeatedly to burglaries at the house. They seized some plants that were in evidence when they responded to a recent burglary call, but needed a warrant to go in and look for more. No one was home when they went in. We’ll be checking tomorrow on what happens next and whether anyone will be charged in connection with what was found in the raid.

Melissa January 13, 2009 (8:22 pm)

Man! I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. We’d walk by on warm evenings and smell — strongly, dizzyingly — the scent of growing dope. Now, I think our marijuana laws are ridiculous, but this guy was (forgive me) a certifiable dope.

Eddie January 13, 2009 (8:49 pm)

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that law enforcement had to “knock and announce” before they break down the door. In the video clip, you can see them taking three or so tries with the battering ram and finally breaking in the door (should have used a 17 year old with a boot….) and then announcing “Seattle Police”

Allz I’m sayin…..

austin January 13, 2009 (8:51 pm)

The marijuana laws are ridiculous, but people shouldn’t be running effectively commercial operations in residential areas. It’s unfortunate that the police had to spend their time and our money on this situation. I look forward to a day that recreational users and medical patients alike are able to freely trade in a regulated market, raising tax money while avoiding unnecessary gov’t spending on imprisoning nonviolent cannabis related offenders.

As long as cannabis is illegal, only outlaws will use and grow it.

WSB January 13, 2009 (8:59 pm)

E, Patrick shot the video and is still out covering another event so I can’t ask him what transpired before the clip began. I can tell you that police were at the house for quite some time before going in – maybe, according to one neighbor, as far back (with at least one unit) as midmorning today – TR

relax January 13, 2009 (9:22 pm)

I think we all now know where we can go and ease the pain about the viaduct…

MAS January 13, 2009 (9:33 pm)

Eddie – depends on the warrant.

AdamOnAlki January 13, 2009 (9:33 pm)

Ooooh! Look at all that pot!

But yeah, you shouldn’t be growing in residential areas. It lends opportunity for the community to become unsafe should knowledge of your practice get out and, well, the smell is really, REALLY strong when you try to grow it yourself. In a place like West Seattle, a neighbor would surely narc on you.

NO SNITCHIN’!!!

(jay kay…snitch away guys)

Scott January 13, 2009 (9:53 pm)

I encourage everyone to watch this short and sweet clip from Noam Chomsky on Youtube. It’s important for everyone to educate themsselves on this subjet. Type in Noam Chomsky and marijuana or:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=marijuana+noam+chomsky&www_google_domain=www.google.com&emb=0#

tj January 13, 2009 (10:35 pm)

Melissa…. knock and announce applies to most, but not all warrants. If it was required in this warrant I’m sure it was done quite some time before the door was forcibly opened. And of course the knock and announce isn’t news-worthy, the ramming of the door is though!

tj January 13, 2009 (10:38 pm)

Correction… the last was intended for Eddie.. not Melissa

Patrick January 13, 2009 (11:08 pm)

They did knock and announce – I just couldn’t get the camera fired up in time for that part. I had to be some way back in case anything went kaboom so there was some lag in me getting clear before pressing the record button.

But when the door opened the smell was intense.

Brandon January 13, 2009 (11:08 pm)

“Dave’s not here!”

roundthesound January 13, 2009 (11:51 pm)

Someone is burglarized and they’re the criminal. From the picture it does look like they were a little greedy.

Ray Ray January 14, 2009 (12:14 am)

O mon, not da ganja! Wa mek yu dweet fa, facety poleese is doin me bad fa reals Rasta.

Arbor Heights Dad January 14, 2009 (8:09 am)

We live 2 doors down from this house and I was home yesterday during all the commotion. The police were there from about 9 in the morning until the warrant was served (sometime after 5). There was activity there over the weekend which appeared to be the tenant moving out but they had 2 more break-ins early yesterday morning (reported by my neighbor). These latest break-ins apparently led to yesterday’s raid.

We were also led to believe that the marijuana was being raised for medicinal purposes but the amount that was found and the high volume of traffic around this house indicates there is more to the story. This is a quiet neighborhood with a lot of families and a lot of kids covering a wide range of ages. We are definately glad that something is being done about this situation as it has recently brought a very dangerous element into the neighborhood (gunfire was involved on one of the recent break-ins). The kids in the neighborhood have been afraid to walk by this house and my oldest son feels the need to sleep with a baseball bat next to his bed because of the recent events. Kudos to Seattle PD for cleaning this place out.

One question: Does anyone know how much responsibility is placed on the Landlord in this type of situation? I would be interested to find out.

westseattlered January 14, 2009 (10:19 am)

prime example of the need to have a regulated system of the production, distribution and use of marijuana. having grow operations in neighborhoods is not safe. it brings a criminal element around – not the users, but the burglars who want in on this highly profitable commodity. and having police raids is also not safe and not healthy for a community. there has to be a better way. we as a state have said we want our citizens to be able to use this plant to ease suffering yet we do not provide a safe system of production and distribution of the medicine. this may not have been for medical marijuana, but it could easily have been. there’s really no difference in the way it’s grown.

Terry January 14, 2009 (10:24 am)

What a ridiculous waste of police resources. I wish this city would spend the energy on gang violence etc.

big gulps,eh? well, see ya later. January 14, 2009 (10:42 am)

As long as prohibition continues to keep the cost of this product elevated there will be individuals willing to take the risk to fill the demand. They will continue to do it in residences outside of any governement oversight. This leads to dangers to the community by other criminal elements looking to capitalize by robbing the producers. A regulated system is needed to take the money out of the game.

Brandon January 14, 2009 (11:17 am)

Don’t you believe drugs and territory are the roots of gang violence? Not so ridiculous.

cmc January 14, 2009 (12:07 pm)

duuuuuuuuuude

AHM January 14, 2009 (12:12 pm)

My suggestion to the “ARBOR HEIGHTS DAD” is to contact the PD and get a neighborhood watch program started for your block/street/area. It helps!

rc January 14, 2009 (2:44 pm)

we live across the alley from these guys. Now I don’t usually care what people do,infact the guy was nice and we even provided them power during the outage a couple of winters ago. However, their recent breakins and increased traffic made them have to go. My dog alerted me to one break in @345 am and scared the young group off, but then my dog a week later suddenly passes quite suddenly and a string of break ins follow. Coincidence? I sure hope so . In response to medical use. yeah go for it but I think we all know how much is needed for personal use and from the looks of it he was producing far more than that. Like I said don’t care what you do but don’t endanger the neighbors or my family.

bob vila January 14, 2009 (3:33 pm)

the root of gang violence? are u kidding me. the parents of the kids in gangs and there peers are the root of gang violence.
You must have been raised on Mercer Island, Bellevue or some ideal neighborhood where all your gang knowledge came from the tv, movies, or rap. These kids wouldn’t get into gangs if they had productive activities or people surrounding them that cared and tough them about responsibility/respect and consequences.

rbj January 14, 2009 (4:41 pm)

Bummer.

Bud Green January 14, 2009 (5:38 pm)

I wonder what happens to all of those plants? HEHE!

ep January 14, 2009 (9:08 pm)

I live really close by as well. The guy was nice but anybody could see that he was an obvious pot-head.

I see nothing wrong with growing/using a bit of weed (or even a lot:). But when you sell the stuff, you cross the line. If you raise enough to attract unwanted people into the neighborhood, you also cross the line even if you give it away. I too have noticed a bunch of younger adults hanging around every once in awhile which isn’t a normal occurrence in the neighborhood.

I am pretty sure this is strike two for this guy on the pot growing bust excitement in the neighborhood.

coffee geek January 14, 2009 (10:18 pm)

Agree with most here… Bad judgment and outdated mj laws don’t mix. Bummer. That would make a HUGE batch of brownies.

Brandon January 14, 2009 (11:25 pm)

Bob, that’s quite the vanilla world you describe there. Lets see if that really works.

ikahana January 15, 2009 (6:00 am)

So much for buying local. The whole thing is insane. Make pot illegal and you make it a dangerous operation to grow and sell it. I’m sure this was a giant nuisance for the neighbors, but it didn’t have to be that way. Folks are worried about gangs and gang violence (and this doesn’t appear to be the situation here), take away their business – illegal drug trade. But that is a different ball game – pot is a plant that anyone should be able to grow, same as their cauliflower, basil and roses. Folks want to smoke it – go out to the garden, or if you don’t have a garden (indoor or out), find someone who has enough to share. If folks want to make it into a business, they can do so – but they would be able to do so in broad daylight and take away the sleaze element. I guess now the folks that bought from this dude are going to have to find someone who imports it – same way we get bananas. Only underground. Raises the price.