Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Society, Torts

DEA Agents Who Arrested California Man On Minor Pot Charge and Then Left Him In Cell Without Light, Water, or Food For Days . . . Given Only Reprimands After Almost Killing Him

141px-DEA_badge_CThe Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is infamous for stacking charges on defendants and arresting individuals for seemingly minor possessions. However, when it comes to its own agents, there appears to be an endless level of leniency. In 2012, DEA carried out a raid on a home and arrested a group of young people who were smoking marijuana. One was Daniel Chong. Despite the minor violation, Chong was arrested and interrogated. He was told that he would be released but DEA agents simply forgot about him and left him in a cell for five days without food or water. At one point, as the 23-year-old cried and begged for help, someone with the DEA came in and turned off the light in his cell to leave him in the dark. He was given no food or water. Someone was charged, right? Someone was fired, right? No, the DEA has decided that a few reprimands and short suspensions is fine for starving and almost killing Chong.


I earlier wrote a column on how the U.S. government seems to be gradually adopting the legal standards of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. This case seem to fit that storyline all too neatly.

Even the Justice Department has questioned “the DEA’s failure to impose significant discipline on these employees.”

Chong was never charged with a crime and ultimately received a $4.1-million settlement.

The three DEA agents and supervisor responsible will continue to work for the government even though they almost killed Chong who was hospitalized for days after his ordeal. Four reprimands were issued and the supervisor was given a seven-day suspension. Case closed.

Source: LA Times

210 thoughts on “DEA Agents Who Arrested California Man On Minor Pot Charge and Then Left Him In Cell Without Light, Water, or Food For Days . . . Given Only Reprimands After Almost Killing Him”

  2. Squeek, I know the hand wringing liberals here and elsewhere do not associate w/ black people. I do. That woman speaks for the silent majority of black people sickened by what has become of their culture. They are embarrassed by what has become of US cities. I have black male friends who had to fight daily to keep their sons and daughters from becoming the “black “b@stards” this woman talks about so forcefully. When our Pre gives Al Sharpton his proxy vote in shaping racial policy this is what happens. Obama knows this woman speaks truth. He just can never admit that.

  3. This issue is not about cops, it’s about a bureaucracy effectively unaccountable largely due to its role as a political power base. Compare to a similar lack of accountability from IRS personnel and other government employees.

    Government employees are first and foremost loyal to themselves. It’s a little strange watching so many people focus solely on law enforcement while ignoring all other abuses.

  4. Not punishing unstable, irresponsible, and/or abusive cops can have serious consequences for the public.

    The Baltimore lieutenant charged in the murder of Freddie Gray had been previously disciplined and twice had his guns confiscated.

    Brian Rice, who pursued and arrested Gray after the 25-year-old “caught his eye” on 12 April, was reportedly given an administrative suspension after being hospitalised for a mental health evaluation when he warned he was preparing to shoot himself in April 2012.

    Rice, 41, also received an internal discipline when a judge granted a temporary restraining order against him after a request from Andrew McAleer, the husband of Karyn McAleer, who is the mother of Rice’s young son and a fellow Baltimore police officer.
    ***
    McAleer said in his court filing, which was first reported by the Guardian last month, that Rice forced one of Karyn McAleer’s young children to “shoot” a photograph of her and her husband that Rice had “taped to a piece of cardboard intended for target practice”. It was not clear from the filing whether any weapon was actually used.

    McAleer said that two months before this, in April 2012, his wife called to tell him to protect himself and her five children from Rice because the lieutenant had called her threatening to kill himself.
    ***
    Rice was ordered to stay away from McAleer, his home and his workplace after a series of alleged confrontations, including one armed standoff in June 2012 when officers from two police departments responded to a 911 call and spent 90 minutes defusing the situation.

    Not really the type of guy most people want having a gun and a badge. Yet here we are.

    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/05/freddie-gray-baltimore-police-brian-rice

    1. Annie, I don’t hate women. I love women. Generally speaking, they just don’t make very effective Mayors and Attorney Generals. Most of these looters are males. Males are generally more aggressive than females. The “give me my rights” rioters are walking all over the female leaders. The city needs a strong aggressive male to put a stop to it. It should go to the State before the federal government, but unfortunately the same problem exists at the State level. If they would stop with this foolish equality mentality and realize that our gender differences are real and good and should be recognized, our country would not be heading off the rails right now. The entire nation could be burning to the ground, but I think you would be happy because we have black women leading us.

  7. Self proclaimed ‘experts’ are a dime a dozen. Self aggrandizers too.

  8. One of the aspects of free speech is people who know little or nothing on a subject get to spout their idiocies as well. And, we all get to see it and laugh. Free speech has a cleansing aspect to it, sunshine cleanses.

  9. I hate the War on Drugs. But, one of the few positives to come out of it was the US helping the good people of Colombia to take back their countries from narco terrorists. I recommend the book, Killing Pablo, for one of the good stories to come out of this ill conceived and senseless war. The CIA and US military helped brave attorneys, judges, cops, soldiers and journalists fight the depraved cartels in Colombia. It is now a stable country. It was a war one back in the 1980’s when I was in Medellin and Bogota.

  11. stevegroen: +1 on “End the War on Drugs NOW.” The war on drugs and the DEA are just pretextual devices to meddle in politics in Latin America and elsewhere in our ceaseless destabilization and acquisition strategy.

    Yep. Completely agree.

  12. The govt. does run Veterans healthcare and they kill vets daily. With no accountability, just like these DEA agents. Hell, VA people get bonuses!

    1. Nick, my healthcare is provided by the VA. I’m extremely happy with the way I’ve been treated there as compared to private providers and all of their small contractual print uniquely devoted to weaseling out of coverage for which one needs a Ph.D. in health administration to understand. Online records and testing access, in-house full-service, email directly with my primary physician who responds within 48 hours, emergency room visits without charge when needed, physical exams once a year, voluntary immunizations, mail-delivery of all prescriptions (which cost $8.00 each), among other things. It’s what healthcare ought to be.

      Sure, there are problems, but they’re all related to budget constraints as the number of new members grows exponentially (and we all know why that is) while not being given enough weight from the President and Congress. They’ve got other, more important matters to tend, like tipping the scales of justice toward imperialistic corporate growth through police actions on the other side of the earth. Knowing this, my opinion is that anyone who isn’t happy with VA Healthcare hasn’t looked at the issues in private coverage nor why there are so many new members in VA Healthcare.

  13. “Steve” writes, “Who is Chong’s supplier?”

    Uh, . . . never mind.

    +1 on “End the War on Drugs NOW.” The war on drugs and the DEA are just pretextual devices to meddle in politics in Latin America and elsewhere in our ceaseless destabilization and acquisition strategy.

  14. Some of the same people complaining about a bureaucratic error in the DEA nearly killing someone want the government to run healthcare.

  15. Good news, the Mayor of Baltimore is calling for the DOJ to investigate the Baltimore PD regarding patterns and practices.

    1. Annie wrote: “Good news, the Mayor of Baltimore is calling for the DOJ to investigate the Baltimore PD regarding patterns and practices.”

      This is ridiculous! The city calls upon the federal government to investigate its operations? Why do people keep electing these inept, emotion driven politicians? Baltimore is being run like a tribal village in Africa. Baltimore needs to elect a real man as mayor who will do some house cleaning there.

      1. Because when local government agencies have an entrenched problem, it calls for outside intervention. Just like an intervention for drug addicts who are self destructive. We have a DOJ that is interested in police abuses and overreach is exactly what we need.too bad the DOJ wasn’t more interested in prosecuting those who allowed torture of POWs.

  16. No one is trying to restrict your speech, Nick, or that of anyone else.

    You can say whatever you like, as can I. And the following? Utterly ridiculous. Pure nonsense.

    Nick’s words:

    “And, JT is saying “You’re not the boss of me.” At least one bad cop post a day, keeps the good cops away.”

    Again. Utterly ridiculous. Pure nonsense. “Toxic”, even.

  17. Darren gave a nice tribute to Brian Moore on yesterdays cop hating post.

  18. The BEST thing about this blog, compared to almost all others, is JT can take a punch. He is not some prissy law professor who can’t take criticism. Those kissing his ass here today whine, moan and cry when he writes about Obama abuses. Come to think about it, he has laid off Obama! I surmise that is due in part to the litigation where he is suing that lawless law prof.

  19. Free speech is the earmark of this blog. JT has the supreme right to write what he wants. We commenters have the right to criticize it. Liberals don’t understand free speech. They fight daily to restrict speech, or tell you to go “find another blog.”

  20. This is JT’s blog. Don’t like what he posts? Find another one.

Comments are closed.