For six weeks, Matt Crull, 29, sat in a Florida jail on a charge of trafficking heroin. The state finally got around to test the bag of heroin that was found at the time of the arrest to have tested positive for the drug. It turns out that it was Tide laundry detergent and the officer who made the arrest was fired after a series of arrests of innocent people.
Crull made the local news with his arrest late at night in Martin County. The Port St. Lucie man was found asleep in his van with alcohol in the cup holders and what appeared to be a marijuana pipe. Martin County Sheriff’s deputy Steven O’Leary also reported finding more than three ounces of heroin in the van.
Crull reportedly told deputies he was tired and “only was drinking one beer on my way home from work.”
Crull is clearly no angel, but this case is chilling that someone could sit so long in jail before such testing occurs. It is not suspicious that Tide would ever come up on a field test as positive for heroin.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Department teaches D.A.R.E. seminars at the local elementary schools, ‘Detergent Abuse Resistance Education’…
“Kids, believe me, I have seen it all in my 26 years as a Martin County Deputy Sheriff. First it’s sorting the clothes, thinking you can quit at any time, but then a friend of a friend offers you some ‘free’ detergent, maybe a laundromat box of Ajax or Cheer…after a few times of walking that dangerous line, say, sliding the quarters into the coin receptacle on the Speed Queen at 8:59 p.m. when you know the sign reads ‘No Loads Started after 9 p.m.’
You can’t stop. You move up to the hard stuff. Tide. Persil. Arm & Hammer with Baking Soda. Then, God forbid, straight vinegar in the rinse cycle..
After seeing the Stone arrest what law enforcement agency can be trusted?
Bingo
Actually, I claim to be Joe Average capable of inductive reasoning, a talent which eludes you. It doesn’t elude others.
I have to wonder if police in that jurisdiction have arrest quotas to fill, or if their promotions are based on arrest statistics ….
Cases like this are the basis for the constitution that we live under. Protecting us from government abuse.
This guy is not having a good day: He overpaid for what he thought was heroin, and still spent six weeks in jail! On the other hand, the cops saved him from smoking or shooting Tide detergent! It’s all good!
Keep your Tide in its original box. If you have some heroin then put it in a Tide box. If you have to drive a car through the county where this occurred then carry a weapon and shoot the cops.
Fitting that it was Tide. O’Leary needed to clean up his act.
Forget it Jake. It’s Floriduh.
Generally, ‘dissident right’ types are annoying cranks with nothing much to say worth hearing. However, they’ve coined a useful term – ‘anarcho-tyranny’ to describe phenomena like this. Legislatures command civil servants to stick their noses into all manner of transactions, but they do not properly finance and staff basic functions. In this case, it would be state and local crime labs which aren’t hopelessly backlogged.
At first as I began reading the article, the first thought in my mind was how on Earth could someone mistake a quantity of detergent with heroin, especially after a field test kit? I cannot see how a false positive could be rendered from Tide.
Then, after reading of the numerous examples of false arrest, I realized in this case I doubt that this officer was interested in actually determining if or if not the substance was controlled–he only wanted to make an arrest and the truth be damned.
Two thoughts for the readers
1) This shows that there is an inherent need for honesty in the police. While this seems quite self-evident the structure of the criminal justice system relies on it to almost a precarious level. Though I believe firmly it is less than it was in the past where evidence was mostly testimonial.
2) Most people do no realize that there is really more to achieving true readings from these test kits than might be expected. It is not as absolute as pouring in the suspected substance, breaking a couple ampules, and looking at a color change. You truly must know what to look for. In fact, with experience one can roughly gauge the purity of the drug by how the results present themselves. Experience will also provide a tester with insights into when something goes wrong in a test and the results should be discarded. The bottom line is if there is any doubt, consider the test result as a negative. It is not worth prosecuting. I’ve had a couple times where I knew for a fact the substance was an illegal drug but the test result was questionable (probably due to either a strange chemical in the substance or a bad test kit) but I didn’t go there.
The reality with drug enforcement is that with most offenders, it is only a matter of time before they screw up again and there will be another opportunity to get pinched for drugs. So why cause a big mess by taking a broken case to trial?
So why cause a big mess by taking a broken case to trial?
That depends on what metrics are used for pay, promotions, awards, etc. Show me what defines that and you’ll get your answer.
It’s always bothered me the extent a DA will go to deny a “potentially” wrongful conviction to be reviewed and overturned. I’m not suggesting everyone that makes the claim they are innocent have actually been wrongfully convicted. I’m talking specifically about those cases where overwhelming evidence has been discovered and yet the DA stands his/her ground. What does a DA stand to lose personally and/or professionally if they have a case overturned and justice is provided to the innocent individual?
Olly
The notion that people should be locked up and have a life-long criminal record because of something they smoked, swallowed, snorted, or injected is medieval.
The reason why this practice continues is because of the large number of special interest groups that profit from it and the inability or unwillingness of otherwise half-way intelligent people to see thru the web they weave. Our own JT & DS included.
The notion that people should be locked up and have a life-long criminal record because of something they smoked, swallowed, snorted, or injected is medieval.
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
In another age, Bill, you’d have spent your life in an asylum. Now you get to navigate between the public library’s internet terminals and the local food cupboard and shelter. Progress.
Ad hominem, character assassination, call it what you will. Do you know Mr. McWilliams personally? If not, you have no grounds to make that kind of gossip. And it demonstrates that you have no real contribution to make here. Your post is fake news.
Hi, Bill.
I’ve been reading your paranoid tripe for a couple of years. You don’t recognize yourself, but others recognize you.
absurd x3
It’s obvious that you see in others what you see in yourself.
Now, go read up on your condition and how to treat it.
Absurd x 2
In the alternate universe of your fevered mind, you are a plenipotentiary unto yourself.
I thought you claim to be a godly being.
there is law that they MUST hand over exculpatory evidence and if they fail to do so they can be ethnically disciplined. this actually happens to prosecutors from time to time. believe it or not
good comment
of course Tide smells like…. tide. a simple sniff test by anybody who does laundry would reveal this. I dont mean snorting or tasting even just barely whiffing the bag would tell you it’s detergent and most folks who use it could name the brand. I can imagine how it smells at this moment.
Reminds me of a retired Florida state police guy, highway patrol?, whatever they call them, I did a job for 30 some years ago, anyway for no reason at all he tells me this story.
That he’s debating whether to retire then or wait, & then he ends up with a well dressed man pulled over on the highway.
He asked the guy if there was anything in the car. The guy tells him yes, I forget exactly, that there’s 1 or 2 suitcases in the trunk full of coke & 1 or 2 suitcases full of cash.
They’re talking… something, the guy pulled over tells the HP that yes he can arrest him, but the way things were if he wanted to live the HP should just take the money & move away.
Why would that guy tell me that story, I haven’t a clue? How much dope & how much money? The claimed former HP didn’t say.
Anyway in regards to P Turley’s story, did someone switch real dope for shop at the cop shop?
Wouldn’t be the 1st time for corruption of humans.
Real life doesn’t work that way. Smart cop things three things.
1) maybe they will inform on me if I steal. yes they might.
2) maybe they will get arrested and then inform on me if I steal to mitigate prosecution. yes possible.
3) maybe if I steal from courier the drug dealer will find me and punish me. yes it can happen to crooked cop.
4) how will i get this home without anybody at work or my own household knowing this and finding out and how will i hide it and yet keep it accessible
the normal concerns of a criminal and a cop usually does not have to think that hard.. . why bother? of course some are indeed so tempted. and I have heard stories of cops stealing more than once.
hell that’s four. I cant count. LOL
Who would have ever thought this guy would even own laundry detergent? Excusable neglect.
Satire or below the belt ad hominum attack on someone who obviously “doesn’t look like you”?
Anonymous:
You’re an obvious victim of humorectomy. You can tell by the virtue signaling and feckless anonymity. Try group therapy or better yet, shock therapy.
Yawn…more ad hominum…it’s all you got in your petty arsenal.
Eagles don’t spend a lot or time or effort hunting flies. Move your way up the food chain. Start by coming out from your hiding place with that ridiculous anonymous moniker. Nobody respects an anonymous source except maybe the media.
Yawn…more ad hominum…what a blowhard…simply can’t admit that you stereotyped someone based on their looks and that you have a tiny mind that lashes out at correction by gnashing your teeth and lobbing verbal bombs.
What a boor.
“Blowhard” fits old mespo to a tee.