Booby-Trapped Pot Injures Three Drug Agents

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[chance33_98]

Booby-Trapped Pot Injures Three Drug Agents 

A booby-trapped pot plant left two national guardsmen and one agent from the Alcohol Beverage Commission with non life-threatening injuries when it exploded. The explosion happened during a routine marijuana eradication conducted by the Governor's Task Force.

At 2:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon, three drug agents found roughly 30 plants in a secluded Maury County pot patch. Suddenly, there was an explosion near the three agents.

"They cut a plant and a device detonated."

Maurice Hobbs, a special ops sergeant with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, rushed to the men who suffered injuries, including ringing ears and cuts from flying shrapnel.

"It was very loud. There was a crater in the dirt indicating, it was some kind of high explosive. It blew a log in half."

Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but blast experts said had the men been standing directly in the path of the blast wave, the situation could have been much more serious.

"There were enough explosives there to cause extensive damage."

Bomb experts asked News 2 not to disclose how the booby-trapped pot plant was triggered, but agents did tell us it was powerful, sophisticated, and there for a purpose.

"More than likely it was for law enforcement personnel."

"He's taking time to plant marijuana, taking time to build a device for us, hoping to hurt us or kill us."

News 2 spoke to the TBI coordinator for the Governor's Task Force on Marijuana Eradication. He said to date, his men have seized around 400,000 plants across the state, with each plant valued at close to a $1,000. Money is a prime reason some growers booby-trap their crops. If you have any information on who made the bomb, call the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

[chance33_98]

Ping!

[CFW]

...two national guardsmen ?

Is that what they are doing these days?

[glorgau]

"More than likely it was for law enforcement personnel."

Nope, it was there for anyone that messed with it. Law enforcement personnel just happened to be the ones messing with it.

Moral of the story: don't mess with someone's stash!

[BlackbirdSST]

If you have any information on who made the bomb, call the Tennessee Highway Patrol. No information on the "bomber", but plenty of free advice. Perhaps you should spend more time policing the corruption of gubermint officials in the great state of Tennesee, you might find you have less time on your hands to look for potheads. It does sound like it was planted and intended for injury, not for profit. Blackbird.

[BlackbirdSST]

Money is a prime reason some growers booby-trap their crops. Take the money out of the equation, boom (no pun intended), problem solved. Baliff, next case. Blackbird.

[Sursum Corda]

These people are criminals. They planted an explosive device to protect an illegal crop. Legalizing the crop will not do away with the other crime.

Pot heads are just disingenuous.

Sursum Corda

[Joe Boucher]

Let's see, murders, rapes, kidnappings, Al Queda,illegal immigration,etc.etc.etc. and these bozos are out screwing around pulling up folks pot? A screwy sense of priorities don't ya think?

[putupon]

"...two national guardsmen ?"

Is that what they are doing these days?

Must have been planted by a sleeper Al Queda cell.

[bassmaner]

Governor's Task Force on Marijuana Eradication

IMO, the fact that this organization EXISTS is the real crime.

Drug Warriors commonly cite the need to "send a message" to justify their extra-consitutional activities. Looks like the Tennessee growers have decided to send a message of their own.

[bassmaner]

bump

[Wolfie]

Ain't that a shame....

[sweet_diane]

Bump

[Dubya]

Hope they put these people in jail for a long time. What kind of scum they must be to plant dope and trap it.

Help President Bush By Spreading The Word About Team Leader

[Ferris]

That's what happens when LEO's go after non-criminals who have committed no objective crime against another individual...

But since pot growers are infinitely more dangerous than terrorists, well...

I guess it's okay then...

Just as long as someone's rights were violated...

[southern rock]

These people are criminals.

Americans who know the meaning of private property are criminals??

[LibKill]

Moral of the story: don't mess with someone's stash!

Really now. Whatever your stand on private property/marijuana, planting landmines is just unacceptable. These things kill indiscriminately, it could have been a child, or one of those LEO's might just have a family.

Think a bit, and you will see that this kind of behaviour is just wrong.

[SkyRat]

Really now. Whatever your stand on private property/marijuana, planting landmines is just unacceptable. These things kill indiscriminately, it could have been a child, or one of those LEO's might just have a family.

Agreed. land mines are evil stuff.

However, as several already pointed out, the fact that the government is hunting people down for growing a non-lethal plant in their garden is also stupid, dangerous and should be stoped.

[WyldKard]

While I feel for the LEO's that got hurt, this is what happens when you spend more time going after a not terribly dangerous substance that you've criminalized, instead of pursuing REAL crime, like murder, rape, and terrorism.

Isn't this stuff the biggest unofficial cash crop of the region anyhow? Was probably some locals trying to protect their investment. Ginseng farmers also have to deal with rustlers stealing their roots, and have resorted to similiar methods.

It's all about economics, and nothing more...

[WyldKard]

While I feel for the LEO's that got hurt, this is what happens when you spend more time going after a not terribly dangerous substance that you've criminalized, instead of pursuing REAL crime, like murder, rape, and terrorism.

Isn't this stuff the biggest unofficial cash crop of the region anyhow? Was probably some locals trying to protect their investment. Ginseng farmers also have to deal with rustlers stealing their roots, and have resorted to similiar methods.

It's all about economics, and nothing more...