Video that appears to show Santa Ana police eating medical marijuana edibles, playing darts and mocking an amputee in a wheelchair after raiding a local cannabis dispensary was published Thursday by Voice of OC.
Police have launched an “internal investigation” after video footage captured during a raid last month was released to local Orange County news media by pharmacy attorney Matthew Pappas.
Pappas, who co-edited raw footage to create a seven-minute “highlight” video, says he plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of his client, the now-closed Sky High Holistic dispensary.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the raid, which was carried out during office hours. Police broke open the pharmacy door and evacuated the store with guns drawn and targeting patients and pharmacy staff, including a woman with an amputated leg in a wheelchair.
Then there seemed to be a festive mood. One female officer joked that she wanted to punch the amputee “in the lump”, and two other officers appeared to show up to unpack and taste medicinal cannabis edibles. Another set up a dartboard.
All of the above was captured on the pharmacy’s security cameras – which the police were also trying to dismantle. The video shows officers taking down cameras with crowbars and removing the DVR recorder from the pharmacy. Apparently they missed this camera and external storage.
If nothing else, the video reveals police behavior during a pharmacy raid: military-style tactics for barbecue-style relaxation. Your tax money at work.
Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas says the video, which has clearly been edited for anti-police effect, is not entirely clear. The edibles may have been protein bars, he told the website.
As for Pappas, it’s clear. “I believe they are consuming edibles and the behavior shown gives all the indications that they would,” Pappas told the website.
See for yourself below.
