An internal investigation is to be launched by the Santa Ana Police Department after being provided with video clips showing their own officers openly engaging in unprofessional conduct with each other after a raid on a marijuana dispensary last month.
The edited video starts with the officers coming through the front door by force, then removing everyone, including a lady named Marla James who is disabled with an amputated leg. Afterwards an officer can be clearly heard saying “I was about to kick her in her fucking nub.” when asked if she had punched Marla.
Marla James has stated ‘They intimidated me. They threatened me, and then they let us go,’ adding ‘What they did, it was like shooting fish in a barrel.’
Later in this video officers are seen destroying cameras and video recording devices. Some of the officers eat some edible products from the dispensary which is suggested to be cannabis infused edibles but has yet to be determined. The officers then play a game of darts when meant to be listing the contents of the Sky High Holistic dispensary where the video was recorded.
Sky Holistic dispensary was not one of the 20 dispensaries awarded a licence to operate in the Californian city but they decided to trade anyway.
The police have a duty to make the public feel safe and secure while maintaining a professional manner at all times, not one officer in this video displayed this so questions may have to be asked about police mentality as a whole. The only victims in this raid are the ones that the police created.
Matthew Pappas edited and released the clips from the May 26 raid and alleges that police grossly mistreated the woman. Attorney Pappas said he wants the officers who were involved in the raid to be ‘disciplined.’ and for the city to ‘stop engaging in illegal conduct.’