Excessive Display of Force to Eradicate Blackberries‏

A small organic farm in Arlington, Texas, was the target of a massive police action last week that included aerial surveillance, a SWAT raid and a 10-hour search.

Members of the local police raiding party had a search warrant for marijuana plants, which they failed to find at the Garden of Eden farm. But farm owners and residents who live on the property told a Dallas-Ft. Worth NBC station that the real reason for the law enforcement exercise appears to have been code enforcement. The police seized "17 blackberry bushes, 15 okra plants, 14 tomatillo plants ... native grasses and sunflowers," after holding residents inside at gunpoint for at least a half-hour, property owner Shellie Smith said in a statement. The raid lasted about 10 hours, she said.

Local authorities had cited the Garden of Eden in recent weeks for code violations, including "grass that was too tall, bushes growing too close to the street, a couch and piano in the yard, chopped wood that was not properly stacked, a piece of siding that was missing from the side of the house, and generally unclean premises," Smith's statement said. She said the police didn't produce a warrant until two hours after the raid began, and officers shielded their name tags so they couldn't be identified. According to ABC affiliate WFAA, resident Quinn Eaker was the only person arrested -- for outstanding traffic violations.

Source

A quick read through the link and the blog has a few stories on how police are being very heavy handed when it comes to organic farmers. So this poor family had to endure a 10 hour SWAT raid, just to take some blackberry bushes?! They came looking for illegal plants, why take blackberry bushes
The blog also has some stories on a family that got raided for raw milk and cheese, it's ridiculous and why use SWAT? Even the worst of criminals don't get SWAT used on them sometimes, but you even think about growing something organic and they come down on you like a ton of bricks, it's a complete joke.

reply to post by sarahlm


Bully to those LEOs - blackberries bushes, AKA brambles are an invasive weed and have thorns at least 2mm long. They (blackberries) are also really really more-ish and leave purple stains on the tongue. Pave the wild, i say!

Code violations listed are from the book of Stoopid.

These people seem to have been targeted period. IMO, a bylaw officer could have handled those complaints, but sending in a SWAT team, really?

An officer came to my place one afternoon and ordered me to dig up my "illegal" oregano, basil, chives and thyme, as "weeds" that were growing by my back door. Turns out that the new guy who moved in next door was trying to wield his power as the new top admin in our city. I laughed and invited the officer to try some on his next homemade pizza. But seriously, some people are just twits.