Santa Ana Cops Joke About Kicking Amputee in 'Nub' and Eat Marijuana Edibles After Unlawfully Removing Surveillance Equipment (But They Missed a Camera) During a Raid at a Dispensary

Santa Ana officers caught on video eating edibles, joking about kicking amputee in 'nub', attorney says

June 12, 2015

KABC - Surveillance video shows a raid conducted by Santa Ana police officers at an unlicensed marijuana dispensary last month.

The edited video shows officers telling everyone to get on the ground. It also shows officers removing surveillance equipment, but the lawyer for the dispensary says hidden cameras caught much more, including officers eating marijuana edibles and joking about kicking an amputee.

"Did you punch that one-legged old Benita?" one officer says.

"I was about to kick her in her ****ing nub," a female officer replies.

Marla James volunteers at the Sky High Collective. She's legally blind and says several medical issues keep her confined to a wheelchair.

"How can I respect someone like that? It just makes your stomach turn -- maybe she doesn't know what it's like to have an amputation. I don't know what was going through her head, but man that was so disrespectful," James said.

She now plans to sue the city for the actions of the female officer in the video.

"Obviously, we're concerned about what we saw in this edited video. Anytime we get an allegation or indication that our officers might be engaged in misconduct, we want to make sure we conduct a thorough administrative investigation," said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Chris Revere.

James' lawyer, Matthew Pappas, says he plans to include other alleged misconduct from the video in his lawsuit. He's unhappy with the force officers used. He also alleges the video shows officers playing darts and eating what he believes is marijuana edibles from the store.

"He's eating it right there in the marijuana collective. If you're a police officer, you probably shouldn't be eating things from a marijuana collective," Pappas said.

The Santa Ana Police Department says every allegation will be thoroughly investigated.

"We expect our officers to hold themselves to a certain standard and represent the department and the profession well," Revere said. "If that wasn't done in this case, it's certainly something that, as part of the administrative investigation, the chief will make the appropriate disciplinary recommendation if it's warranted."

As for James, she says all of the officers involved in the raid need to be disciplined in one way or another.

"I think there's some sensitivity training that needs to be done here," she said.

 Santa Ana police officers were caught on surveillance video joking about kicking a wheelchair-bound amputee in her 'nub' during a marijuana dispensary raid. The woman's lawyer says hidden cameras also caught officers eating marijuana edibles.

Santa Ana police raid pot shop, then eat its edibles, attorney says

June 12, 2015

Los Angeles Times - A video that appears to show a Santa Ana police officer eating a pot-laced edible after raiding a pot shop has prompted a police investigation.

The marijuana dispensary's surveillance video, released to reporters by attorney Matthew Pappas, shows Santa Ana police officers entering Sky High Holistic on May 26 and forcing patrons to the ground as they raid the facility. At some point, officers appear to be removing security cameras and playing darts.

An officer examines what appears to be an edible. On the video, he tosses it into his mouth and flashes a thumbs-up gesture.

The dispensary’s manager, Marla James, an amputee who uses a wheelchair, told KTLA-TV reporters that she was victimized and intimidated by police.

The video shows an officer asking another female officer, “Did you punch that one-legged guerita?”

The female officer replies, “I was about to kick her in her [expletive] nub.”

The raid was part of a search warrant obtained by Santa Ana police, who were investigating the marijuana dispensary for operating illegally in the city, Santa Ana police Chief Carlos Rojas said.


The Police Department sent a cease-and-desist order on Feb. 26, but the dispensary remained open even though its operation was not permitted, he said.

Police haven’t seen the full, unedited video and have requested a copy.

The edited video, Rojas said, raises concerns.

“Our expectation for officers is that they act professionally at all time,” he said.

Rojas said he has pushed for a rapid internal affairs investigation into the officers’ actions. If any wrongdoing occurred, they will be held accountable, he said. But so far, he said “it doesn’t appear to be what people are assuming it is.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to the officers to indict them based on an edited video,” he said.

The officers are not on administrative leave.

Rojas said it’s not uncommon for officers to eat their own snacks while they are at the scene of a lengthy investigation, but he said the officers will be tested for drugs.

“We will ensure that all investigative protocols are followed to ensure that no officer ingested any marijuana,” he said.

Pappas, meanwhile, told KTLA-TV that he and his client, James, plan to file a lawsuit next week.