Sandy Smith Mulberry Weed Drug Raid Mistake
Travis County Task Force agents conducted a high-stakes drug raid on the home of 56-year-old Sandy Smith after helicopter surveillance misidentified mulberry weeds as marijuana plants. Smith was held at gunpoint and handcuffed before officers realized the error and apologized for the inconvenience. Sheriff Margo Fraser confirmed the officers lacked a search warrant and initiated an investigation into whether the conduct was proper under warrant requirement exceptions.
sandy smith· travis county sheriff· mulberry weed· drug raid· margo fraser
00:00 The Travis County Sheriff's Office thought it was making a big drug bust. A few weeks ago, from a helicopter officer saw what looked like a crop of marijuana plants but as KBSJay Carter reports that big drug bust turned into an embarrassing mistake It's been a few weeks now since the vice squad showed up at Sandy Smiths doorstep I came outside and There was a helicopter buzzing around. It was a black helicopter... Before she knew it, she was at gunpoint! Travis County Task Force agents searched the place bursting through doors and ripping down curtains. Never been in trouble with the law I mean i'm 56 years old you know The last traffic ticket I had was 20 years ago Those law officers said that they saw something very suspicious from up in that helicopter Something that appeared to be marijuana Then they looked closer and only found this Its mulberry weed
00:51 Is that amazing or what? Does that look like pot to you?" These mulberry weeds are really common in Texas. And I said, well you know...I said, I swear to ya, I'll cut down the weeds and put round up on them." But someone thought they saw pots and called the county cops. Now Sandy Smith is the talk of the neighborhood. So everybody down at the Chevron station was saying man they had Sandy spread out on the ground, spread eagle, they put their handcuffs And well, you can see me spread-eagled on the ground with handcuffs behind me. Plus they said man they found five big marijuana plants behind her house and they busted her! That's what everybody said, I mean my God!" After the search she says the agents apologized for the inconvenience
01:35 Now the sheriff says those officers did not have a search warrant. We're going to do an investigation and there are exceptions to the warrant requirements, what we will do is look to see whether or not those exceptions were there so whether or not our conduct was completely proper. Meanwhile Sandy Smith says the whole mess could have been avoided when they could cause me to had heart attack you know let's hear got my blood pressure up in Western Travis County Jay Carter K view news Sheriff Margo Fraser tells us she's sorry if the raid ruins Smiths reputation in the neighborhood. She says she is still investigating what happened. Mrs Spears, I'm Alex Jones. I have a question for you okay there are a lot of people that are not even considered middle class they're losing their homes due to property taxes
