Police mistook hibiscus plants for marijuana-elderly couple terrorized

[left-of-center2012]

A Buffalo Township (PA) couple is suing the township police and the Nationwide Insurance Co. after, their lawsuit says, hibiscus plants growing in their backyard were mistaken for marijuana plants.

In a lawsuit, Edward Cramer, 69, and his wife, Audrey Cramer, 66, claim that Buffalo Township police handcuffed them both and made them sit in the back of a police car for hours last month as police ransacked their house looking for marijuana.

But rather than running a pot-growing operation, the Cramers say they grow flowering hibiscus in their backyard.

-- skip --

The police apparently arrived at the Cramers' home around noon Oct. 7 while Audrey Cramer was on the second floor only partially dressed.
When she answered the door, she alleges that about a dozen officers were pointing assault-style rifles at her.
According to the complaint, Sgt. Scott Hess demanded that Cramer put her hands up and told her that he had a search warrant but would not show it to her.

Then, “(Officer) Hess entered the home and went upstairs. Upon returning downstairs, he demanded that (Cramer), a 66-year-old woman, be handcuffed behind her back in a state of partial undress.”
The suit claims Cramer asked if she could put on a pair of pants next to her, and was told “in no uncertain terms” that she could not.
The complaint alleges that she was walked outside and made to stand — handcuffed, in her underwear and without shoes — for 10 minutes.
The suit claims that Hess refused her request to get sandals. Police walked her down the gravel driveway, barefoot, to a police car.
The complaint alleges that she was left in the “very hot” patrol car, with her hands cuffed behind her, for four-and-a-half hours.

A half-hour later, Edward Cramer arrived home to find his wife handcuffed in the police cruiser and officers searching his home.
The suit claims he was met with leveled guns, removed from his car, placed under arrest and put in the police car with his wife ...

The high temperature that day was 82, according to the Accuweather company.

Read more at:
http://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/12960252-74/police-mistook-hibiscus-plants-for-marijuana-arrested-buffalo-township-couple-suit-claims

[greymattermom]

1. Hibiscus

Doesn't look anything like marijuana to me. How could this happen? If police think your lawn looks like marijuana, can they do this to you?

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. There are many hibiscus varieties...

That have leaves that somewhat resemble a pot plant. I have a beautiful red-flowering one.

However, a quick google search would have ensured that this police department would not be paying out a huge settlement to this couple.

On an 82 degree day in early October, that plant was probably still displaying hibiscus flowers.

Sometimes, you just gotta wonder what these cops were thinking.

[hvn_nbr_2]

10. "what these cops were thinking"

"Sometimes, you just gotta wonder what these cops were thinking."

They weren't thinking; they were nuts--marijuana, the only drug that makes people who don't use it go crazy.

[elleng]

11. 'the only drug that makes people who don't use it go crazy'

[enough]

2. This is an appalling story, not because the people were old, but because of

rank incompetence, bullying, and unconstitutional behavior by the police, and because of the very weird role played by the insurance agent and insurance company.

Nobody could possibly mistake a hibiscus plant in bloom for marijuana.

Sounds like they will have a very comfortable retirement.

[elleng]

12. The people were not 'old,' Dad was old,

he lived to 99.

Incompetence, YES.

[enough]

16. The word "elderly" was in the headline.

The quoted part of the article was emphasizing the bad treatment of the elderly pair. That got my back up a bit, because the worst of what happened in the story was not because the people were "elderly." I'm 73, so I'm a bit tetchy about this. You may have misunderstood my point, which is that this is egregious police misconduct, no matter the age of the victims.

[left-of-center2012]

3. Photo of hibiscus

In the article,
one of the police officers claimed to be an expert in identifying marijuana plants.

[FakeNoose]

14. Well maybe they were smoking hibiscus

Is that illegal? Not in Pennsylvania.

[pamdb]

5. Elderly couple!

Elderly couple! The woman is 66. I am 66. The worst thing about this article is that they call a woman of 66 elderly!!!!! Elderly my ass.

[Break time]

6. Pretty sad

When you are more concerned with a referral to someones age than their civil rights being that seriously infringed...

[Canoe52]

8. Sometimes people also forget that

we elders still have a sense of humor!

[Break time]

18. I also am "elderly"

Actually quite a bit more than the referred age, and I have a sense of humor....

[Canoe52]

19. Didnt mean to offend, was basically saying that the post was probably just tongue-in-cheek

[left-of-center2012]

7. 'Elderly' begins at 65 years

"Most developed-world countries have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as a definition of 'elderly' or older person.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_age

[pamdb]

9. elderly couple!

First of all, it was kind of a joke
and second, NO the word elderly still to me
means someone ...well, old. Really old. My in-laws
are in their mid and late '80's. That's elderly. If the 60's are supposed to be the new 50's, if the republicans want to change the age of SS, if they seem to think people should work longer, then no, sixties should not be considered elderly. Dammit.

I don't mind "older person".

[FakeNoose]

15. The paper should have printed "senior" couple not "elderly" couple

It's rather insensitive, on top of the stupidity of the police.

[elleng]

13. RIGHT!!!

[enough]

17. Folks, this is a story about egregious police misconduct, not about what labels

should apply to what age. Are we going to keep worrying about what labels people put on us till we shuffle on out of here? I'm hoping to get free of this by this time, at 73. How many labels have we let go of by this time?