This is when you start hearing stories about jack-booted thugs. You'd think that in their zeal to protect us from the scourge that is the Evil Weed, the police would have at least done their homework first. So much for protecting and serving, eh?
Landscape contractor Blair Davis was in his northwest Harris County home around 2 p.m. Tuesday when there was a knock at his door.
Davis said he hadn't even gotten his hand on the doorknob when it flew open and he was looking at the barrel of a pistol.
Behind the gun were about 10 members of the Harris County Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force, who burst into the home, guns drawn, and began shouting at him to get down on the floor.
There on the floor, Davis said, it took a while to figure out that what had caused the swarm of lawmen to descend upon him was the hibiscus in his front yard.
That's right, hibiscus.
Well, you know, if sort of looks like marijuana, dontchaknow? Besides, you never know when someone is going to be using it to hide the Evil Weed that they actually are growing. Better safe than sorry, eh?
The foliage of the Texas Star hibiscus, a native plant that's growing in popularity, vaguely resembles that of marijuana.
But: "It's got white buds on it," Davis said. "Hello."....
Evidently, some well-meaning but horticulturally challenged citizen turned Davis in. Davis said the team of narcotics officers combed his house for about an hour, at one point discussing whether red and gold bamboo growing in his window might be marijuana. They also asked what he did with the watermelons and cantaloupes growing in his back yard.
"What would I do with them?" Davis said.
Finally the officers gave up and left, leaving Davis only a "citizen's information card" with "closed-report" written on it.
"No apology, no nothing," Davis said. "I realize they have a job to do, but this seems a little bizarre."
Fortunately, Mr. Davis seems rather sanguine about the whole sorry incident. Some us would be talking to attorneys- I know I would be.
I guess this just goes to show that critical thinking and crack investigative skills aren't necessarily a prequisite to be a cop in Harris County. Common sense apparently isn't very high on the list, either.
