- DEA says agents "accidentally left" Daniel Chong in a holding cell
- "He almost died," Chong's lawyer says
- Chong drank his urine to survive while agents ignored cries for help, lawyer says
- Incident "not indicative of the high standards that I hold my employees to," DEA official says

Quote :

"A San Diego college student filed a legal claim Wednesday for damages suffered when he was left handcuffed and without food or water in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell for five days last month. A DEA statement said Daniel Chong, 23, was "accidentally left" in a holding cell. "Accidentally? He almost died," said Chong's lawyer, Gene Iredale. "It's inexplicable." Chong drank his own urine to survive as his cries for help were ignored by federal agents and inmates in nearby cells, Iredale said. The fifth-year engineering student at the University of California, San Diego, was detained on the morning of April 21, a Saturday, when DEA agents raided a house they suspected was being used to distribute MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. A multi-agency narcotics task force including state agents detained nine people and seized about 18,000 MDMA pills, marijuana, prescription medications, hallucinogenic mushrooms, several guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the house, the DEA said. Chong admitted going to the house "to get high with his friends," the DEA said. He later told a San Diego TV station that he knew nothing about the other drugs and guns. He was never formally arrested or charged, the DEA said. The agents sent seven suspects to county jail and released another person, but Chong "was accidentally left in one of the cells," the DEA said. The agency did not explain how he was forgotten for five days in the small, windowless cell. It wasn't until the afternoon of Wednesday, April 25, that an agent opened the steel door to Chong's cell and found the handcuffed student, Iredale said."

full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/02/us/california-forgotten-prisoner/
another source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/02/tagblogsfindlawcom2012-injured-idUS67962024620120502

Looks like another great success of the drug wars. [/sarcasm]

[Edited on May 3, 2012 at 3:38 AM. Reason : added another source]

5/3/2012 3:31:40 AM

Plz 2 abolish the dea

5/3/2012 3:39:36 AM

And a picture of this criminal thug:

Quote :

"After his release, he spent five days in the hospital for dehydration, kidney failure, cramps and a perforated esophagus. He had lost 15 pounds."

[Edited on May 3, 2012 at 11:17 AM. Reason : DEA, protecting us from danger & drugs!]

5/3/2012 11:08:59 AM

[insert bear grylls joke here]

5/3/2012 11:09:58 AM

^^ the only thing more fail than the double post is your link to the double post

5/3/2012 11:15:03 AM

Quote :

"Chong told the AP that he went to his friend's house April 20 to get high, part of a national, annual countercultural ritual. Chong slept there that night. The next morning, agents stormed into the house."

From what I read, he smoked marijuana on 4/20 and crashed there for the night. He had no knowledge of any other drugs or guns being there.

5/3/2012 11:16:55 AM

Whom are you responding to? no one is defending this action.

5/3/2012 11:22:27 AM

Yeah, I don't think anyone is coming to the defense of this one, not even the government. Given that they've already apologized, the government pretty much conceded the negligence case, and the questions are more about what amount the two parties will settle at and who's head will roll.

5/3/2012 1:54:17 PM

in community chest this is known as a

"get out of jail free card"

5/3/2012 2:09:45 PM

I didn't expect this topic to bring up controversy, its obvious who is in the wrong here. What RedGuard said... its really going to see what happens with the settlement.

There will always be the morons saying he deserved it (see Chit Chat), but its blatant disregard on part of the DEA (and whoever f'd up here). The guy could have died of renal failure.

I was posting additional quotes from other sources as I learned more... it wasn't meant as a response to anyone (or me attacking anyone's position).

Anyway, it will be interesting to see legally what happens now... I am fairly certain that there will be a settlement out of court.

5/3/2012 5:57:40 PM

5/3/2012 6:14:41 PM

^FTMFW!!!!

5/6/2012 1:12:39 AM

Dismantle the DEA

5/6/2012 11:05:10 PM

OMG, I just discovered that the DEA has its own museum:

http://www.deamuseum.org/

Were they high?!?!

5/7/2012 1:34:42 AM