Patterico's Pontifications

1/21/2009

Why They Call It Dope

Filed under: Crime — DRJ @ 8:24 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

The El Paso Times reports on last night’s arrest of a man accused of shoplifting a pair of sunglasses from a Target store. Unfortunately, that’s the least of his problems:

“Police spokesman Javier Sambrano said Gregory Pracht, 33, of the 300 block of McCune, entered the Target store at 1901 George Dieter at 6:20 p.m. A store security guard told police that after Pracht entered the store, he noticed Pracht begin to smoke marijuana and unwrap music CDs. After calling police, the security guard kept an eye on Pracht.

As Pracht, wearing a pair of sunglasses he allegedly lifted from the store, walked out, a police officer stopped Pracht and contacted the store’s security guard. Sambrano said after the guard identified Pracht as the man he saw smoking marijuana and taking the sunglasses, the officer arrested and handcuffed Pracht for theft under $50.

Sambrano said as the officer took Pracht into custody, he told the officer he had a puppy in his car. When the officer looked inside Pracht’s car to check on the pitbull puppy, he also found a small amount of cocaine …”

That’s not all: Pracht was also charged with assault on a public servant for allegedly attacking the officer after the discovery of the cocaine.

— DRJ

17 Responses to “Why They Call It Dope”

  1. He had probably just gotten home from the inauguration and was annoyed to be interrupted.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  2. Where was TNJ last night? Anybody know? The age of this perp sounds to old, but you can never be sure.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  3. All in all, not a good day for Mr. Pracht. Actually, PETA might honor him; he spoke up about the dog stuck in the car. This guy may be a space case, but I’m glad the dog didn’t meet his puppy maker. . .

    Vermont Neighbor (ab0837)

  4. You sure Pracht wasn’t really Greg Packer? I mean, it worked.

    ras (20bd5b)

  5. he noticed Pracht begin to smoke marijuana and unwrap music CDs

    The key to a successful career in crime – be inconspicuous

    JayC (24a512)

  6. Sambrano said as the officer took Pracht into custody, he told the officer he had a puppy in his car. When the officer looked inside Pracht’s car to check on the pitbull puppy, he also found a small amount of cocaine …”

    That’s not all: Pracht was also charged with assault on a public servant for allegedly attacking the officer after the discovery of the cocaine.

    Please tell me they have video.

    L.N. Smithee (2a74e6)

  7. I don’t know if the store had video but there is a mug shot at the link.

    DRJ (345e40)

  8. Now that is what I call doubling down!

    Joe (17aeff)

  9. If I’d had coffee in my mouth when I went to that link, you’d owe me a new laptop. Thanks for the best laugh in at least a week!

    Peg C. (48175e)

  10. One is moved to wonder why the type of dog is of any relevance to the story if, as seems to be the case, no one was harmed by the animal. It only serves to enhance the reputation of the pitbull as undesirable by associating it, in this case, with the alleged shoplifter/drug user. (And no, I am not a pitbull owner.) By and large this dog breed’s bad reputation is due to improper training or lack thereof. I wonder if the dog breed would have been mentioned had it been a golden retriever? I doubt it.

    dhmosquito (efea1b)

  11. Pitbulls are well known to be companions of drug dealers. No doubt this is due to their tranquil reputation. Why else would a druggie have a pit bull ?

    MIke K (2cf494)

  12. That story is almost as funny as a local guy here who called the cops regarding a robbery at his home, then asked them if he would be compensated for his stolen dope. The cops promptly searched his place and found additional bags of the stuff.

    Dmac (eb0dd0)

  13. Chicken and Egg question…
    Do you become a Dope by taking dope; or
    Do you take dope because you are a Dope?

    AD (5bbccc)

  14. What happened to the puppy. Did the officer leave it to die after finding the cocaine. Was there no puppy and the officer made that up as an excuse to search the car? Did the officer take this alleged puppy to an animal shelter? Call out PETA.

    eaglewingz08 (c46606)

  15. What happened to the puppy.

    It likely was rescued by a unicorn; lots of them flying around lately.

    Old Coot (543f9d)

  16. I will take this guy over the criminals that did this via El Paso Times.

    mcnorman (7215bc)

  17. Haw haw,
    Man, wasn’t it a relentless stream of this sort of idiotic petty theivery (and some not so funny property crime) that persuaded Nixon to start the war on drugs in the first place?

    EdWood (55d28f)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0894 secs.