Student left in cell for 4 days files $20M claim against DEA

[maddezmom]

Source: MSNBC

Daniel Chong, a San Diego student who was left in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell for nearly five days after he was allegedly forgotten about, has filed a claim for $20 million after what he described as his "life-altering" experience, NBC San Diego reported.

The 23-year-old told NBC San Diego that he was increasingly worried throughout the days he spent in a 5-foot-by-10-foot cell, and told how he drank his own urine to survive.

“They never came back, ignored all my cries and I still don’t know what happened,” he said. “I’m not sure how they could forget me.”


As NBC San Diego was first to report Saturday, the DEA confirmed its agents were investigating an incident in which a suspect, arrested Saturday, April 21, was detained at their office for several days and allegedly forgotten about.



Read more: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/03/11516576-student-left-in-cell-for-4-days-files-20m-claim-against-dea?lite

[lunatica]

1. Has anyone noticed how lately a lot of the Federal agencies that are supposed to

be honorable and high caliber professionals are failing in really fundamental ways? The Secret Service first and now the DEA. How can you forget you have someone in a holding cell for days? Doesn't anyone clean the place. Wouldn't the smell of feces get someone's attention after a few hours? Where is this cell that his cries couldn't be heard?

[Tsiyu]

2. The DEA has been failing this country since it was formed

Just a lot of thugs with an unlimited budget terrorizing the citizens of the world because "well, we can, and well, we're assholes with badges!"

Hope this kid wins, but it doesn't make up for what he went through. Nor does it make up for the countless lives lost and destroyed by this rogue, corrupt agency.

[lunatica]

5. There's no telling how many have been 'forgotten' until they were dead

This guy was lucky, I guess, that he's alive.

I wonder, did anyone ask about him or go to the police claiming he was missing for 5 days?

My point is that it seems these things are now coming to light all of a sudden. Practices that I believe have been going on all along, only now, for some odd coincidences they're all being exposed.

[mainer]

9. yes, his roommates filed a missing persons report

I guess that didn't get much attention from the police.

[Tsiyu]

26. At work for twelve hours today so sorry so late in responding

I heard the tail end of "On Point" driving home, where I learned that there was meth LEFT IN THE CELL and that this kid ingested it while locked away - he was cleared to be released apparently but "somehow" meth was tossed into the cell with him??????

He broke his glasses in order to scrawl a goodbye note on his arm for his mother. It is a horrific tale of kidnapping and torture by the 'moral elite' we call the DEA.

You are right - it is a time of revealing what is very wrong. I am seeing this everywhere.

Not a second too soon for evil goons like the DEA. They cannot be forgiven for the pain and suffering they have imposed on this nation and on people all over the world --- just "because they CAN."

[lunatica]

28. That meth story is also part of the big revealing evidently

If we know about this incident it only begs the question about how many times it's happened that we don't know about. The analogy of the iceberg and how much of it we see applies.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. I'm guessing that a lot of our government agencies

have been slacking off because they knew their backs were covered with the policies from the last administration.

I mean, was it the CIA who was proud of burning torture tapes? Didn't I read that headline somewhere on DU? For all we know the DEA was able to do this for twenty-four hours without getting caught. They may have just blown it because someone forgot it was their day to watch the clock.

[newspeak]

30. again, obama didn't clean house

little boots purged those not loyal. And, to me, it's very interesting these misdeeds are happening before an election.

[KansDem]

8. Don't forget the Border Patrol

A recently broadcast PBS documentary presented new video material on Hernandez’s death, almost two years ago, showing how at least a dozen agents surrounded the victim while he was lying face down, handcuffed, beating him and using a taser on him at least five times while the immigrant asked for help.

--more--
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/notitas-de-noticias/details/families-of-border-patrol-victims-seek-justice/15580/

[Poll_Blind]

15. Yeah, and it's really disturbing to me. Those are all good questions. nt

PB

[obxhead]

17. The DEA has never been an honorable organization.

From day one they have used questionable (at best) tactics to destroy the lives of millions of people.

[harun]

18. I have to agree. Completely unacceptable and one can see a trend for sure.

[iscooterliberally]

20. The Secret Service scandal was a distraction IMHO.

The real story was that many of the Central and South American governments wanted to discuss ending the drug war at that summit, but we can't talk about that. I agree with your DEA questions. They should not have their own holding cells, which they apparently do. The DEA needs to be done away with. They do our society no good. They have had to lie since the beginning in order to justify their existence.

[CanonRay]

3. DEA has been a haven for bad law enforcement since it was BNDD

The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Illegal searches, searches of the wrong houses, mistreatment of prisoners, you name it, they've done it. The tradition continues.

[DFW]

4. Considering that this guy could just as easily have died in the cell

And considering that no one in the DEA is willing to undergo what he did to see what it's like, I'd say his suit is not unreasonable.

[CreekDog]

22. he was near death when they got to him, no food or water for 5 days

he spent days in ICU, his kidneys went into failure.

bad enough for a criminal, but DEA said outright that he was innocent prior to doing this.

[DFW]

23. Knowing our health insurance system

They probably asked for his insurance before treating him...........

[obamanut2012]

7. I hope he gets every penny

The DEA is ridiculous anyway.

[Liberal Veteran]

16. Well, he'll likely get most of it.

His lawyers will get the rest.

[harun]

19. Moment I read the first report I thought 4 mill. minimum. So starting at 20 is about right.

[mainer]

10. If he'd died, they would have called it a suicide.

I can see a scenario where they'd think it would be better for him to be dead, and would just help him along with the meth.

[guappo1]

11. Big screwup

Man did someone drop the ball on this one. There are rules that must be followed and it is certain that there was not communication between officers. Also that lack of concern for someone asking for help showed that DEA must learn to care for the well being of those in the custody even if they could be suspected criminal involved in a horrible crime.

[bemildred]

13. Rules are for the little people. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. "Okay okay okay...would you drink your own piss for 20 mil?"

It's like a stoned late-night dorm room discussion up in hee-ah.

[OKNancy]

14. Wait a minute.. was he "arrested"?

The article says investigating an incident in which a suspect, arrested Saturday, April 21,
He wasn't arrested was he? I thought he was taken in, then told he could leave... they put him in the holding cell, and then forgot about him.

Edit to add: I went to the CBS site, quote: Chong had been picked up in a drug sweep but was never arrested or charged.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57426812-504083/daniel-chong-university-of-california-student-left-in-a-holding-cell-for-4-days-files-$20m-claim-against-dea/

[obamanut2012]

25. Are they able to hold you without arresting you?

I know regular cops can't, but can the DEA?

[Dawson Leery]

21. The DEA has NEVER been an honorable organization.

[FreeBC]

24. Why should the DEA care? They don't pay it. We do.

There's no real accountability.

[DCKit]

27. He shares a last name with Tommy Chong....

Therefore, he got what he deserved.

[Ash_F]

29. Why settle for money? Why should only taxpayers pay for this?

How about he gets his compensation, then the offending officer spends a few years in prison for almost killing someone with their negligence?

[tabasco]

31. WHERE HAS MY COUNTRY GONE????

The "war" on some drugs = giant step toward fascism.