Police chasing runaway bear stumble over backyard marijuana farm
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLARKSTON — Two people were arrested after police chasing a runaway black bear stumbled into a backyard pot-growing operation.


Kim H. Bedwell, 52, and Gladys P. Bedwell, 50, both face charges of manufacturing marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

On Wednesday, Asotin County Superior Judge Ray D. Lutes set bail of $250,000 for Kim Bedwell and $100,000 for Gladys Bedwell. They were being held at the Asotin County Jail.

According to police reports, a black bear being chased by law enforcement officers jumped a fence Tuesday afternoon and landed in the Bedwells' backyard.

During the commotion, Kim Bedwell allegedly tried to stash some marijuana plants under a vehicle in his garage, according to the report.

After he was spotted by police and told to stop, he allegedly ran out of his garage and tossed a plant over a fence.

Clarkston police officer Scott Wohl was pursuing the bear when a large marijuana plant sailed over the fence and landed on him, police said. Deputies jumped the fence and arrested Kim Bedwell, according to the report.

Officers searched the Bedwell home and found four bags of marijuana in a refrigerator in the garage, and a grow room, according to the report. Inside the residence, police found two bags of marijuana in the refrigerator.

The 300-pound black bear was later captured and killed.
--------------------
Note to self:  When throwing away incriminating evidence, don't hit a cop with it.
Link to original story HERE.

LOL - Now THAT'S funny!

They were focused on the bear.  I wonder if the police would have even noticed the pot plants if the guy wasn't throwing them around and trying to stash them.

Yep!

Yogi was indeed smarter than the average bear Pot Head.

Does he get into the  witness protection program?

Dang the luck.  I feel sorry for the bear

It'll get thrown out in court. Somehow, I'm certain it will be ruled the discovery was not legal.

Quoted: It'll get thrown out in court. Somehow, I'm certain it will be ruled the discovery was not legal.

They wont give the dope back though.  Their little farming business on their property is kaput for the foreseeable future.   A lot of counties fly helicopters or planes looking for pot farms, perfectly legal, I'm sure they'll be flying over the Bedwell's plantation a lot more often.

I don't think so. In my crim law and proceedure class we wet over a scenario like this. Compelling interest in the safety of the public gave them ok to chase bear. (In class it was a criminal they were chasing.)

Also they threw the plant over their fence thus discarding it.

Quoted: It'll get thrown out in court. Somehow, I'm certain it will be ruled the discovery was not legal.

Nope. They threw out the plant (now it is available to be inspected by any LEO, without warrant), aside from a battery with a plant (both fruits, and instrumentalities of a crime)

This guy is screwed. Should have incinerated or buried it instead.

Quoted: Quoted: It'll get thrown out in court. Somehow, I'm certain it will be ruled the discovery was not legal. Nope. They threw out the plant (now it is available to be inspected by any LEO, without warrant), aside from a battery with a plant (both fruits, and instrumentalities of a crime) This guy is screwed. Should have incinerated or buried it instead.

Um...not bashing or trying to start something but...smell?

Here's more on the bear story from my mom in Lewiston:

that has been the story of the week.
First of all two fishermen saw a bear swimming the
snake from Clarkston to Lewiston a few days ago and
then he loped down the levee path to the Clearwater
and then swam again.  He should have stayed in
Lewiston...then this week he was sighted in Clarkston
and the tranquilizer wasn't strong enough.  He was
running through yards, knocking down fences, etc.
and the guy was trying to get rid of his marijuana
plants...He threw that one over the fence and it hit
the policeman.

So a new twist to the story? Homeowners sue police for failing to tranquilize bear and bear causes damage?

Why didn't they just shoot the stupid thing if they wanted to get rid of it?

NMSight

Wait, Clarkson, WA?  I'm 30 minutes north, I need to watch the news more often.

At least Clarkston is not a big city.  Not too long ago the Seattle Police were chasing a bear in north Seattle.  Finally cornered it just north of the University a little ways, just a few miles from downtown.  

They had been trying to catch it all the way from Ballard eastward, primarily along the Burke-Gilman trail.  They called out the zoo people to trank it and take it away.  

In the past 10 years or so, there have been two full grown cougars and a full grown black bear all within a few miles to the north of downtown Seattle, surrounded by miles of developed land, homes and a couple of million people.

Quoted: Here's more on the bear story from my mom in Lewiston: that has been the story of the week. First of all two fishermen saw a bear swimming the snake from Clarkston to Lewiston a few days ago and then he loped down the levee path to the Clearwater and then swam again.  He should have stayed in Lewiston...then this week he was sighted in Clarkston and the tranquilizer wasn't strong enough.  He was running through yards, knocking down fences, etc. and the guy was trying to get rid of his marijuana plants...He threw that one over the fence and it hit the policeman. So a new twist to the story? Homeowners sue police for failing to tranquilize bear and bear causes damage? Why didn't they just shoot the stupid thing if they wanted to get rid of it? NMSight

And you think there wouldn't be hell to pay for shooting a big teddy bear in the middle of town unless someone was being attacked at that moment.