By JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LARNED — A month-long investigation resulted in the arrest of a male subject suspected of a marijuana growing operation in Pawnee County Tuesday.
The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the property over a possible court order violation at 8:58 p.m. June 7 in the 1100 block of U Road.
Deputies made contact with the home owner, but were unable to make contact with the subject violating the court order.
The subject’s vehicle was on the property and no other vehicles came to the property. The home owner granted sheriff’s deputies permission to cut a lock on a shed located on the property. Deputies gained access to a shed where the subject was hiding.
After numerous verbal commands and threatening to release the Pawnee County aheriff’s K9 dog Bodie, the subject showed one of his hands.
The subject refused to show both hands or move to where deputies could see his entire body. However, deputies gained control of the subject and placed him in handcuffs. The subject nor the deputies were hurt in the exchange.
The subject was arrested for violating a court order on the scene. Deputies smelled a suspected odor of marijuana inside the shed. Deputies discovered a clear plastic bag containing what appeared to be marijuana in plain sight. Deputies found drug paraphernalia next to the marijuana after a search of the shed.
Deputies had been working an active investigation into the property and subject for approximately a month. Deputies gained information of a marijuana-growing operation on the property owned by the subject.
Permission was granted for deputies to look on the adjacent property for illegal narcotics. Deputies found numerous marijuana plants placed in rows, with water barriers around them. Deputies backed away, while keeping a constant eye on the property, while a search warrant was obtained.
Pawnee County sheriff’s deputies executed the search warrant without incident. Thirty mature marijuana plants were documented and seized as evidence as a result of the search warrant.
The incident is still under investigation by the sheriff’s deputies.
