Police officers were caught smoking in Mississippi

Two new Jackson County Police Department officers in Mississippi were charged with possession of cannabis and paraphernalia after being caught in the act smoking weed, according to a Flowood Police Department press release posted on Facebook. The Clarion Ledger first reported the arrests of the two officers, both of whom had just graduated from police academy.

Kenya Shardae McCarty and Darius Jamal Short were off duty at the time, relaxing and panting by a pond, minding their own business when they were spotted and approached by officers from another division.

Flowood Police Department officials in Mississippi responded to reports of two people smoking weed in Nature Trail Park at around 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 17. Flowood’s Park Trail includes an elevated walkway – the perfect place to drink.

Instead of releasing the other police officers, Flowood officers arrested them and booked them. The two police officers were charged with possession of cannabis and violating open containers, Flowood police officers said, and they were given a court hearing on the charges. The officers were also in possession of two firearms, which is not uncommon for an off-duty officer.

“On December 17, 2021, officials related to people who smoked marijuana were posted to Flowood’s Nature Trail Park,” the press release said. “The officers arrived and located two people in the park near the pond. The subjects were identified as Darius Jamal Short B / M and Kenya Shardae McCarty B / F. The officers found a small amount of marijuana on a bench the two were sitting on. The officers also took a firearm that was on the table. “

The publication goes on to say: “A second firearm was also found along with open containers and marijuana paraphernalia. The subjects were transported to headquarters for booking on charges of possessing marijuana and violating open containers. Subjects were given a trial date for the above charges. These two people are graduates of the Jackson Police Academy and are currently employed by the Jackson Police Department. “

Meanwhile, Flowood police are being sued by a man who said they shot him three times with a K9, in a separate incident a few years ago. That case escalated to a $ 5 million federal lawsuit.

“Such a waste of resources,” it says in the top comment on the Facebook post. “Legalize weeds, let go and move on.”

Mississippi law punishes possession of 30 grams or less of cannabis with up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $ 3,000.

Rather than reprimanding them, Jackson Police Department chief James Davis defended his officers’ behavior, stating that they were out of service at the time. Davis did not confirm whether the police officers were on administrative leave or were subject to any other type of punishment beyond what was charged by the Flowood Police. “If an officer has done something outside of duty, that is his private life,” he said.

According to Flowood Police, someone called officers around 5:45 p.m. last Friday because two people were smoking marijuana in Nature Trail Park. https://t.co/z8spUl79Df

– WLBT 3 by your side (@WLBT) December 20, 2021

The maximum fine for a first-time offender who owns 30 grams or less of cannabis in Mississippi is a maximum of $ 250, the law firm Whitt said. Anything over 30 grams, however, is a different story and becomes a crime.

Possession of up to 250 grams is punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of $ 1,000, while five kilograms or more of cannabis can result in a maximum penalty of 10 to 30 years in prison and a fine of $ 1 million according to NORML (National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws).

Many police officers smoke or sell weed across the country and are occasionally caught. A Cincinnati, Ohio police dispatcher was one of six people arrested in 2017 for hundreds of pounds of cannabis. The next year, a Paterson Police Department patrolman in New Jersey was caught selling cannabis and many other drugs to an undercover federal informant.