Police: 2 intruders shot, killed at marijuana grow house
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PUYALLUP, Wash. - Two heavily armed intruders who forced their way into a home with an illegal marijuana grow operation were shot and killed by the homeowner Thursday morning near Puyallup, officials said.
Law enforcement personnel responded to the scene, a luxury home in the 5900 block of 132nd Street, just after 8 a.m. when the homeowner called to report a break-in, said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The homeowner then called back a few minutes later to say shots were fired.
The arriving deputy found two armed people with masks on their faces on the floor of the home's six-car garage. Medics were unable to revive them.
The homeowner told detectives that he opened fire at the intruders when they forced their way into the home, which houses an illegal marijuana grow operation in the attic, Troyer said.
He said it appears the intruders were after the marijuana and possibly cash.
The 35-year-old homeowner and the homeowner's 9-year-old son were not hurt in the incident.
"In this particular case we have two people dead, multiple shots fired. The homeowner is OK; unfortunately it could have gone the other way. We could have had a dead 9-year-old and a dead homeowner," Troyer said.
Ironically, the deadly shootings came on the first day of marijuana legalization in Washington state.
While it is now legal for adults 21 or over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana in Washington state, it is still illegal to grow or sell the drug. The state has until late next year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage.
Marijuana also remains illegal under federal law. That means federal agents can still arrest people for it, and it's banned from federal properties, including military bases and national parks.
Law enforcement personnel responded to the scene, a luxury home in the 5900 block of 132nd Street, just after 8 a.m. when the homeowner called to report a break-in, said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The homeowner then called back a few minutes later to say shots were fired.
The arriving deputy found two armed people with masks on their faces on the floor of the home's six-car garage. Medics were unable to revive them.
The homeowner told detectives that he opened fire at the intruders when they forced their way into the home, which houses an illegal marijuana grow operation in the attic, Troyer said.
He said it appears the intruders were after the marijuana and possibly cash.
The 35-year-old homeowner and the homeowner's 9-year-old son were not hurt in the incident.
"In this particular case we have two people dead, multiple shots fired. The homeowner is OK; unfortunately it could have gone the other way. We could have had a dead 9-year-old and a dead homeowner," Troyer said.
Ironically, the deadly shootings came on the first day of marijuana legalization in Washington state.
While it is now legal for adults 21 or over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana in Washington state, it is still illegal to grow or sell the drug. The state has until late next year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage.
Marijuana also remains illegal under federal law. That means federal agents can still arrest people for it, and it's banned from federal properties, including military bases and national parks.
OH, The wonderful byproduct of POT / Drugs etc etc etc..
 Jury nullification -- the power of juries to disregard unjust laws -- was a precursor to the outlawing of slavery and the repeal of alcohol prohibition. The same can be done regarding pot laws. With half of US citizens supporting making pot legal (and larger percentages in WA and CO), the numbers are there in many states for juries to take a stand against our anti-pot laws that are empowering violent cartels, filling our prisons with nonviolent offenders, and making criminals of people's sons and daughters. Jury nullification recently worked successfully in a case in New Jersey.
People don't rob breweries. Â So why do they rob grow houses? Â Because of the $$$$$$$$$. Â Legalize it, and you take away the cost incentive.
Yep, this guy will lose everything he had there. They will take his house, maybe his vehicles and probably his kid as well. It's a huge risk being an illegal grower/drug dealer, but I'm glad he was able to save his family and his self from these thugs.
let this be a lesson to all home intruders. maybe he should mount their heads as trophies
Events like this will be a bad memory when folks can guy their weed legally. Â How many illegal still operations do you hear about, let alone illegal stills that get robbed...??
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These guys were armed burglars, plain and simple.  They were most likely not looking for dope to get high on, but the money that's associated with it.  Gold, jewelry, guns, nice electronics, cash, or dope they could sell....whatever.  Kudos to the homeowner for defending his property from two armed thugs.  Seems pretty clear to me.
Right-on ! That's all that can really be said about this.
If this "homeowner" was engaged in a felony (illegal drug operation), and these robbers came to the residence specifically because they were aware of the drugs in there, and these two circumstances resulted in death, I wonder if the homeowner could be charged with homicide? I know, I know, the guy was just trying to defend himself against heavily armed thugs. But courts pursue felony murder cases against defendants who never killed anyone if they were present and participating in a felony when a death occurred. If these two clowns talked about their plan with anyone else and the police can prove that the illegal weed grow was the reason they went to this residence, I wonder if the police could stretch this incident into a homicide case against the homeowner/drug dealer? It would make an interesting test case if never done before..Â
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Regardless, I'm sure the illegal drug operation case is headed to a grand jury. It would be interesting to know if this "homeowner" has ever had a job or any legitimate source of income that could afford him such a nice house. If not, maybe the feds would be interested in his case..
TOO BAD IT WAS NOT THE SMELLY GROWER TOO!!!!!
 @franksbeans Wishing violence on fellow citizens in their own homes is exactly what Jesus and George Washington would have done, isn't it there, Stalin?
@Playanekes your little bent mind on making a religous argument out of everythig is oldshoe. redirecting focus on issues to youe selfwilled pointlessness is no way to go thru life.
Why isnt the home owner (drug dealer) in jail?
 @sortbait Why don't you go tattle to the nanny state, liberal? Oh, yeah. Sorbait is a FRENCH word, isn't it?
Why call the cops in the first place?
These hoods sure didn't leave notice of who and where they were going to rob.
If I were growing (and I've done hydro AND dirt set-ups before), these fools would be fertilizer.
 @Don_Keyshow  Problem is, they may well have bragged to some homies that they were going out to do a drug rip. If the cops didn't eventually stop by, more homies might have, this time with a rocket launcher and no intention of coming in the door..
A rocket launcher? Oh... and if that didn't work, they'd laser paint the house and have thoer ballistic sub launch some cruise missiles on them next eh? /facepalm
 @Peregrine  It could happen...
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One thing I would like to know is what kind of gun and ammo was used. It sure would help in deciding what to get for home defense.
@Dirtman other than a couple of big Rottweilers, (I'm allergic), my first option would be a visit to Uncle Mossberg.
@Playanekes Yeah, a 12 guage with 00 buck is probably the best home self defense weapon. Simply the sound of chambering a round is known universally.
 @Dirtman Yeah...and it'd make for a great suggestion for law enforcement! No more of this, "Well, I shot him three times, and he kept coming!" garbage.
He won't be a homeowner much longer as the feds will take all his possessions for the cost of the MJ in the attic. The feds and state make millions of dollars off of people caught with illegal substances even if they have to pay it back at $100 a month for life and/or go to prison.
"Ironically, the deadly shootings came on the first day of marijuana legalization in Washington state."
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I'm not sure there's any irony in that. I'd be willing to guess it was at least indirectly responsible for it, considering the intruders probably wanted to steal it to sell it to those who, while buying it might be illegal, using it isn't.
 @OSUx2 Yep. There will be those who want to use and who are unwilling or unable to grow their own. My guess is we will actually see an increase in this sort of incident.
@Nobody @OSUx2 there are growers all over Oregon and Northern California. Her e to break it to you guys, but, nobody I knew who smoked weed at OSU got it from cartels. My friends got it from my buddy's uncle (a trial lawyer) and my girlfriend got it via her uncle, who was a cop in central Washington and kept it at the bottom of his outdoor meat locker where she knew where to find it without having to get it DIRECTLY from a cop. 'Cause that would be bad or something, right? Last I heard, she was graduating with honors.
That is a beautiful home.
Hopefully carpet does not need to get replaced due to blood stains.
 @Dirtman It was in the garage. Perfect.
@Lips Yes indeed - easy cleanup.
Folks...the 'victim' here is a drug dealing thug. Just because they used the term 'homeowner' does not make him some innocent victim to a random crime that could happen to you or me. He is a DRUG DEALER
 @oh4FS The 'victims' were neither innocent or the homeowner.Â
Thank god for people who will defend the drug dealers right to defend his illegal crop!
 @Playanekes I agree with you except for that the way you use liberal is different than modern day liberalism or classical liberal thought. It's more like the vague derogatory image of a liberal as spun by those who are afraid of progressive politics. But the irony in conservatives railing against big government and then supporting the war on drugs and other moral crusades, is completely absurd as you pointed out.
 @oh4FS  @Playanekes Let me simplify this for you right wing nanny-statists.
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The concept of a "conservative" talking about the federal government coming in and taking property, or imposing taxes, and intruding into the lives of people in their own homes because the Conservatives Don't Like Pot is as liberal as a liberal trying to take your fast food, your guns or your SUV.
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You're a liberal. You're just less-liberal than the liberals but you still want to call my dad a "pothead" and tell him what he can't grow in his garage for his own use. Nanny-statists don't want you to grow hemp because it looks like pot. They don't want you to have "assault weapons" because they're scary. They don't want you to pump your own gas because...I guess they don't know how to pee standing up without spraying themselves or something...
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I always note whenever a so-called "conservative" calls for more laws, more taxes, more restrictions on private property and less personal liberty. But what I find is, the liberals and conservatives--as they try to call themselves--are all pretty much the same.  They want you to have liberty as long as it's the kind of liberty they want you to have, and they will cheer when Big Government subsidizes them or provides them entitlement, as long as the other side doesn't get credit for it. I'm glad you asked.
 @oh4FS Funny, I didn't see the part in the story where the intruders announced that they were only there to steal weed.Â
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I'd guess he was defending his property and family. The fact that 'his property' also included an illegal MJ grow is secondary to the fact.Â
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...but, that's just me.Â
@Playanekes What is a right wing nanny statist? Right? I think you are confused. Not surprising.
@oh4FS I have a detachable 30-round magazine, folding stock and folding bayonet on my AK, which technically makes it illegal, but, I don't see you right-wing nanny-statists advocating my murder by police. Isn't that fantastically odd?
@oh4FS I will defend a homeowners right to defend his home and property. Unless the robbers had openly declared "we are only here for the pot", he had EVERY right to shoot them.
I am more shocked by the fact that the state will be collecting a 25% tax on marijuana at each transaction along the way to the point where the consumer purchases it.Â
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So for instance if the grower sells $100 of crop to the processor/distributer that will cost the distributer $125 to buy. Then 25% when the distributer sells to the retail store will put it at 156.25. Then 25% when the retailer sells to the consumer will put it at $195.31. The government will get almost 100% tax on the original value. And along with licensing fees, the government will be the one making the most money for legalized marijuana. Something about this does not seem right.
 @Dirtman Only furthering the Black market is their agenda....
They wanted it legal, so now they have to follow the flawed legal system. Not sure why anyone thought that by passing this law that magically anyone and everyone could just start growing and selling this stuff and making money off of it.
 @cantcurestupid Wonder if the feds will arrest the Governor for signing the bill into law? Doesn't that make her the head of the washington drug trade?
@32jim2 @cantcurestupid now THAT is an interesting comment! If the state taxes and profits from marijuana doesn't that make it state-sponsored drug dealing? Obviously, the Feds should immediately declare War on Washington. And I don't know about you but, in a Washington vs Washington war, my money's on Washington.
@Dirtman Well...if it is illegal to sell it....there will be no sales tax collected.
@oh4FS That is for the time being, but within a year they will put in place a grow, distribution, retail system just like alcohol. Then it will be taxed heavily.
 @Dirtman  @oh4FS perfect
 @oh4FS  @Dirtman all them laid off state workers will get there jobs back growing and selling legal bud.
@Dirtman I hope so...otherwise what was the purpose?
@oh4FS I think they are working on a plan.
@Dirtman Is there a plan for that? I have not seen anything pertaining to a plan.