Man Sentenced 15 Years
Cody Gregg a homeless man (29) in Oklahoma, was riding his bike through an industrial neighborhood on August 12th when police officers spotted him. Cody was shirtless and did not have rear lights on his bike. The police officers tried to stop Cody but he just pedaled faster and then ditched the bike after three blocks than ran on foot.
When the cops finally reached Cody, they demanded to search his backpack. They found a large plastic bag of powder in a coffee can. The police officers concluded that it was cocaine and charged Cody with a felony.
After spending two months in jail Cody plead guilty to possession with the intent to distribute drugs and was sentenced 15 years in jail.
After lab results were back in ,it was evident that the powder was powdered milk and not cocaine.
Cody Gregg was released and all charges were dropped.
It's crazy to read stories like this, where a crime could have easily been prevented. The cops jumped straight to conclusions, just because he was homeless and may have looked "sketchy." It seems stupid that they didn't check what was in the can when they caught him, instead of immediately putting him in hand cuffs. He didn't deserve to experience this, but at the same time he probably made it look suspicious when he started running from the cops. However, most people without money are intimidated by people with lots of power. It is good that the charges were dropped because it shouldn't be held against him for the rest of his life, since he was proven innocent and was treated unfairly.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the police conclude that it was indeed cocaine without checking the results first? I can't believe they sentence him to 15 years in jail instead of waiting for the lab results. It's unfair how he was treated and pressured by others with power to confess to something he didn't do like what happened to the kids in the "When they see us" documentary.
ReplyDeleteIt's insane that the police pulled him over for riding a bike without a shirt and lights. How was he even charged with a felony before having any evidence? It is sad that he had to plea guilty for a crime that was never committed. Although the charges were dropped, he will still have this on his record and it could have ruined his chance to find a sustainable job that would take him off the streets. This incident brings more evidence of police having an implicit bias towards certain people.
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