NO DRUGS found in Cookies Given to Officers

LAKE WORTH

The case against a teenager accused of delivering drug-tainted cookies to police crumbled Thursday after scientific tests revealed no traces of narcotics.

Christian Phillips, 18, became a cookie monster and the butt of jokes around the globe following his arrest Tuesday after he left a basket of treats at Lake Worth police headquarters. Authorities said then that "field tests" they conducted on the cookies showed traces of marijuana and LSD.

But lab tests performed by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office were negative for drugs, and Mr. Phillips – who had been charged with tampering with a consumer product – was released from jail shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. The felony charge was dropped.

Mr. Phillips, of Watauga, was facing up to 20 years in prison and fine of $10,000 if he had been convicted. Neither he nor his family would comment Thursday night.

"These are the facts of the case, and if the lab says it ain't dope, that's what I'm going to go with," Lake Worth Police Chief Brett McGuire said.

Mr. Phillips' attorney, L. Patrick Davis, said that his client was physically fine but that he was "a little upset" about the arrest and subsequent controversy. He said that neither he nor the family was surprised about the negative test results but that no decision has been made whether to pursue further legal action in the matter.


'Rush to judgment'

In an earlier interview, Mr. Phillips' father, Glenn, said the case against his son amounted to a "huge rush to judgment."

"People just need to keep rationale here in perspective and not jump the gun and accuse people of stuff before we know the full facts," he said.

Christian Phillips' story drew worldwide attention – and scorn.

One Australian news anchor referred to Mr. Phillips as "disgruntled." The incident was blogged on USA Today's Web site and on a Corvette forum site. "Tampering with someone elses food? Lock-up and throw key away," one blogger wrote.

Another typed, "Donuts dummy, not cookies."

Mr. Davis said that his client was unfairly targeted by almost everyone who heard about the case.

"He got convicted before he got a chance," Mr. Davis said. "He got buried in the media. He has been derailed, and we need to get him back on course."


Community service

Mr. Phillips was delivering cookies as part of his 80-hour court-supervised community service following his arrest last year on charges of assaulting a police officer. That charge was reduced to simple assault, a misdemeanor, and Mr. Phillips was serving court-appointed community service with Mothers Against Drunk Driving when he delivered the cookies.

That case was to have been dismissed on Wednesday if Mr. Phillips successfully completed his community service hours. He was about 10 hours away, his attorney said.

On June 27, Mr. Phillips was videotaped delivering the snacks to Watauga police. He delivered more cookies to Blue Mound police Monday night and on Tuesday delivered another batch at Lake Worth. Officers there were notified by Blue Mound police officers that the cookies might be tainted.

Chief McGuire said a preliminary field test conducted on the chocolate chip cookies by police detected LSD. A canine was brought in and indicated drugs were inside Mr. Phillips' car.

When he was arrested, Mr. Phillips was carrying a list of 25 police agencies in Dallas and Tarrant counties. Thirteen of the names had been checked off. Officers in some of the jurisdictions, including Fort Worth and Watauga, ate the cookies and reported no ill effects.

Lake Worth sent the cookies to the medical examiner's officer for a more thorough review. Officials there conducted more stringent chemical tests and a microscopic examination as well as tests involving gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.


Officer stands by nose

Blue Mound police also sent cookie samples to the ME's office and those, too, came back negative for drugs.

But Blue Mound police Lt. Thomas Cain said Thursday that while he respects and accepts the medical examiner's report, he is sure he smelled dope on the home-baked Toll House treats.

"They did have a pungent, rancid odor," Lt. Cain said. "They did have the odor of marijuana. I got within two feet of it; I could smell it."

Blue Mound officers also conducted their own field test that came back positive for marijuana.

"How do you explain it? I don't know," Lt. Cain said.


*****************************
A little bit parnoid...aren't we??
I think Lt. Thomas Cain has been around a little too much dope.
See...Not everyone is out to get you (law enforcement).

A Little Sweet Revenge?

A Watauga teen accused of delivering drug-tainted cookies and candy to area police departments denied to investigators any involvement, but he told authorities that friends may have been using marijuana while he baked the cookies, police said Wednesday.

The 18-year-old was carrying the names of 25 departments with 12 of them checked off when he was arrested Tuesday at the Lake Worth police station.

Christian Phillips of Watauga was arraigned Wednesday on a charge of tampering with a consumer product. He remained in the Lake Worth Jail with bail set at $75,000.

If convicted, Phillips faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“He’s claiming that there was no criminal intent or that he was not trying to hurt someone,” Lake Worth Police Chief Brett McGuire said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, seven Fort Worth police officers and department employees have been tested for drugs after eating some of the cookies, police said. Blood has been taken from the officers and employees to test for any drugs, Fort Worth police Lt. Paul Henderson said Wednesday.

“This is an eye opener for not just our agency, but any government agency. Our officers and employees ate these food items believing them to be safe and from a good person,” Henderson said. “The truth of the matter is though, there are evil people out there intent on doing us harm.”

Watauga police received cookies and all of them were eaten.

Watauga police said Wednesday that they would be sending three to four officers and employees to be tested for drugs.

“The city has made arrangements to take them to a medical clinic,” Watauga Officer Sean Romer said Wednesday.

Investigators believe the teen may have started dropping off the baskets with candy and cookies about a week ago. The baskets included a logo indicating that they were from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD.

But Lake Worth police were ready for Phillips. MADD officials had called the Lake Worth department Tuesday morning after they learned that someone had been delivering the baskets to area police departments, claiming to be from that agency.

MADD officials said they had nothing to do with the baskets.

Phillips was arrested about 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Lake Worth police station when he attempted to drop off a basket of cookies and peppermint candy, saying they came from MADD. Cookies in that basket tested positive for LSD, police said.

Lake Worth police also confiscated additional cookies from Phillips’ car which was parked at the Lake Worth police station. Tests on those goodies had not been completed.

After Phillips’ arrest, Lake Worth police on Tuesday sent out bulletins to area police departments concerning the gift baskets.

Police in Blue Mound received a basket filled with candy and cookies just before 8 p.m. Monday.

When a Blue Mound officer picked up one of the cookies, it smelled like marijuana, police said. A field test proved that the cookie contained marijuana, police said.

Hurst, Euless and Richland Hills police also reported receiving the gift baskets last week.

In Hurst, the basket contained only Dum Dum Pops, but no officer or employees have reported being ill, Hurst police Sgt. Craig Teague said Wednesday.

Richland Hills police said Wednesday they received a basket with wrapped candy and cookies and no one reported being sick.

At Euless, police Lt. John Williams said that a kid came to the department last week and dropped off some cookies.

“An officer picked up a cookie and it smelled,” Williams said. “We tested it but it didn’t test positive for anything. We still threw the cookies away.”

According to Watauga police reports, Phillips has a criminal history in that city.

A loud party was reported to Watauga police on July 21, 2007, and Phillips opened the door when police arrived, police said.

Phillips tried to shut the door on officers and when an officer propped the door open with his arm, Phillips swatted it away, according to police reports. About 20 or 30 people were at the party.

When Watauga officers made their way through the blocked door, Phillips tried to punch an officer, missed and was immediately taken down with force.

A Tarrant County court reduced the charge of assault on a public servant to assault with bodily injury.

Phillips is still fulfilling community service for the assault charge.