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[Opening shot of a highway, with cars zooming past]
Narrator: Have you ever been driving down the highway, minding your own business, only to suddenly see flashing lights in your rearview mirror? You pull over, thinking you must have been speeding, but instead, you find yourself caught in what some are calling a trap.
[Cut to a shot of a police car on the side of the road, with officers standing nearby]
Narrator: This is exactly what's happening on Interstate 40 in Eastern Tennessee. Police officers are stopping cars and seizing them, along with any money they find, under the suspicion of drug trafficking. The man behind this operation is none other than Patrick Cooley, a defense attorney who has been working on drug cases for years.
[Cut to a shot of Patrick Cooley in a courtroom]
Narrator: Cooley argues that what they're doing is legal, because every driver who pulls off the highway is stopped. And while most are only detained for a minute or two, this is enough time for the police to search their cars and seize any assets they believe are connected to drug trafficking.
[Cut to a shot of a police officer with a drug-sniffing dog]
Narrator: Cooley even goes so far as to train drug-sniffing dogs, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, to help with the searches. He claims that the money they're taking is enough to buy five new squad cars, train these dogs, and pay his own salary.
[Cut to a shot of a judge in a courtroom]
Narrator: But not everyone is convinced that this operation is legal. Judges have been asked to rule on the matter, and so far, they've sided with Cooley. They say that because every driver is stopped, there's no issue with profiling or discrimination.
[Cut to a shot of a police officer speaking with a driver]
Narrator: And while some drivers may be wary of the police, Cooley says that his officers are trained to be polite and non-threatening. In fact, he claims that no one has ever been injured during one of these stops.
[Cut to a shot of a group of people being interviewed]
Narrator: But not everyone is happy about this operation. Some people feel that it's unfair to seize assets without a clear connection to drug trafficking. And despite the fact that the trap is widely known, many drivers are still falling for it.
[Cut to a shot of a sign on the side of the highway]
Narrator: Even the public defender, Walter Johnson, is frustrated by this operation. He's threatened to put up his own sign, warning people that it's a trap. But for now, the police are still seizing assets and making arrests.
[Cut to a shot of a police car driving down the highway]
Narrator: So what do you think? Is this operation legal, or is it a violation of our rights? Should the police be allowed to seize assets without clear evidence of a crime? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And don't forget to subscribe for more videos like this.
[Closing shot of the highway, with cars zooming past] #drugs #drugdealer #news #80s #lawenforcement #vintagenewsclips #vintagenews