The suit filed by Carl Keane and his girlfriend, Chieko Strange, of Mill Valley, names as defendants Petaluma Police Officer Paul Acconero and DEA agents Seth McMullen and John Silva.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, is meant to "redress one of the worst nightmares of any law-abiding citizen," the couple said in their filing.
The three defendants were among a group of DEA agents who burst into the couple's home Dec. 19 using a search warrant signed by a Sonoma County judge for an investigation of a cross-country shipment of six pounds of marijuana.
No drugs, drug residue, money or weapons were found during the search of Keane's house.
Strange, 63, said in the suit that a DEA agent held her down with a boot on her head as agents stormed through the house yelling, "Where are your weapons?" and "You know why we're here."
An Orwell quote seems appropriate here.
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever."
He wasn't far off--we're up to about 40,000 times per year in this country. All so places like Petaluma can be spared from scourges like six pounds of marijuana.
