E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSKNSD-TV's Tony Shin reports.
Daniel Chong, the UC San Diego student who was left in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell for nearly five days, said the time spent there was a life-altering experience. On Wednesday, the DEA apologized for the incident.
The 23-year-old spoke with NBCSanDiego and said he was increasingly worried throughout the days he spent in a 5-foot by 10-foot cell. “They never came back, ignored all my cries and I still don’t know what happened,” he said. “I’m not sure how they could forget me.”
In a statement, DEA San Diego Acting Special Agent-In-Charge William R. Sherman said he was troubled by Chong's treatment and extended his "deepest apologies" to him, The Associated Press reported.
Sherman said the event is not indicative of the high standards to which he holds his employees, AP said. He said he has personally ordered an extensive review of his office's policies and procedures.
NBCSanDiego was first to report Saturday that the DEA confirmed its agents were investigating an incident in which a suspect, arrested April 21, was detained at their office for several days and allegedly forgotten about.
Chong said he was at a friend’s house in University City celebrating 4/20, a day many marijuana users set aside to smoke, when agents came inside and raided the residence. Chong was then taken to the DEA office in Kearny Mesa.
He said agents questioned him, and then told him he could go home. One agent even offered him a ride, Chong said. No criminal charges were filed against him.
But Chong did not go home that night. Instead, he was placed in a cell for five days without any human contact and was not given food or drink. In his desperation, he said he was forced to drink his own urine.
See video, read the full story at NBCSanDiego.com
“I had to do what I had to do to survive …. I hallucinated by the third day,” Chong said. “I was completely insane.”
Chong said he lost roughly 15 pounds during the time he was alone. His lawyer confirmed that Chong ingested a powdery substance found inside the cell. Later testing revealed the substance was methamphetamine.
After days of being ignored, Chong said he tried to take his own life by breaking the glass from his spectacles with his teeth and then attempting to carve “Sorry mom,” on his arm. He said nurses also found pieces of glass in his throat, which led him to believe he ingested the pieces purposefully.
Images: Man "Forgotten" in DEA Custody
Chong said he could hear DEA employees and people in neighboring cells. He screamed to let them know he was there, but no one replied. He kicked the door, but no one came to get him.
By the time DEA officers found Chong in his cell Wednesday morning Chong was completely incoherent, said Iredale.
“I didn’t think I would come out,” Chong said.
He said when employees discovered him in the cell that they looked confused and nervous. A DEA employee rode with him to the hospital, where they paid for Chong’s visit.
Watch the most-viewed videos on msnbc.com
He spent three days in the intensive care unit at Sharp Hospital and his kidneys were close to failing.
Chong and his lawyer spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the claim they will file with the federal court system on Wednesday.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” said his lawyer Gene Iredale, who compared Chong’s experience to the torture suffered by inmates at in the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, Iraq.
Student in DEA custody forgotten without food or water for days
The incident also caused Chong to miss his midterms at UCSD. He said he does not know if he will return to school, as his perspective on life has changed since his isolation.
San Diego defense attorney Gretchen Von Helms said the victim could get millions if he files a lawsuit.
"In all my years of practice I've never heard of the DEA or any Federal government employee simply forgetting about someone that they have in their care," she said.
"There has to be repercussions if people do not follow the safety and the care when they have a human being in their custody."
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Maryland court finds pit bulls are 'inherently dangerous'
- Video: Obama describes raid that killed bin Laden
- NJ mom arrested after allegedly taking daughter, 5, tanning
- Wife of John Edwards' accuser says sleeping pills affected spouse's memory
- 80 rapes in 3 years: Montana campus assaults prompt DOJ probe
Leave a Comment:
It is never a good idea to drink your urine. This is NOT a survival technique. Urine is highly concentrated salts, which is hypertonic to your blood. This means that your body will lose water if you drink your urine. This is probably why he showed signs of kidney failure faster than normal.
I would gladly be locked in a cell for 5 days and drink my own urine for a few million dollars.
What is he upset about? He is good to go.
Not everyone would
The medicine given to most patients with heart problems comes from cow urine.
The Prime Minister of India ( who was 80+ years old at the time of interview) told the reporter on national TV that he was in good health because he drank his own urine.
The DEA forced this druggie to improve his heart on the cheap.
All uninformed people should talk to their doctors. They will not because they are so intelligent.
I'm not a gambler, but here's my bet - I bet my doctor will Not tell me being left to die of thirst & starvation is "good" for my health.
Wanna bet?
The question I implied you should ask YOUR DOCTOR
Will drinking my own urine hurt me? Is cow urine used for heart medication?
U r toopid r u not?
No musician666 is not stupid in fact he makes a lot of sense, something you don't.
You and the other intelligent being posting must have an IQ so high the formula follows.
IQ= Ziltz point sh-t squared= three points below rock
And your ugly too
Unbelievable man, just reading all these SAPPY-ASS posts from All the bleeding hearts in this country for locked up dopers, shot down thugs and criminals..........if the shoe fits,which in this case it obviously does..I say WEAR it!
What should be pissing folks off is the fact that this POS is gonna sue for TAXPAYER MILLIONS so he can go snort and smoke more of that @!$%# with his scummy ass hangarounds and all on the dimes of WORKING AMERICANS and the taxpaying multitudes who are actually against drugs and drug use.
Quite frankly I am sick of every day seeing,hearing or reading about the criminals , the crack heads,methheads and lazy potheads these panty waist useless libs' keep tryin' to prop up cause they feel so sorry....Disgusting!
Spearpoint, really man, how do you know he is a POS, a druggie, or anything else for that matter. The article doesn't say that, perhaps you have a crystal ball. I'm against drugs too, but I wouldn't advocate putting a college kid in a jail cell w/o food or water for five days. Especially one that doesn't have any charges against him. Spear get a job, actually pay some taxes and then let us know how that's working out for you.
what criminal? the guy who locked up a HUMAN BEING for 5 DAYS? you're too busy hating the guy who did a drug that you forgot about the guy who almost KILLED A PERSON. Judging by your post, you would rather lock up the guy who tokes now and then than the murderers. Sorry, but I dont want people getting KILLED more I want people not getting high. With that being said, what in the hell is wrong with you anyways?
I think fabricated from Young drug user. cover own guilt with ridiculous story....!
is that why the DEA DIDNT CHARGE him with anything or why the DEA PAID for his hospital visit? O wait, your logic is irrelevant.
Lesson learned; dont be a POS, and the DEA wont lock you up. His dealer and all drug dealers should be hung and left to rot upwind from the place they sold their poison to the populace.
I would agree, but only if you include the dealers of "legal" poisons called pharmaceuticals.
ya minuteman, I mean, forget about the guy who almost KILLED him right? That was sarcasm. Did you even read that part of the article?
Hey wait one second Minute! Then what should we do lock up the biggest drug pushers, you know the ones that have addicted more people than the street pushers. You know them, they are called doctors. There are more addicts due to Phrma then street pushers. Minuteman my arse, the only type of minuteman you are is when you prematurly ejaculate at the sight of some dudes arse.
So you call pot a poison, do your homework and don't just regurgitate the lies. Pot has helped more people medically than it has ever harmed. I work with the handicapped and have seen first hand the profound changes in their conditions like ALS (lou gehrig's disease), MS, cancer, chronic wasting, glaucoma, nerve pain/damage, RSD/CRPS, Cauda equina, myofasciitis, Parkinson's, cerebral palsy.... to name just some of the diseases and conditions that it helps and may even cure. It's just to bad that the US government is so hung up on taking care of the corporations that make huge money of of the war on drugs like the prison system, PhRMA, lawyers and many others. Yeah see the problem is that pharmaceutical companies can't patent pot as it is a natural plant, this is why they have tried to mimic it's effects...unsuccessfully that is. You see you can't have opium but they will sell about 100 to 1000 derivatives of it, and it is very easy to get those scripts. 99.9% more kids have gone to their grave due to Oxy, Hydro, morphine etc then due to smoking some pot
Sounds like it is time for some promotions in the DEA. That is how they do, screw up and get promoted up
Can you imagine if a state official were to do the same thing, the feds would be all over it with civil rights violation and the perpetrator put in prison. Love the double standard that our government puts up. If this were done in another country, we would be yelling about human right violations, but not here. Just promote them up.
dude this guy is over exagerranting, i bet his lawyer told him to saw all this b.s. so he could sue the crap out of the federal govt. this retard, is a dope head, drug dealer and a spoiled duche bag that attends uc san diego because his parent spoil him. comn he stated he found meth. in the jail and that is why he was on it. i hope he can learn his lesson and don't do drugs or hang out at places where they sell and use drugs.
our federal tax dollars will pay this kid off and the lawyer fees hired by the federal govt.
he needs to take his lumps and learn from it and go back to his coushy dorm room or apartment in beautiful san diego.
his lawyer should have told him you would have to be over 11 feet tall to not be able to spread your arms in a 5x10 room.
And the DEA locked him up for five days and paid all of his hospital bills because they're in on the plot.
Great thinking.
Imcompetent DEA!!! Follow American custom and sue them for $10 Million!!!
The whole story sounds fishy. I once thought I spent a week in Belgium when "altered", but I was just in a Bakery. I wondered why my Passport wasn't stamped and I didn't blame the State Dept for the paranoia.
YEAH... You get those crazy pot smokers, DEA! In their own apartments and houses... watching TV... and eating... stuff.... not hurting anyone.... Thank God we have federal agencies using taxpayers' money to bust those same taxpayers for making the decision to inflict harm on ... no one except perhaps themselves....and then do nothing but sit on their butts... Drugs are BAD!
Keep the fear going so your annual budget grows... that is how the DEA survives.
Sorry, Matty-2578394.... meant this as a comment to all, not directed at you.
This kid's gonna be RICH.. good for him! I hope he gets MAX compensation from that worthless agency.
He had me believing his story til this popped up. I will believe his story when he proves to me he is over 11 feet tall (the distance from one corner of the room to another).
so your arms only spread out 2 feet wide?
Ryan,
Are you being abtuse on purpose?
im saying if ur not going to believe what happened to him, not being able to spread ur arms out in 5ft isnt the way to decide this didnt happen.
this smells a lot, i doubt he was forgotten about being in cell.
could not spread his arms out in a 5 ft by 10 cell????? how long is his arms hahahah
took a power substance , he "just found" in cell, hellava a story.
it will fall to pieces when in court, just a drug hyped dopehead looking for a lawsuit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since the DEA already paid for the hospital visit, of which will have its own report of the said patient, then that will be plenty enough to take to court as long as the hospital report simply confirms he was neglected. Let alone the DEA's own confession. Chances are unless this guy files for criminal prosecution rather than suing, it wont even need to get to court.... he will see every last dime of it without even needing a judge. obviously the DEA already knows they screwed up and to try and fight it after already paying for his hospital visit would be plain silly.
No matter what you think about marijuana, it is a source of medicine that all Americans can use and that is a fact! The reason for making it illegal is insane, people enjoy smoking it and it helps people with medical issues they might have. Millions are going to smoke it no matter what anyone does or says, period! Time for change is now! The reason to legalize it is because people want and enjoy smoking it....that's the reason...they enjoy smoking it and that's all you need to know!
OMG Cheech grow up
randy, if you drink a poison, maybe you should think about that one a little more.
People in a glass house arguement?? LOL
Think:
Would an Government Agency be Eliminated if it accomplished what it was created to do?
Why would the DEA stop all drugs from entering the country ?
If there was no importing of drugs there would be no need for DEA.
How come Al sharpton isn't al over this? I mean this guy isn't white. Suppose he's a racist?
lmao no no this guy isnt black enough for Al
I want to know where were this guy's friends when he didn't come home for FIVE days! Everyone checks up on their friends and family. If this guy lived with room mates they have to be wondering where their friend is. After the DEA (a terrorist agency as of now) raided and took all of those kids away someone who still had a cell phone should have called Chong's friends or room mates and said, "Hey the DEA are taking Chong, check up on him in a couple of hours." The DEA is acting just like the Islamic Liberation Front in Indonesia. They also raid parties and bars, and other "places of sin" and torture those they abduct. By now we all know that Marijuana is a lot less harmless than alcohol especially if you eat it. It is definitely kept illegal because someone is making money off of that. But really, one of your buddies goes missing it should be rescue mission time.
He wasn't at the wrong place at the wrong time, he was a pot head going to get high. Chong said he was at a friend’s house in University City celebrating 4/20, a day many marijuana users set aside to smoke, when agents came inside and raided the residence. Chong was then taken to the DEA office in Kearny Mesa.
Sorry he got left for 5 days, not sorry he got caught.
He needs to sue the hell out of these fools.
Well what do you wanna bet this little Pot smoking Felon will learn that crime doesn't pay. To bad they wouldn't do this a little more to every illegal they catch.
Or maybe to you, too, "by mistake."
Possession of pot is not a felony in California. It's not even a misdemeanor. It's an infraction. The same level as a speeding ticket. I guess you're one of those people that don't support state rights.
Ha! Kinda funny what they said about Amanda Knox, but at least she got fed and drank something. Although look at this, that is ridiculous.
This is what America is becoming? Disgusting.
DEA:
You are hired.
Your job will be to eliminate the need for your job/employment.
Let us, the idiots who got the US citizens to vote for, create some more of these agencies.
I am one of the most peaceful, nonviolent humans in existence. But, if I were king of the world, all who were directly responsible for this incident would be given the exact same treatment, and without mercy. Then, if they were still alive, I would continue to try teaching them a lesson by having them personally sued, not necessarily just the DEA itself because that's just our taxpayer money. The individuals that let this happen to this student need to pay out of their own pockets. And can we all just remember that Prohibition only makes things worse?! It ALWAYS only makes things worse. It happened with the liquid drug alcohol, and it's happening with the herbal drug marijuana. And when you tell someone they can't have something, they want it even more. I'm still waiting for us to get out of the damn dark ages.
He found a powdery substance on the floor of his cell. Now he will test positive for Meth. Yeah right. This is why we need loser pay laws in this country. Take this idiot to court and after he loses his trial charge him and his attorney for the cost. That will help eliminate charges like these.
What charges? He was never charged in the first place and was never going to be charged. Being in the home of people using pot, even using pot yourself, does not allow so-called authorities to hold you for 5 days without being charged and brought before a judge. It does not allow the so-called authorities to withhold food and water from you for five days. It does not allow the so-called authorities to hold him in a cell without a toilet.
The guy was admitted into intensive care, for chrissake. The spokeswoman already admitted that the DEA agents left Chang in the holding cell. What is left for you?
If you think this can't happen to you, you're wrong. Possibly dead wrong.
You all miss the point. Weather marajuana shold be legal or not..he was in a place and most likely himself...where illegal activities were happening and he got caught. So he was left alone to drink his own urine. Lucky it was America in any other country he would never be found and that would be that and to sue give me a break. He is lucky to be alive. You are all alike a bunch of drug doing losers. Get a life and obey the laws losers.