E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSDaniel Chong, a 23-year-old university student who was allegedly forgotten about in a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) holding cell for nearly five days. KNSD-TV's Tony Shin reports.
Daniel Chong, a San Diego student who was left in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell for nearly five days after he was allegedly forgotten about, has filed a claim for $20 million after what he described as his "life-altering" experience, NBC San Diego reported.
The 23-year-old told NBC San Diego that he was increasingly worried throughout the days he spent in a 5-foot-by-10-foot cell, and told how he drank his own urine to survive.
“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.”
As NBC San Diego was first to report Saturday, the DEA confirmed its agents were investigating an incident in which a suspect, arrested Saturday, April 21, was detained at their office for several days and allegedly forgotten about.
DEA apologizes to student left for days in cell with no food or water
Chong's lawyers filed the claim Wednesday, and also asked the DEA provide evidence related to the incident. The DEA said it was investigating why the student was not released.
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.
“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, Gene Iredale, 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.
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, he 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.
He spent three days in the intensive care unit at Sharp Hospital and his kidneys were close to failing.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Iredale, who compared Chong’s experience to the torture suffered by inmates at in the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, Iraq.
The incident also caused Chong to miss his midterms at UCSD. He said he does not know if he will return to school because his perspective on life has changed since his isolation.
San Diego defense attorney Gretchen Von Helms said Chong could get millions from 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," she added.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued an apology to Chong.
DEA San Diego Acting Special Agent-In-Charge William R. Sherman said in a statement Wednesday that he was troubled by the treatment of Chong and extended his "deepest apologies" to him. He has ordered an extensive review of his office's policies and procedures.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Judge: Prosecutor's rejection of gay juror 'shocking'
- Desperately seeking Sango for African refugee
- George Zimmerman's old Myspace page includes slurs against Mexicans
- Maryland court finds pit bulls are 'inherently dangerous'
- NJ mom arrested after allegedly taking daughter, 5, tanning
Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
“The illegality of cannabis is
outrageous, an impediment to full
utilization of a drug which helps
produce the serenity and insight,
sensitivity and fellowship so
desperately needed in this
increasingly mad and dangerous world.” -Albert Einstein
Carl Sagan made that statement on: Carl Sagan On Marijuana Prohibition
“The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.”
ur right...
"The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this."
- Albert Einstein quote on Hemp
"Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could."
- William F. Buckley Jr. quote on Marijuana
Really??? Who do you think is running government now for the most part? It's people who that never served in the military and were snorting coke and smoking pot in college in the 60's-70's - and YOU opine that prohibition has done more harm then THEM?? Get real. Pot when smoked is a carcinogenic compound that has debilitaing effects of the brain over time. Read something other than Mother Earth or Marijuana Nation's BS newsletters. Well researched for over 75 years, and this country already has enough mentally impaired and obese people without adding more roaming the streets with zombie eyes, continuously eating ho ho's, and driving down the street high and on their cell phone.
JP, you are sooooooo full of chit! I smoked pot everyday, my entire Senior year of college, made the Deans List and graduated with a 3.00+, while working in the Psychology Department, giving tests to freshman and sophomores. I just retired after working for 4 decades. The people who you think has debilitating effects are now Politicians, Doctors, Lawyers, Policemen, Military leaders, Judges, Nurses, and every other job out there. Marijuana has not caused a single case of Cancer in all the years from the 60-70s, I challenge you to find a single case. It has actually been found to be beneficial and may prevent Cancer. I don't know what research you are referring to but do you really think, after medical marijuana has been legalized in many states and thousands upon thousands of people have prescription, we would have heard on one single case of Cancer? Your an idiot! Believe all the propaganda the Government pays to propagate in the media to prevent legalization. The DEA makes hundreds of millions to fight the "Drug War". If we legalized it, we could use that money for something beneficial, like education for people like you, LOL!
your wrong...you can't even get a whiif of winning an election unless your a "God fearing" clean cut type....if that was so marijuana would have been legal along time ago..wake up
"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country."
- Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President quote on Hem
"Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere."
- George Washington, U.S. President quote on Hemp
"We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption."
- John Adams, U.S. President quote on Hemp
Iran/contra. Fast and furious. Government on record and reported in the press for shipping in narcotics. The DEA is used to break up the competition. That's why I supported Ron Paul on his drug policy. If you aren't harming anyone else, it ain't any of my business what you do to yourself. If what happened to this person doesn't upset you and you are upset over him getting a large settlement, I've good news for you. Under the NDAA, you can be disappeared with no lawyer and even killed if the government by a secret process decides you are a terrorist. No cash settlements. Just an empty space in everyone's life who cared about you. And terrorism is rapidly becoming any activity the government doesn't like.
Hey TIBET, I got a reality check for you. Some people SHOULD be "disappeared with no lawyer and even killed if the government decides". What in the hell do you think the POTUS is doing with Al Qaida and the Talliban. I also have more respect for muslim combatants in war than meth heads on the streets of San Diego. Chongs experience upsets me about as much as micky mouse having an argument with minnie mouse.
Don't assume you're safe. I try to obey the law of the land as I am commanded by Romans 13. But when someone ran over the sign posting the speed limit, I got pulled over on my way to work by a cop who looked and acted like HE was on meth. Eyes bulging, shaking, hardly able to speak coherently. And he had a gun. Pointing out that just because someone runs over the sign doesn't change the speed zone didn't seem like a good idea at the time. Historicly, when America has been at war, law enforcement becomes more repressive. And we've been at war for more than ten years. It doesn't matter if you are a law abiding tax payer, some of these cops will treat you like scum. And as for the al qaida myth, you are aware that the Libyan rebels were the relatives of many of the suicide bombers in Iraq? That that particular region of the country had the largest per capita, not numbers but on a per capita basis of recruits? Or that the underwear bomber was gotten on the plane by our government, reported by FOX news in Detroit while interviewing a passenger who is a lawyer in Detroit, no one seems to want to hear this, but this lawyer is now running for office. Needless to say, he has no faith in our Federal Government. And if we are in such danger from terrorist, why is the southern border wide open? Why is the Federal Government trying to stop states from enforcing laws regarding illegals? Like Arizona? Why does all this security seem aimed more at citizens than Jihadists? Do you truly think giving up your freedoms for security is a good idea? Why are TSA moving onto trains, buses and highways? You don't smell a rat?
I never wanted to live in a country that can make you .. disappear because of use of a plant
Not only should he get a ridiculous amount of money, people better get fired and have charges brought against them. What they did was unconstitutional and barbaric. Maybe 20 million is a bit much but the way he was treated was a bit much, don't you think? Head's should roll for this. He was treated worse than a terrorist. Atleast they get something to eat and drink. He had nothing and he was detained for no apparent reason. Truly unbelievable!!!
over a plant
Lou, your right. But, they later decided not to press charges on him. So there was no good reason to do that. Even if they were going to charge him, they didn't give him any rights to do what he should have been able to do. (Phone call, food and water.)
I sincerely hope he wins this claim too!!!!!!!
"American Muslim and US Marine" ????????????? rooting for a meth head nut case. Yeah Right!! Read the story in the Sand Diego news.
so the DEA didn't search him before they tossed him in and forgot about him....not only does that makes them incompetent it makes them really incompetent.
How did methamphetamine get into his cell for him to test positive for it 5 days later? There apparently was more arrested then just him, others apparently are still in jail.
According to the San Diego News:
At the raid, DEA officials said, they apprehended nine suspects and netted 18,000 ecstasy pills, three weapons and other drugs.“Seven suspects were brought to county detention after processing, one was released and the individual in question was accidentally left in one of the cells,” spokeswoman Amy Roderick said."
San Diego Fire-Rescue said paramedics were summoned to the Viewridge Avenue administrative center at 4:42 p.m. Wednesday to transport a patient who was suspected of ingesting a white powder substance. The DEA said the substance tested positive for methamphetamine."
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/may/01/man-abandoned-dea-cell-steps-forward/
Ridiculous amount of money. Give him a few bucks but since it is taxpayers money (yours and mine) I think a smaller sum is required.
Take it out of the DEA budget
Lou - take it out of your budget if you really believe this horse sh_t story.
blinders for the blind
Law enforcement is required by law to monitor detainees and must check on them every hourly, or, if they are considered "at risk", every 15 minutes, to be within appropriate guide lines! Do you really think a few bucks would cover this case if he had committed suicide? Having worked in the Criminal Justice System for over a decade, I can assure you the state pays out millions, every year, in every state, for "wrongful death", otherwise known as suicide because the state is responsible for anyone and everyone in its care. I guarantee you, this case will be settled out of court, because the state will not want to parade their inept, bungling of this man's Civil Rights before the public. I'm speculating, he was forgotten about, because he was never charged and some type "A" personality, agent, had more important things on his small mind?! Inexcusable!
Am I the only one to think there is something funny about this story?
He is told he is free to go, but ends up in a cell. Did he go back there?
Or did he leave and come back four days later to create this scenario?
Is it physically possible to even survive for five days with no water?
Why was there methamphetamine in the cell? That is just weird.
Was it his? Was that why he went back to the cell?
Maybe that would explain why no one knew he was in there?
I would be interested to hear what the investigation proves before jumping to conclusions.
Did they not have video surveillance cameras in the detention area?
I have never heard of any detention facility that wasn't severly restricted access. No one could just "go back."
Another well written and researched article in MSN. Can any of the supposed facts be verified or really understood or is this just conjecture?
This is a line in the article quoting Chong's lawyer; "The DEA has not apologized to Chong, said Iredale".
This is line from 4 paragraphs latter; "The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued an apology to Chong".
WHAT??
Just conjecture - otherwise known as BS.
FatCatGets$700Bil - And just where do you think this money comes from, Skippy?
legal drug sales that the DEA uses to make money and keep tabs on drug dealers. The DEA sells the drugs to us and then busts the dealers once they get fat.
The DEA agency is definitely sorry, they should immediately apologize with a fat check. His lawyer should take a group the the cell area and see if they can hear someone in the cell screaming and kicking the door, to see why if he could hear people talking and laughing, then why did the purposely forget about him. I guarantee, the heard him and they are some sorry people, that should be eliminated from the payroll and retirement fund.
Who said he was yelling and screaming? Chong did. Oh by the way, he was strung out on meth. So now it is the word of a meth head. In other cases, they normally leave these guys off the stand for a reason.
so they didn't search him before throwing him in and forgetting.
Not a good search maybe. And who knows, maybe it is an entrapment trick they use. I'm just saying if this dude was my employee, and he came in late and smelled like weed, but claimed there was an accident that created a traffic jam, I have a hard time believing him. He was at a doper party. It seems they were pretty passive about the whole thing, maybe the holding cells were just to keep them from syncing their stories because it looked like he was supposed to be on his way home. If he wasn't being arrested, maybe they don't do that until they "book" you.
Another BS story to garner symathy and stupid-assed opinons rather than provide information to further allow the intellectually challenged to connect the dots. Let me help some of you: A) Chong goes to party where there are drugs. B) Chong is arrested C) Chong is put in a holding cell which ALL have toilets and are in NOT in isolated dungeons (as required by the CA Dept of Corrections and DEA) or the ACLU and nutcases in California would have shut them down. D) Chong miraculously finds Meth in his cell (unless it was fairy dust). E) Chong, who is an innocent babe in the woods, ingests the Meth F) Chong THEN starts acting like, well, what he is, a friggin nut case meth head G) Now, Chong wants taxpayers to pay him $20 million for being a dumb ass meth head that got arrested and spent a few days in a cell because he was strung out on meth H) People as nuts a Chong now compare his experience to that of friggin terrorists and want to reward him with $20 million. If thats what you want, give him YOUR money. As for me, I think another month of so in the can might do him some good.
your a dinosaur
OK, the DEA jacked themselves on this one, BUT, Chong is not totally innocent in this one. He was at a party to celebrate the anniversary of the legalization of marijuana. That is why the DEA was there in the first place. And I like the "he found a white powdery substance in the cell." What? So meth is just laying around in a DEA cell. All of that crazy crap, cutting his arm, eating glass probably had a lot to do with being high. He might not have even known how much he kicked and pounded on the door if he was that high. He can't claim that he was out of it, but then say I yelled and pounded on the door in thbe same breath. If I was the DEAs lawyer, I would contest that. He is going to get paid I'm sure, and hopefully the DEA will learn this hard lesson. Now he is not going to return to school. Someone should see if he was going to pass the classes he was currently taking, maybe he is using this to his benefit, because I guarantee the school would make an exception for him under these circumstances. Give him 250K and pay for this year's tuition and call it good.
If one research's this story, it just leads to more questions.
How does one go from intencive care unit to home?
"He spent three days in the intensive care unit at Sharp Hospital and his kidneys were close to failing."???
The man is a student at the University of California San Diego. He was reported missing by his roommate last Friday, two days after he was taken to the hospital, UCSD police said. Campus police said the man notified officers on Saturday that he was OK and the missing-persons report was canceled.
He offered no details about where he had been over the previous week, and simply wanted the missing-person case closed, UCSD Police Chief Orville King said.
The DEA said Monday that the suspect was one of nine people detained April 21 following a drug raid that yielded 18,000 ecstasy pills, marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms, a Russian rifle, two handguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/30/dea-abandoned-suspect-custody-5-days/
The way i read it is that this "substance" is there to fuzzy up the basic fact that they busted,detained and forgot about a kid over his demonstrating against prohibition....
white substance...dont they search you before they stick you in a cell...so not only did they forget about the kid, they didnt search him...great
Gotta love those union workers -- go union -- yeah....
the DEA should just settle and save everybody time.
It's easy! Don't do illegal drugs and the DEA won't have the opportunity to make a mistake.
then drinking coffee or alcohol or tobacco or sugar or over the counter cold medicines or prescription drugs should be gone to
this is a human rights issue...what i do to my body is my business
Yeah Lou,
Great philosophy. So the guy strung out on meth (doing what he wants to with his body because it is his business), will do something to your body.
I love reading comment! Really, if I was only to decide who is right by the people on here I would know that all republacans are nazi, goosestepping teabaggers, racist rich people. And all Democrats are rose growing, unicorn loving, rainbow activist thet fight for the little people! Wow, why did I go to college and get a Policitcal science Degree for!
Now for the real comment: First, the DEA Screwed up! I have worked with them in the past, and do not see how they did it, there are multi layer reviews when they arrest someone, but someone dropped the ball. They should just buck up and take the rap. Now the reality: Federal law is such, that you can only sue the Goverment IF the Government agree's to be sued! Sorry, but that is how it is set up (By the way, the law that makes that like that was designed and put in effect by FDR, so please hold all the anti GW Bush retoric) What will happen is after he gets his 5 minutes of fame, the Government will cut him a Check for $50,000 dollors and everyone will move on. Now I have a job to go to, so that I can work hard to become one the the alledged 1% that are rich!
Of course you all know this will come out of our pockets. The DEA will not suffer at all.
legalize and grow cannabis and all that money that the DEA spends on "protecting" us from this evil plant would go towards paying our debts. plus the taxes,job creation and social order that would occur.
The mega banks would lose too much money from not laundering all that drug money. They own the pols, ain't gonna happen.
I know and more then that loses out...Marijuana legalization is the revolution the establishment can't handle....but it'll save our country
"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country."
- Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President quote on Hemp
Okay, Lets take a look at something young men and ladies of college age. If you thing you are miss treated you are not paying attention to the news on TV or Internet. Our great government of military might should spend all the money we spend on foreign aid from the US Treasury Department to better use. For example: Bring all are troops back home, secure our borders, pickup all illegal immigrants, send them back to where ever, and then lets clean America up from drug users. DO NOT SPEND the 20 million on this idiot. but rather use it on gathering all these drug user people up. Strip them from everything they have load them on a bus, take them to Tucson, AZ military base and have them flown by military helicopter to Mexico and dropped off in a wide open area near some drug cartel locality. They want and like drugs, let them have it. I don't want any of these kind of people around my children or grandchildren. We are wasting to much of our money on drug user, drug pushers, lawyers who defend them, and say how sorry we all should feel for the drug addicts. my gosh people. These are going to be the future leaders of our great nation 20-30 years from now. Do you all want someone in White House, Pentagon, Senate, Congress who does drugs and run our country? We all are doomed to being a third world country. OH by the way we can free up more money by clearing out our prisons to. Wow, we then would have a lot more money in the budget to give all college students a free education and our country would be a heck of a lot better of 20-30 years from now
nazi
You are a jerk. Frankly your comment should be considered a terrorist threat. You are whats wrong with this country.
Your "Hang 'em High" attitude against your fellow Americans is disgusting.
What about alcohal? Or tobacco? Caffeine? These are harmful substances so shouldn't the people addicted to these substances also be removed from our society? They cost us all by using up health care because they get sick more than those who don't use these substances. Or sugar? Or too much saturated fatty foods? Or do you draw the line where your personal habits are concerned? The things I do are ok, but the things I refrain from, well, those who do those things MUST BE PUNISHED! I'm Assembly of God, and I've been told our doctrine is stricter than many sects. But I feel very uncomfortable using the power of the state to force rightious behavior. I'm with Ron Paul. If you aren't hurting another person, what you do isn't the states business, or mine either.
Unfortunately, I don't know if there is an amount of money that would get the attention of the DEA. Their budget is enormous, and $20 million is nothing to them. Whereas he has standing to receive some sort of settlement for his troubles, DEA behavior will be unaffected by a cash settlement, as they are essentially a bottomless pit of cash. The only way to make an impression on these guys is to put them in a cell.
Good, I hope he gets double that. Go for a jury trial and that will happen. Everyone hates the disgusting DEA pigs.
Pothead.
As if we needed more evidence to disband the DEA. This a group of thugs that operate as a terrorist group against citizens.
When will others figure this out. I hope he gets 100 million and several people are fired. Shameful
Most of his story is BS. You don't lose 15 pounds in 5 days no matter how little you eat. He found a white powder in his cell and snorted it and it turned out to be meth, yeah, right. How did he know it wasn't going to be scouring powder or floor cleaner or disinfectant...he just finds an unknown powder and 'noses' it. 'Life altering experience...' OK, how, besides getting the shaft for 5 days, is his life altered forever to the tune of 20Mil?
More likely the lack of fluid intake than the lack of food, almost all water weight that he had going in would have been gone at that point.
virgil yes you can,haven't you ever had the flu?
Sorry, don't buy it. This is more of an issue of lawyer's math.
Let's be honest, this is something out of a SAW movie. He's left handcuffed in a windowless cell without a sink or toilet, no food or water, no human contact, he's defecating himself dying of dehydration and losing his sanity. You couldn't pay me 100 million to do that, You might not even survive it in the first place.