Police: 2 intruders shot, killed at marijuana grow house
PUYALLUP, Wash. - Two heavily armed intruders who forced their way into a home with an illegal marijuana grow operation were shot and killed by the homeowner Thursday morning near Puyallup, officials said.
Law enforcement personnel responded to the scene, a luxury home in the 5900 block of 132nd Street, just after 8 a.m. when the homeowner called to report a break-in, said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The homeowner then called back a few minutes later to say shots were fired.
The arriving deputy found two armed people with masks on their faces on the floor of the home's six-car garage. Medics were unable to revive them.
The homeowner told detectives that he opened fire at the intruders when they forced their way into the home, which houses an illegal marijuana grow operation in the attic, Troyer said.
He said it appears the intruders were after the marijuana and possibly cash.
The 35-year-old homeowner and the homeowner's 9-year-old son were not hurt in the incident.
"In this particular case we have two people dead, multiple shots fired. The homeowner is OK; unfortunately it could have gone the other way. We could have had a dead 9-year-old and a dead homeowner," Troyer said.
Ironically, the deadly shootings came on the first day of marijuana legalization in Washington state.
While it is now legal for adults 21 or over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana in Washington state, it is still illegal to grow or sell the drug. The state has until late next year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage.
Marijuana also remains illegal under federal law. That means federal agents can still arrest people for it, and it's banned from federal properties, including military bases and national parks.
Law enforcement personnel responded to the scene, a luxury home in the 5900 block of 132nd Street, just after 8 a.m. when the homeowner called to report a break-in, said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The homeowner then called back a few minutes later to say shots were fired.
The arriving deputy found two armed people with masks on their faces on the floor of the home's six-car garage. Medics were unable to revive them.
The homeowner told detectives that he opened fire at the intruders when they forced their way into the home, which houses an illegal marijuana grow operation in the attic, Troyer said.
He said it appears the intruders were after the marijuana and possibly cash.
The 35-year-old homeowner and the homeowner's 9-year-old son were not hurt in the incident.
"In this particular case we have two people dead, multiple shots fired. The homeowner is OK; unfortunately it could have gone the other way. We could have had a dead 9-year-old and a dead homeowner," Troyer said.
Ironically, the deadly shootings came on the first day of marijuana legalization in Washington state.
While it is now legal for adults 21 or over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana in Washington state, it is still illegal to grow or sell the drug. The state has until late next year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage.
Marijuana also remains illegal under federal law. That means federal agents can still arrest people for it, and it's banned from federal properties, including military bases and national parks.
I should have said this long ago. To the children of Roy and Freddie: When you read this, as I am sure you will someday, if only to know what happened, know these things that I say. This article doesnt tell the full story of what happened. Only 3 people know what truly went on, plus God. Your fathers and the homeowner. And only 1 will tell the whole story. God!! All these comments on here are from people who know nothing of your fathers. Yet for some reason they feel they have some right or need to post ignorant comments such as they have. Â If you want to know who your fathers were, ask the people who truly knew their hearts, not just their final acts. A persons final act shouldnt define their true selves, yet so often they do for so many people. Im not saying what they did wasnt wrong, because it was. And they for sure could have done anything better than what they did. But they didnt and that is something we will some day have to come to terms with, each of us in our own way. However, I know that in the bottom of my heart of hearts, they would not have gone into the house if they knew anyone was home, let alone a young kid. New information has come to light to support that but the media and these idiots dont care because it was last years news to them. But not to everyone. We all have our opinions and questions about what happened and why they did what they did. You should have your own opinions. They were good men who made bad choices, that doesnt make them bad men.
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To woodinhouse!!! You have the nerve to ask why they got killed!! They broke into a house dressed in black carrying multiple guns and started shooting at the homeowner they must not of been good shooters while shooting at the homeowner because he didn't get hit and the homeowner took them out Luke the trash they are. Tell the mom to teach the kids not to b a loser like their dad. They need to know that if you follow in his footsteps than they can or will possibly end up like their dead dad!! :-)
Im not praying for anything for these 2 los er intruders!! They got what the deserved! It most likely wasn't thier first home invasion and would not of need their last!! Is good they're dead now there is 2 less felons that everybody will not have to worry about coming into theirhouse. They weren't there to rob him they probably would of killed the homeowners and his kid!" so this homeowner did the world of favor . The mom will have to tell his kids that dad wasva loser and hopefully she will make an example to those kids that they should not follow in the footsteps of their loser dad! So i day the home owner was a hero to Dave himself and!! his son!! They brought this on themself. The gf or wife probably knew what was going on and just waiting at home waiting for home to come back with money etc. so don't act like this was someone else's fault he did it and now he dead!!oh well!!
I know one of the individuals shot, he left behind beautiful children, people who loved him and a lot of people wondering why, his kids are suffering terribly, please pray for them, and wait until all the news is told , something is nogt right, he may have had a trouble past, but this is more then a little strange
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 @woodinhouseÂ
i agree melissa an her family think the same thing something dont add up.
 @woodinhouse I will pray for his children, but I will spit on his grave. He was a masked, armed intruder who died committing a home invasion.
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I don't have any pot growing in my home, but if any of your other friends come and try and rob me, I will drop them just as fast and hard as your other little pal.
Even, I am the mother of three children with one of the men who were killed. This is sad all the way around. The only victims in this matter are the children. When I say that I mean the home owners son too. As a mother I will go at all cost to protect my family. Although my children may not understand to what extent I would do whatever it took. However, please if you are a parent keep in mind that my children will read this one day. They have enough pain going through their hearts and thoughts going through their head, and I'm sure as a person with a heart you can understand that. This is a tragedy in a whole. Although, we never expected to see something like this played out it did. We never in our life thought he was capable of doing something. He was not a mean person, and he was definitely caring. Unfortunately when you get involved with substances it changes people. Anyone of us can have a relative who struggles with addiction and all can agree that addiction changes what a person really is. I hope that at the end of the day we can all learn from this. Every choice we make has a reaction whether it be positive or negative. Lastly, now we will mend five children's hearts as they've been broken and with society carrying so much hate in their heart they will read these comments one day and have that to hold in their hearts too.
@Toni Cornell Your husband or boyfriend chose his destiny.
@Harrison @Toni Cornell Harrison, I don't know. I think it may have had something to do with drugs, but I can't say for sure. Only God does. I know that Freddy has never had a criminal record, which is why they couldn't identify him. I also can't help but think that the owner doesn't respect the "law" either. If he did he would have had pot growing in his home like that. If he would break the law there what makes you think he would do something else and then just cover it up. It has been determined that there were multiple shots to Freddy's head. If it was in self defense why would he need to shoot them more then once? Once they were down he didn't have to put any more bullets in their head. This whole thing just breaks my heart.
@Toni Cornell Thank you Toni for sharing to provide another side of the story.
Please accept my condolences for your loss and an apology for some of the âkeyboard warriorsâ who post mean spirited comments here.Â
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I believe in listening to all sides and being fair before forming an opinion.
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Do you think this could have been a business transaction gone terribly wrong or was it a robbery with an unfortunate loss of life?
 @woodinhouse We will certainly pray for the children and other loved ones. However, one truly must wonder what the your friend was doing there, if not to rob. Kinda late for Halloween.
People can smoke marijuana and not get in trouble, but they cant grow it? nope
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This is only the begining. How can a state legalize something like marijuana when they don't offer a place to purchase some legally. The state had to know that marijuana would be purchased illegally. Now you have drug dealers scrambling doing stuff like this. What a threat to our communites. FYI: It sounds like the homeowner is an ex-Sounders soccer player.Â
woothoot! good job!!
Good Riddance . . .
I know for certin his children will read this, have some class, they are devestated, nobody know what happened, and that is just mean
It's not legal to grow so expect more dopers robbing dopers and dying. A state full of stoners trying to rip each other off. Hopefully, like the black gangbangers, they will just kill each other and no innocent bystanders.
be nice, his children are reading this trying to figure out details, you are cruel
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 @opout there are just as many white/asian/latino gangbangers is there are black, and washington isnt full of stoners...some of the best technology and medical practices come from these stoners! its simply 2 idiots who were going to do this wether it was legalized or not...dont be so ignorant
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I think the message needs to be loud and clear......."break into someones home, you'd better be prepared to pay the consequences"!!
These geniuses do realize this stuff is legal, don't they? Kudos to the homeowner for protecting his property anyway.
Whether or not the home owner was doing something illegal, he had every right to defend himself and his house. Taking guns away would have turned this into much larger tragedy with the possible the death of the home owner and his son.
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 @n9078jk4 If he was not a CONVICTED felon without restored rights to firearms, then you MIGHT have a point. But until convicted, there is no law preventing him from being armed.
And the grow operation is no longer a felony crime in this state: it is probably an "infraction" - like a speeding ticket - until the rules are written and likely even then. Even the feds are quivering in their boots at this point - staring at the Tenth Amendment - and refusing to try to prosecute until they can get a firmly favorable court opinion. Which they will not get: read the Tenth.
 @n9078jk4  @parkinator The problem is, there are laws and then there is what is right. Thats where juries come into play. If I sat on a jury on this case and they tried to prosecute the home owner for anything I would just vote to acquit. We have an enormous amount of unconstitutional laws in this country and the juror box is about the only place where you actually get a say in these matters. If what someone is doing is not hurting anyone else then its perfectly ok to do. Time to start repealing more laws.
 @JLS1950  @n9078jk4 Since when do the Feds (particularly this Administration) care about the Tenth Amendment?
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 Although, they could (under the Obamacare Clause) levy a TAX on each ounce of pot and make the crime one of tax avoidance.
 @n9078jk4 There will be no forfeiture due to this happening on THIS morning rather than YESTERDAY. And while the feds have signaled that they are WAY unhappy with the new Washington law, they have also quite rightly taken a step back to ponder just what their real authority is in consideration of the Tenth Amendment. Remember that alcohol Prohibition could not be enacted without a full constitutional amendment because of the States' Rights issue. There has never been such an amendment for marijuana, and with a state statute permitting "manufacture" as you put it, the feds are trying to walk on quicksand.
I am sure you find this all just very annoying and not the way you think "things just oughta be" - but the voters of this state have spoken, and they have said that this man's business MUST be permitted by some means or another.
So I suggest you either shut up or else go see Timmy I'm-an-Idiot to see how to spring a counter-initiative of your own. But don't hold your breath...
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@Blindman: Unfortunately, with your attitude -- unconstitutional laws -- it is highly unlikely you would ever be allowed to serve on a jury. The defense attorney would love you but the prosecutor would have a hissy fit. Don't forget, they do multiple interviews before someone is selected.
 @parkinator let me get this straight. A criminal, first of all. And now that he has a gun, he has "every right"?
 @tufa23  @parkinator a crminal...really? im not worried about stoners..im worried about the child molesters and sexual offenders that walk around our neighborhoods everyday..all unsupervised
 @tufa23  @parkinator a crminal...really..for growing pot..im not worried about stoners...im worried about the abundance of child molesters and sexual offenders that walk around everyday unsupervised
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 @tufa23 If not a CONVICTED criminal, and if under threat to his life or the lives of others - ABSOLUTELY! Did you imagine that criminals just automatically lose the right to live - and their children's rights to live as well - as soon as the commit in undetected crime? Even convicted criminals barred from owning firearms - if threatened in their own home - have every right to cut their attackers down with sword, machete, hammer, 2x4, carving knife, electricity, barbecue fork, shovel, rake, chainsaw...
If you don't want to end up dead, don't go into someone's house armed to the teeth with intent to rob or kill! Sheesh! What is so difficult about that???
Now, had the intruders NOT been armed and the homeowner been able to hold at safety and call police, then it would have been a bit different. But an armed intruder in your own home you MAY kill as needed by whatever means...
@woodinhouse
You sure can spin a story woodinhouse I'll give you that, but tell the 5 little tykes who's futures he chose to risk, that their Dad and a _friend_ dressed up in black clothing, put a masks over their heads so as not to be recognized, _heavily_ armed themselves and illegally broke into someone else's house with intent to rob,harm, damage or steal...and the home owner defended himself, his 9 year old son and his property by blowing the sonofabit<h away! Â
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Woody which one of Freddy's friends are you? I appreciate you caring enough for my children. If you have my contact info go ahead an email me or call. We need to just take one day at a time so we can mend the hearts of the children. My heart aches for the. They had nothing to do with this and so the words some people have chosen I just don't understand. If they have children and God forbid they went through anything like this, I would hope the would have compassion for the way they spoke to their children. There was absolutely bad choices made but that does not give anyone the right to hurt the children more then what they are already feeling. That goes for all Children involved.
Even, I am the mother of three children with one of the men who were killed. This is sad all the way around. The only victims in this matter are the children. When I say that I mean the home owners son too. As a mother I will go at all cost to protect my family. Although my children may not understand to what extent I would do whatever it took. However, please if you are a parent keep in mind that my children will read this one day. They have enough pain going through their hearts and thoughts going through their head, and I'm sure as a person with a heart you can understand that. This is a tragedy in a whole. Although, we never expected to see something like this played out it did. We never in our life thought he was capable of doing something. He was not a mean person, and he was definitely caring. Unfortunately when you get involved with substances it changes people. Anyone of us can have a relative who struggles with addiction and all can agree that addiction changes what a person really is. I hope that at the end of the day we can all learn from this. Every choice we make has a reaction whether it be positive or negative. Lastly, now we will mend five children's hearts as they've been broken and with society carrying so much hate in their heart they will read these comments one day and have that to hold in their hearts too.
 @woodinhouse Tell us the names and ages of the deceased if you know so much.
did he bring the guns?or were they placed beside them, the homeowner pot grower, criminal may have been more involved then your being lede to believe that is why it is called an investigation, not a conviction, his children are sitting at home wanting to know why daddy is dead, his ex is at their home with these children and they need prayers not mean statements i know this family and something is not right
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 @tufa23  @JLS1950 I'm so impressed with how you hide behind a veil of sarcasm. Get an education so you don't have to use sarcasm as a crutch.
 @tufa23 Haven't figure out how to do italics or underscores on this new widget. Have you?
 @tufa23  @JLS1950 PROBABLY trying to make a point.
 @JLS1950 I'm so impressed with your use of caps...
Let this stand as a notice to anyone that breaks into anothers home.
Be careful what you seek. You may die for it.
Oh my God, look at the size of that house. I'm in the wrong line of work.
Love it when the perps die.
@bagsofdirt In this case both parties except the 9 year old were perps.
There is no way that the Feds can let SaWa and Colorado sell pot while it is still illegal in the other 48 state and US Territories. Everyone knows Fed law trumps State law, they have to step in and they will.
@lmdk2: You are correct, the Feds can and probably will step in. However, it has always been up to local law enforcement to go after the personal use people. Since that is now legal in WA State, we have already seen cases being dropped. However, grow operations and dealing is still illegal. The Feds and State will probably continue to go after those dudes with a vengeance. That is until we set up legal retail operations.
 @usnrbb The Feds won't step in unless there were at least 500+ plants involved. Otherwise it defaults to the Washington State.
See, now that its legal, there won't be any reason for violent crime!! Hooorayyy!!! The end of the drug war!
-Every Boneheaded Stoner
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Its still requires enforcement. Welcome to the new Moonshine business...
 @Cheetoh734 They haven't even started regulating it in stores and some boneheaded fatass jumps on a misguided opportunity to insult 10% of the U.S. population. Let me borrow that crystal ball so I can make smartass remarks about everything that is going to happen. Go drink yourself to death, idiot.
 @Cheetoh734 The homeowner had something valuable that someone else wanted. It could have been ANYTHING, but it happened to be marijuana in this case. Marijuana dd not make this event happen. Greed made this event happen.
 @Cheetoh734 This grow operation still is not legal. But I don't expect a Boneheaded commenter to realize that, even though it's stated in the article.
@SalParadise  Sarcasm
 @SalParadise Exactly, not legal....My point exactly. Its going to be the new Moonshine. If people can get it cheaper, or without tracking/taxing it there is still money to be made by illegally growing and selling it. If they make it cheap enough than there isn't money in it for the Gov't... Economics.
 @Cheetoh734  @SalParadise Actually I did vote for it and not because of the revenue piece. I thought that was optimistic at best and quite possibly delusional....... I voted for this to push it towards legitimacy. I felt waiting for the perfect legislation was not in the best interest to the state. I knew that until the Feds decriminalize this, going legit to supply and operate a store or grow would just open the door to Federal prosecution. I also knew that their projections for revenue could not be realized for years if ever based off the current status, you can even go through the vicious circle of paying taxes and tax evasion because of the licensing issue. There are soooo many things wrong with this law I could not even begin to get them all out, but the one thing that is right is the decriminalizing the personal use. I think eventually we will get it right, but it will take years. The tax base eventually will be there, but not really sufficient to the needs of this state until the Feds legitimize it......after all they will want their income tax on the revenue as well......I'm not a stoner user either. Just tired of seeing people prosecuted for something that is really a personal choice.
 @Susabelle  @SalParadise Not to mention you already have a highly successful network to supply the "illegal" product. I'm sure there will be a small decrease in demand for the illegal product but if the producers can't get the cost down enough to be competitive than its a failed business plan, and you start with a huge disadvantage business wise because the Gov't is expecting this to be some sort of cash cow, they are expecting high tax rates...Its a poor idea from the start. It was a fleecing of the voting populous...
 @Cheetoh734  @Susabelle  @SalParadise call me stud er! you voted, the people voted. go to japan - china- pot will get u 20 years in prison, here we find kids adults r alive, due to the side effects of pot.
 @Susabelle  @SalParadise Never, because there were reputable companies to produce the alternative product with things like a successful business plan. Not to mention the two products have very different social stigmas. Look at what the government has done to a business that also provides things that people smoke. Look how we view that culturally. The only way for the Gov't to make money on it is through tax enforcement similar to what the treasury dept did during and after prohibition .  But that involves high cost to the consumer.... And trust me, no stoners here....
 @Cheetoh734  @SalParadise the government can make it stronger, heathery, and a million dollars get it?
 @Cheetoh734 But before, everyone got it illegally. Now that it's legal many people will buy it legally. Kind of like alcohol. Yes Moonshiners exist but how many people buy from Moonshiners and how many people buy from the store? Only a stoner would name themselves Cheetoh. It's not a revenue lie. If just one person who smokes buys it legally the state will make more money than they were before today. They will never get everyone to buy legally but they don't have to to generate revenue.
 @Cheetoh734  @SalParadise Um, so when was the last time you purchased moonshine?Â
 @Cheetoh734  @SalParadise no, because its saving (childrens lives) as adults
 @SalParadise And the only reason the Stoners got regular people to vote for the stupid bill was that it would be a revenue generator for the State. You were lied to.