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Friday, 05 August 2011 04:37

Scoco Park's Community House raided


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Sergeant Chris Buffaloe and Tyson converge on the scene. Sergeant Chris Buffaloe and Tyson converge on the scene.

A house already in civil litigation for nuisance abatement was raided late Thursday night following an investigation by the Weldon Police Department.

Two people were arrested, one for an outstanding warrant and the heir of the property for maintaining a dwelling place to manufacture and sell controlled substances.

(The complete series of photos can be found on our Facebook page)

Robert Champion, who in May was arrested in Weldon for allegedly selling drugs was at the house. The $1,500 he had in his pocket was seized by Lieutenant Scott Hall of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office to pay a debt to the state Department of Revenue on taxes owed for drugs allegedly found during a previous arrest. Champion and his brother, Calvin, were both charged in the May arrest.

More than a dozen people were at the house on 209 Ransome Circle in the Scoco Park community when officers from Weldon and Garysburg and sheriff's office narcotics agents arrived.

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Detainees are forced to the ground.

Officers detained several people, handcuffing them and forcing some to the ground. Most of those detained were under a shelter outside the house and had been sitting at a picnic table when the officers arrived.

As detainees were let go onlookers across the street cheered their release.

One man who sat in a lawn chair outside said he didn't know what was going on. Asked if he knew the house was under investigation for drug sales or if he had witnessed drug sales, he said, “I have no idea. I don't come over here like that. They come over to cook and eat.”

Police have acknowledged the Community House gets its name because of the spreads put on, but they also say it serves as a house where drug deals occur and where there have been rapes and shootings.

One woman who was detained repeatedly declined to discuss what went on at the house, saying her job was to sell anatomically correct sex toys to women. She also complained that one of the officers put a gun to her head. She was later released.

As detainees were released officers began a search of the house and the grounds. They found paraphernalia, a small piece of marijuana and two eight balls of crack cocaine in the wood line.

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Macon with Champion.

Inside the house, narcotics agents counted Champion's money. Asked for a comment, Champion turned away and when pressed about what happened to his brother's dogs, which were discovered with battle scars from fighting in a raid in Roanoke Rapids, he said, “What happened to your dogs? I wasn't charged with no dogs. You need to get your (expletive deleted) out of here.”

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Champion's money is counted, left, while an officer holds crack cocaine.

Once Champion's money was seized he was later let go and the onlookers across the street again cheered.

The officers charged Mark Jones, an heir to property, and also charged Reginald Edwards on an outstanding warrant.

Before the raid, Weldon Police Chief Mark Macon said despite the pressure being put on the house, officers have observed continued drug deals.

The nuisance abatement proceedings are currently in civil court, the chief said. “We're trying to force the owners to curtail the drug sales.”

Macon said the evidence found at the scene strengthens the case for nuisance abatement. “It runs concurrent with what we've been doing. I've been here five years and it's been going on since then.”

Lance Martin

Lance Martin

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comments  

 
+4 #7 Really? 2011-08-09 02:03
I love "Keeping it Real's" statement! Just goes to show, proper english and spelling are reserved for the working class citizen. Association brings on Assimination! Thus, who you "hang" with is who you become! This lack of social tolerance has made me quite bitter at this racism thing! Seems that the "man" has kept us down again... or shall we say, we are failing to hold up the "man?" Either way, the end is drawing near my friends! Choose this day... as for me and my house... ! :)

By the way Lance,

While I am hiding behind a fake name here... I think that RRSPIN should partner with the Town of Weldon for a history walk of the town one weekend. Set up a tour of the historic district with stops along the route of historic homes and sites. Shopping the historic distric and seeing the sites would draw a good crowd I believe! There is more to Weldon hiding amongst the drugs! A photogenic atmosphere to say the least!!! Just a thought!
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+7 #6 Concerned Citizen 2011-08-08 15:52
To keeping it real:
Either you are Champion or Arrington or related to them! Let's keep it real ....
Drugs are a drag on society and if you abuse them, go to rehab and get your life together. If you sell them, you deserve to go to jail! You see, it is against the law! How about going out and getting a real job!
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+10 #5 James Debro 2011-08-08 14:34
Quoting Keeping it real:
I thank the concerned citizen need to mind their business and stop worrying about Arrington and Champion. They need to know the feeling of them in jail.


To "Keeping It Real"....it is everyone's business when that drug activity affects your loved ones and nearly destroys your life. You may want to pay close attention to the world around you....
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+3 #4 Better Tomorrows 2011-08-08 14:27
Thanks Weldon PD for working to make our community a safer place. The behaviors of the neighbors in the article strengthen the argument that we need more mentoring programs for the children and work programs to help advance the community members. When they see positive changes, they will be proud of them and want to follow suit. Let's give them hope of a better future for their little ones.
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-14 #3 Keeping it real 2011-08-08 00:13
I thank the concerned citizen need to mind their business and stop worrying about Arrington and Champion. They need to know the feeling of them in jail.
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+14 #2 James Debro 2011-08-06 15:52
We need to see more of this in our communities! More Drug busts, less drug dealing on the streets! Good work officers!
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+18 #1 Concerned Citizen 2011-08-05 20:05
Good job officers! Now, if you all can get the house on Maria Avenue, it would be a plus! I don't know how these guys continue to get away with selling drugs. It's always the same ones.....Champion, Arrington. It's time to put these guys away for a long time! As far as the people cheering, what do you expect? All some of them know is lawfulness and trying to get over on the Police. Never mind what this say about the community.
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