Many residents in southwest Minneapolis were surprised to find out that an apparent meth lab was established in their neighborhood. It is not exactly clear if that is the case, as no formal charges have been brought. A task force was looking for a man who was wanted for drug possession and theft when they executed a search warrant at the home.
Police officers who entered said that there were irritants in the air, and they suspected that it was a meth lab. However, it bears repeating: the house has not been confirmed as a meth lab. The evidence may point in that direction, but no charges have been filed.
As bad as this may sound for the person — and possibly people — accused of drug crimes at this home, they are still innocent until proven guilty, and that really can be a hard concept to grasp for some people. Jumping to a conclusion based on the story presented is easy. “That home must have harbored serious drug criminals,” some people will think. While the evidence may eventually prove that, until that point is reach, the person or people accused in this case are innocent.
This element of criminal cases is critical in drug cases, where the suspects face huge punishment for their alleged actions. Labeling someone as guilty until he or she gets an unbiased trial that is not tainted by illegitimate evidence or an improper criminal investigation isn’t fair to the accused.
More details about this case will come out in the weeks and months ahead.
Source: KARE 11, “Meth house busted in Minneapolis,” Adrienne Broaddus, April 15, 2014