Officers in camouflage gripping semi-automatic rifles. Undercover cops wearing black face masks, like ninjas. Uniformed police milling about the street. Some officers holding up body shields.
That’s the scene – like something from The Wire, in Baltimore – on the 500 block of High Street on Wednesday morning during what passes for morning rush hours in Chestertown.
Woops, who forgot to block off traffic?
Drivers trying to get to work, or just wanting to get the hell away from those guns, pointing up (mostly), got stuck on High for what felt like too long, for some, while about a dozen officers from a joint task force searched a suspected drug den.
Arrested in the private home at 527 High: Chance Goldsboro, 24, charged with possession of narcotics and distribution of drugs in a school zone, along with a 15-year-old Chestertown youth who was referred to juvenile services.
Confiscated: Some quantity of narcotics, weight not disclosed.
Chief Robert Edler of the Chestertown Police Department said the bust began about 5:30 a.m. And he added, “Entry was made without incident.” He said the raid involved Chestertown officers, a State Police entry team and the Kent County narcotics force.
Of the arrested man, the chief said, carefully, “He’s known by police.”
In the aftermath, the house at 527 High has been condemned.
As Edler put it, “I don’t know how you’d want to put it, but I went there and went inside, and I called the Health Department and the town code enforcement officer because of living conditions there, or lack thereof. And they ended up condemning the house.
“It was disgusting. One of the worst houses I’ve been in since I’ve been on the job. I get queasy just thinking about it.”
Kees de Mooy, who monitors town codes, declined to talk about the property except to say he’s in negotiations with the owner. He said the condemnation may be lifted if conditions are improved there.
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