UPDATE:
“It’s long over due.”
That was the statement made by more than one person as they walked past the 420 Emporium on East Broadway this morning.
Just after 11:30 a.m., several Fulton Police and NY State Police vehicles screeched to a halt in front of the business located between First and Second streets. At least one unmarked police vehicle was also there.
Some stopped on the sidewalk across from the store and stood to watch. Others pulled into the Rite Aid store’s parking lot and watched the raid unfold from their cars.
“It’s long over due,” a few people said as they watched the raid.
“I hope they close them all down!” another person added.
Police were inside the store for more than 30 minutes before they began bringing things out in boxes marked “evidence.”
One young man mused, “With all the stuff in the news about that (crap), why would anyone want to put it in their body?”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW
Oswego County Today’s Steve Yablonski is outside the 420 Emporium on Broadway in Fulton, and reports that Fulton Police, State Police and what appear to be federal drug enforcement agents have raided the store this morning.
He says a woman was taken from the store, apparently in custody, and police have begun to remove boxes of materials.
Police are carrying out coordinated raids against the 420 Emporium and the Tebbs chain of head shops. There are at least five 420 Emporiums, in Fulton, Syracuse, Batavia and Rochester.
TheBatavian.com confirms that a raid is also underway at the Batavia outlet. NewsChannel 9 reports that raids are underway at various Tebbs and 420 Emporium locations in the Syracuse area.
It’s the first action since approval of a federal law banning certain chemicals used in synthetic drugs such as synthetic marijuana and bath salts.
More coverage is coming, including photos from the scene.
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YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am into them getting the bath salts out of there if their was…… but do they really need to make such a big scene, and the corrupt DEA was there, if you didn’t know the feds push more drugs than anybody. you people really need to read up cause you sheep that are like yay they did it fell perfectly for their propaganda campaign…..
It is about time these places started getting raided. Yes, we need businesses here in Fulton but not ones like this!
Nice!
Unless there was illegal activity going on this is a legitimate business just like all other businesses in Fulton. Are people not presumed innocent until proven guilty??? What happened to freedom of Speech and the right to prosper in business just like the tobacco and alcohol industry??? How many deaths do we experience due to those two legal businesses??
Nice that you can raid a place but have pics of some one who works their that does not use the stuff that is sold their thats bs
Its nice these places are closing down but people who are employed to make ends meet dont need to be dragged through the mud
yeah, let’s all give a cheer…
hurrah for big brother!
hurrah for the unconstitutional dea!
hurrah for the death of private property rights!
hurrah for the death of personal liberty!
hurrah for creeping fascism!
Well one customer seems miffed, no one said they are guilty, and this place is well known for shady dealings. They took their evidence and will go the proper route to determine guilt. Something needed to be done to get some of the crap off the street.
I would rather be unemployed than work selling kids Bath Salts. I have no sympathy for the owners or employees. They have seen the effects and should feel guilty for contributing to all the bad things that has been happening to people using “there products” A responsible business owner would of pulled this stuff off the shelves a long time ago.
I would rather be unemployed than work selling kids Bath Salts.I have NO sympathy for the owners/employees. They have seen the effects of “there products” on people and especially teenagers. A responsible business owner would of pulled this stuff off there shelves weeks ago. To them making a buck is more important than people’s lives….They abused there freedoms when they became “Drug Dealers”.
They know damn well this stuff is now illegal, so if they’re still selling it, they’re also responsible. It would be the same as a store clerk selling alcohol to an underage person, they still get arrested.
Yes: Yay we need to get ride of all the synthetic drugs in our community they are very harmful to the persons use them and hurt other people.
Yes: Yay Get ride of dangerous drugs.
You don’t have to be a customer, or a user of any drug at all, to be fed up with the unconstitutional assault on an adult’s liberty to decide how to treat their own body.
The fact is these stores weren’t selling to children. Head shops are regularly targeted by law enforcement and can face penalties simply for allowing a minor in their store. If they did they would have been raided much sooner.
As far as bath salts, wat “effects?” Many cocaine and meth analogues have been in use for decades without incident. What’s currently happening isn’t a drug epidemic, but an epidemic of irresponsible journalism akin to the “Marijuana makes you a murdering rapist!!!” reports of the 1950’s. How many more “suspected bath salt incidents” have to turn out to be false before reporters are held accountable?
In any case, regardless of how anyone feels about these substances, what’s clear is that none of this is bring done for health of safety reasons considering alcohol on it’s own is responsible for more ER visits than all other drugs combined as documented by the Drug Abuse Warning Network.
What this is is yet another case of the feds deciding they want to be the only ones to determine how a private individual uses their own body and their own property.
If you have any doubts about who’s pulling shenanigans, read the order attached to their door. I did earlier. If they were closed for being in a building “unfit for occupation” shouldn’t someone tell the nail salon that’s in the same building, yet is still in operation?
when the buisness owners were made aware that this stuff was illegal they should have pulled it off the shelves they are just as responciable for the deaths of many people including my brother in law. I have seen the effect it has on people and if it does not kill them it makes them go insaine. these stores are selling this crap to our children and that alone makes me angry when they chose to continue to sell it they became drug dealers and now they can pay the concequences we need to feel safe and I know I don’t sometimes knowing that it could be right around the corner
Alcohol and tobacco are no different. now that they took synthetics away these kids are just gonna go harder. congratulations on making things worse. Mabee a little proper education would have gone a long way. Not everyone knows what it can do to you. And the employees are not criminals there just working. i made rifles for 5 years but im not going to jail everytime someone gets shot.
I feel that it is a good thing that they had done this raid. and I think everyone who worked there should go down for it cause they knew what they were doing. There is other places in Fulton New York that you could get a job to make end meet. They didnt have to get a job selling kids and adults bath salt or other drugs. Thats not a way to help people.
“they are just as responciable for the deaths of many people including my brother in law.”
I’m sorry but no, they aren’t. If your brother in law chose to consume a substance, he alone is responsible for the consequences. It’s called personal responsibility for a reason.