The Good Christian, Downtown, Sat June 30, 10 pm: Officer Roberts reports: "Officers were contacted on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pine Street by a complainant who is an off-duty King Country Sheriff (from the Shoreline precinct). The complainant stated that he had just observed a marijuana transaction occur around the corner in front of the Nordstrom store between a b/male wearing a black leather jacket and a w/male who appeared to be a construction worker. The complainant pointed out the black male and stated the marijuana was in his right pocket. Complainant looked around for the white buyer but could not locate him on the sidewalk.
"Officers contacted the [black dealer] and advised him that they were investigating a complaint that he was selling marijuana. He denied any involvement with marijuana and stated that he was walking to make his cell-phone payment. He reached into his right jacket pocket to pull out a cell phone to somehow verify this claim (to be going to pay his cell-phone bill) and accidentally pulled out a baggie of marijuana along with the phone.
"Officer Suddeth recovered the now visible sandwich baggie of marijuana. The suspect claimed the marijuana was for personal use because of his genetic arthritis medical condition and that it was medical marijuana that he got from a Georgetown location. "Officer Suddeth asked to see some proof that it was 'medical marijuana.' The suspect stated that he was in the process of getting that proof.
"Officer Larrabee read him his Miranda rights from the SPD Resource Book. Suspect stated that he knew his rights, and then went on to swear on the Bible that he was not selling marijuana and that he was a good Christian... He then asked if [the officers] were good Christians? We told him he was a liar, searched him, and found seven small baggies of individually packed marijuana... Officers advised suspect that he was being officially trespassed from the Nordstrom store for one year, since he was selling in front of their store."
We must not suppose that the lies told by the dealer have no relationship whatsoever with reality. Where there is smoke, there is a fire. If we look into the lie about the cell phone, we will certainly find some truth in it. At the time of his encounter with the officers, the dealer might have planned to walk and pay his cell-phone bill after the transaction, or known someone who at that very moment was walking to pay their cell-phone bill, or known another person who walked and paid their cell-phone bill the day before. As for the lie about suffering from arthritis, this too must have some truth in it. The dealer or someone he knows (like his mother) might actually have this aliment. As for being a good Christian, we can be certain that this claim is not entirely false. On his better days, the days when he is not selling pot in front of Nordstrom, the dealer might believe that he is on excellent terms with the Lord. 
