The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Police: 2 men tried to sell crack to cop
TORRINGTON — Two Torrington men have been charged after a failed attempt to sell crack cocaine to a plainclothes police officer, police said.
Damon L. Spencer, 41, of East Pearl Street, and Derrick T. Burden, 38, of Central Avenue, first-floor apartment, were arrested Nov. 18 and charged with tampering with evidence, interfering with an officer, conspiracy to commit sale of narcotic, possession of narcotic, possession of drug paraphernalia in a school zone and possession of narcotic in a school zone.
The arrests took place after two officers were dispatched as part of the Community Enhancement Unit to the north end, near Prospect Street and Prospect Place, “where information has been obtained of recent narcotic use and sales in the area,” according to a police report.
A plainclothes officer was walking past 619 Prospect St. when a man left the home and began speaking with him. The man, later identified as Spencer, said he recognized the officer, who attempted to walk away. The man continued to speak to him, saying the officer “had previously introduced him to a female named Missy at a party he had attended.”
“Due to my observations of Spencer, it was clear to me I had never met him in person and (do not) have any knowledge of his claims,” the officer said.
Spencer “then used verbiage that is consistent with language used to engage in his involvement (with) narcotic activity I asked him if he was partying, to which he replied ‘What you need?’ ” the officer said. “Due to my training and experience (I knew) Spencer was asking me what kind of drugs would I want to buy to which I responded ‘hard.’ ”
Hard is a slang term for crack cocaine, the officer said in the report.
Spencer said he would sell him a bag of crack cocaine for $40 and walked back to the home, according to the report.
“Spencer then suddenly turned and asked if I was a cop, to which I told him I was not,” according to the police report.
Spencer walked into the apartment and came out with another man, later identified as Burden. Due
to a misunderstanding over whether the officer had already paid for the drugs, Burden handed the officer a bag of what appeared to be crack cocaine without money being exchanged.
The second officer then arrived on scene, according to the report.
The officer attempted to arrest Spencer, “prominently displaying (his) police-issued badge” around his neck. Spencer struggled and resisted commands, and the officer dropped the bag of crack cocaine, according to the report.
Burden attempted to “hide and destroy the bag” by dragging his feet on it, while Spencer fled back into the apartment, police said.
The second officer followed and found him inside, along with a crack pipe, which he was later determined to have discarded after entering the space, police said.
Among other items, police seized 0.11 grams of “suspected crack cocaine” and “suspected bath salts” in connection with the arrests, according to documentation in the court file for Spencer’s case.
Burden and Spencer were held in lieu of $50,000 bond until their arraignment in state Superior
Court in Torrington on Monday.
The men are scheduled to appear in court Dec. 5.