Man Falls to His Death During Iowa Pot Raid

DES MOINES, IA –A Des Moines man has died after apparently falling from an apartment building balcony as he attempted to evade police executing a marijuana-related search warrant.

Kirby Praseuth, 28, becomes the ninth person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

According to police, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement was serving a  search warrant related to a marijuana distribution investigation on an apartment around 6:30am Friday morning, assisted by officers from the ATF.

After securing the apartment, the two suspects inside told police a third man had gone out onto the back balcony to evade them. When officers went to the balcony of the fourth floor apartment, they found Praseuth lying on the ground below.

He was taken to Methodist Hospital in critical condition, but later died. Police said they are continuing to investigate how he ended up on the ground.

The two people in the apartment were arrested on marijuana-related charges, and are currently being held at the Polk County Jail.  Jeremy Collins, 29, is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and Phoxay Saengchanpheng, 26, is charged with possession of marijuana.

Marijuana possession in Iowa is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in prison. Possession of marijuana with intent to deliver is a felony, with punishments ranging from 5 to 50 years, depending upon the amount. (source: NORML)

Added by Phillip Smith on February 12, 2012.
Saved under Drug War Casualties, Iowa, The War on Marijuana
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=587825063 Babz Covington

    such a sad loss. a fellow  who had to be so afraid of the pot bust he was willing to risk death to get away.shame.

  • http://www.facebook.com/InfamousKC KC Cordova

    It’s great how the punishment is worse than the crime. Now they’ll try to say marijuana does kill. Nevermind the violation of privacy over something that should have been decriminalized years ago. I know I feel F***ing safter.

  • Drucula68

    More should die, cops don’t like when we die without a club or bullet in our back,,,what’s up with that… The probley thought he narc ed them off and they threw him… Har, har,,,, just kidding guys, keep the faith!   RAG

  • Crafty Spiker

    That the conditions exist for such a thing to happen is simply a disgrace.  Let’s focus our money and efforts on things that actually matter – like our crumbling infrastructure and our public education system.  Stop wasting our resources.

  • Berysax5

    Leave these people alone!!  What an outrage!!!  Waste of resources and time.  Government still knowingly gives a group of a Americans marijuana since the 70′s.  Hypocrites and thieving liars.  http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/5703090/US-government-supplies-pot-to-citizens

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527982303 Jonathan Arthur

    That clinches it! Marijuana can cause death!

  • Lizard

    Are the cops on drugs? seriously what do they take us for chunks?   “Police said they are continuing to investigate how he ended up on the ground.”     continue to investigate? bullshit they came in a civilian panic’d and jumped so the cops were direct result of that man death.  they should be ashamed why dont they have balls and confront meth lab or heroin  but cannabis? c’mon.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Malcolm-Kyle/100001700224506 Malcolm Kyle

    The whole world watches while we pepper-spray, taser and cudgel our own citizens for exercising their birth-right to assemble peacefully; The whole world watches while we strip-search and anally probe our own wheelchair-bound great grandmothers on suspicion of being terrorists; The whole world watches while heavily armed & masked government thugs break into our homes to ridicule, bully, threaten and murder us for using or growing a medically efficacious weed.
    The prohibitionist model is one of blind ignorance, abject failure and economic collapse. Its underlying ideology is one of fear, envy, greed and hate.

    Never have so many been endangered and impoverished by so few, so quickly!

    * Do you wish to greatly reduce, even almost eliminate the market in illegal narcotics? Then please help us to dismantle Prohibition enabling us to Legalize, Regulate and Tax! 

    * Do you wish to bring about an enormous reduction in the presence and influence of organized crime? Then please help us to dismantle Prohibition enabling us to Legalize, Regulate and Tax! 

    * Do you wish to reduce harm to the existing users and addicts – who may be your children, brothers, sisters, parents or neighbors – by allowing them safe and controlled legal access, which will greatly minimize the possibility of ‘peer-initiation’ and sales to minors? Then please help us to dismantle Prohibition enabling us to Legalize, Regulate and Tax!

    * Do you wish to see a reduction in the number of users or addicts, thus greatly curtailing drug related illness and deaths, while also reducing societal harm from problematic abusers? Then please help us to dismantle Prohibition enabling us to Legalize, Regulate and Tax!

    Three simple questions for the unconscionable employees of the DEA, CIA & DOD: How much is that fence going to cost? How much is it actually going to stop? Won any good wars lately?

  • Anonymous

    I don’t care if I ever smoke again.  What I do care about is that I have a felony cannabis conviction for having some plants that is the basis for discriminating against me in housing, education, and employment and will be for the rest of my life.  If I can’t get a job in a poor economy because of my record what am I supposed to do?  Sell pot?  What an ignorant law that has the opposite effect of what they pretend it is intending to accomplish. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1301995798 Brian McCullough

    Sad as this is it happens all the time it cities all over America I hear stories like this. The families left behind have no one or anybody to give them any support. Many time young people like this young man leave behind young beautiful children who will have to grow up without the love and comfort of a Daddy’s safe embrace. I had heard from wives who the police ran off the road with a Ram-cage on the front. The Police thought he was smoking a joint while driving. He flipped the truck, broke his neck,no grass was found. We met his widow and 2 young children ages 8 and 6  on the side of US 60 in Vandalia Michigan . We were occupying the highway because the police were keeping us 1 mile in every direction from Rainbow Farm. The site of the Us governments biggest Stand against the peaceful non violent political activist Tax paying Pot Smoking Community in our Nations History. The government came in with the support of 3 State Polices Agencies from Indiana, Michigan, & Illinois. Local police enforcement ( Sheriff Underwood ), with F.B.I. agents and military track vehicle, out numbered Tom and Rollie Crosslin (Gay couple) , some 200 to 1 and they torched them to death while they were handcuffed…in what could only be described as a Ritualistic Sacrifice killing because these agency’s were just days away from 911 and were camped out in secret killing Innocent Americans before they went off to kill and toucher even more Innocent people in a war on terror (Bush’s Stimulus package). Abeu Graibe Prison and on and on. But. More Americans have died because Marijuana Laws allowed Cops to kill people over Pot for 70 plus years now…, (Blacks, Mexicans, Hippies, Queers,Indians Dot and feathers.The Gmen lump us all together) Cops have killed more pot-smokers than all the US Wars. Dead Americans that have occurred in all our Wars combined. Never ever heard of any of this? I’m not surprised. The Rainbow farm story was the most buried story of 2001.The only way we can keep these tragedies from happening is to get involved on a personal level, and vote for the change you want in America.It is our Constitution Right as God fearing Citizens to have the right to smoke pot. May God show “ YOU ” Prohibitionist the mercy that we have never got from them…. & may God save America from our tyrannical misguided governmental policies.

  • David_thavonekham

    He was my bestfriend…good person at heart…. He didn’t deserve to go out like this… He was set up…We love you Kirby!!! Your LAOd ENT brothers!!!!

  • David_thavonekham

    He was my BFF (Best F*ckin Friend)… He didn’t deserve to go out like this…. He was set up… We love u Kirby!!!! Your LAOd Ent family!!!

  • Hallietorrez22

    Kirby you were such a great man and I wish You were here. You always could put a giant smile on my face. I love and miss you…