WATAUGA TEEN SAYS HE DIDN'T PUT LSD IN POLICE COOKIES

A Watauga teen accused of delivering drug-tainted cookies to the Lake
Worth police department told investigators he did not put drugs in the
cookies but that friends may have been using marijuana while he baked
them, police said Wednesday.

Christian Phillips, 18, was delivering the cookies as part of his
court-ordered community service for a previous arrest, officials said.
He was arraigned Wednesday on a charge of tampering with a consumer
product, a second-degree felony.

Police said Phillips was arrested Tuesday when a field test on the
cookies he delivered in Lake Worth indicated the presence of LSD, a
hallucinogenic drug. Blue Mound police said cookies delivered to them
Monday field-tested positive for marijuana.

But preliminary drug tests Wednesday by the Tarrant County medical
examiner's office came back negative on the cookies from Blue Mound
and Lake Worth, said Roger Metcalf, a spokesman for the medical examiner.

However, the tests are not complete, he said.

"Some tests are real quick, and some are more accurate," Metcalf said.
"We want to emphasize that we are not completed yet. Testing continues."

Lake Worth Police Chief Brett McGuire said that in his experience, a
preliminary test has never been overturned by later testing. He
speculated that either the drug mixed with the cookies was a minuscule
amount or that the cookies absorbed the odor of the drug.

Phillips remained in the Lake Worth jail Wednesday with bail set at
$75,000. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a
$10,000 fine.

Phillips declined a request for an interview Wednesday at the
jail.

"He's claiming that there was no criminal intent and that he was not
trying to hurt someone," McGuire said.

Investigators believe the teen may have started dropping off the
baskets with candy and cookies about a week ago. The Star-Telegram has
confirmed that at least eight area departments received the baskets,
which included a logo indicating that they were from Mothers Against
Drunk Driving, or MADD.

MADD officials alerted the Lake Worth department Tuesday morning after
learning that someone was delivering the baskets to area police
departments and claiming to be from that agency.

MADD released this statement Wednesday: "MADD is still investigating this
incident, and we remain profoundly disturbed that this happened. MADD can
confirm the individual in question was fulfilling court-ordered community
service hours with one of our Metroplex offices."

Lake Worth police also confiscated six bags of cookies from Phillips'
car, parked at the police station at the time of his arrest. Tests on
those cookies have not been completed.

In the car, police also found scales and loose green leaves that tests
showed to be marijuana, Lake Worth police said.

After Phillips' arrest Tuesday, Lake Worth police alerted area police
departments to the baskets.

Departments that received baskets

At least eight area police departments received baskets.

Lake Worth: Christian Phillips, 18, was arrested by Lake Worth police after
the department was alerted by MADD. Police said cookies he delivered to
there tested positive for LSD. Initial tests at the medical examiner's
office have not confirmed the presence of drugs in the cookies.

Fort Worth: Seven police officers and department employees have been tested
for drugs after eating some of the cookies, Fort Worth police Lt. Paul
Henderson said Wednesday. The results are expected in four or five days.

Watauga: Three or four officers and employees ate the cookies. "The city has
made arrangements to take them [employees] to a medical clinic," Watauga
officer Sean Romber said Wednesday.

Blue Mound: Police received a basket filled with candy and cookies just
before 8 p.m. Monday. When a Blue Mound officer picked up one of the
cookies, it smelled like marijuana, and a field test confirmed the presence
of the drug, police said. Initial tests at the medical examiner's office
have not confirmed that result.

Hurst: The basket delivered last week contained only Dum Dum Pops, but no
officers or employees have reported being ill, Hurst police Sgt. Craig
Teague said Wednesday.

Richland Hills: Police said Wednesday that they received a basket with
wrapped candy and cookies last week and that no one reported being sick.

Euless: Lt. John Williams said a boy came to the department last week and
dropped off some cookies. "An officer picked up a cookie, and it smelled,"
Williams said. "We tested it, but it didn't test positive for anything. We
still threw the cookies away."

Flower Mound: Lt. Wess Griffin said the department received some cookies
labeled from MADD last week and that a few were eaten, but most turned stale
and were thrown out. No employees reported any symptoms, and there is no
evidence left to test.

Previous arrest

Christian Phillips, 18, has a previous arrest in Watauga:

A loud party was reported to Watauga police July 21, 2007, and
Phillips opened the door when police arrived, police said.

Phillips tried to shut the door on officers, and when an officer
propped the door open with his arm, Phillips swatted it away,
according to police reports. About 20 or 30 people were at the party.

When Watauga officers made their way through the blocked door,
Phillips tried to punch an officer, missed and was immediately taken
down with force.

A Tarrant County court reduced the charge of assault on a public
servant to assault with bodily injury.

Phillips is still doing community service for the assault
charge.

Source: Watauga police