PAIR SUE OVER SEARCH BY DRUG TASK FORCE AGENTS

POLSON - Two former Plains residents have filed suit in District
Court in Missoula over alleged mistreatment by Northwest Drug Task
Force agents, who searched their home for marijuana two years ago.

No criminal charges resulted after agents searched the home of
Gabrielle Wescott and her daughter Annabelle Heasley on July 29, 2003.

According to the complaint, the women were mistreated, threatened,
cursed at and terrorized during the raid by "three men dressed
entirely in black with black hoods over their faces."

"At no point did any of these individuals identify themselves as law
enforcement officers or members of the Northwest Drug Task Force,"
the lawsuit alleges.

The suit names as defendants 21 law enforcement agencies in five
counties and "John Does 1-100." It says the women incurred medical
expenses and suffered panic attacks and emotional distress, and seeks
more than $1 million in damages.

The women's attorneys, Milton Datsopolous and Clinton Kammerer, did
not return calls for comment.

Sanders County Attorney Bob Zimmerman also had no comment Monday,
other than to confirm that he had referred the lawsuit to the
county's insurance attorneys.

The Northwest Drug Task Force consists of officers from the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Flathead, Lake,
Lincoln, Sanders and Mineral county sheriff's offices.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 5, but no trial date has
been set. The plaintiffs, who now live in LaCenter, Wash., have
requested a jury trial.