Drugs and Guns Seized in Bust

By Debbie Williams Reporter

Neighbors didn't have any idea what the people across the street were doing but the Escambia County Sheriff's Office did. Drugs and Guns Seized in Bust

Published: Thu, December 13, 2007 - 5:34 pm Last Updated: Thu, December 13, 2007 - 6:15 pm

Debbie Williams

Guns, cash and marijuana off the streets and landing three people in the Escambia County Jail.
It happened at homes on Vivian Drive and Caribbean Drive.
The arrest have neighbors wanting to know how they missed what was going on. "I'm shocked, truly shocked about the incident."
In neighborhoods not use to being the focus of police attention. "I hear a big loud bang and cops had broken down the door and say you know, get down," says Tracy Penney. "Apparently he had drugs and weapons in the house."
"He" is Garrett Harding along with Mica Johnson and Aneisha Allen face drug trafficking charges. Police say they had one hundred pounds of marijuana, 20 thousand dollars in cash, electronics and military style weapons.
Getting a hundred pounds of pot off the streets is called a significant arrest but what law enforcement is most concerned about is the amount of firepower inside the house according to Chief Deputy of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, Larry Smith. "With the firepower you see before us it's obvious our officers are out-manned with these kind of weapons."
For neighbors, it has been a day they'd like to forget. "Kind of crazy that it would happen right across the street from us," says Penney.
But in this case, thankful for the attention says neighbor Pat Brasch, "I'm glad they caught them. I'm glad it put an end to it hopefully and I hope they continue to do this."
Sheriff's investigators say when they broke down the door at the Harding residence, Garret Harding tried to fire on e of those guns at police but had forgotten to put the clip in.