Opinion ID: 2173964
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Surveillance.

Text: The narcotics unit of the Omaha Police Division received information that an illegal narcotics operation was being conducted in Omaha at a vacant house described as 2509 Grant Street. Sometime on June 13, 1990, near the vacant house, a police informant had purchased some Ritalin and Talwin from Baltimore and supplied the narcotics unit with a detailed description of Baltimore, including his physical characteristics and the clothing worn by him. Arthur Cowans resided in a house at 2218 North 25th Avenue, catercorner and southeast of the vacant house. Consequently, Baltimore and Cowans were prime suspects in the narcotics traffic area. East of and adjacent to Cowans' residence was a dwelling at 2220 North 25th Avenue, where James Holly lived. Baltimore lived several blocks from the Holly house and Cowans' residence. Between Cowans' residence and the Holly house was a small vegetable garden where Baltimore and his cogardner-friend, Holly, raised corn, sweet potatoes, and cabbage. Since there was no water supply for the garden, Baltimore prevailed on Cowans for use of a garden hose kept inside Cowans' house and water from the Cowans residence. Cowans sometimes gave Baltimore a key to Cowans' house so that Baltimore borrowed the hose from Cowans and hooked it up and watered the Baltimore-Holly garden. About 10:30 p.m. on June 13, 1990, officers of the narcotics unit took up surveillance of the vacant house. Officers involved in the surveillance were, among others, Bruce M. Ferrell, Mark T. Langan, and Mark Sundermeier. When the officers commenced their surveillance, an individual, later identified as Cowans, was seated in a lawn chair beneath the carport attached to the vacant house. Police observed that another man, fitting the previous description of Baltimore according to the informant, walked toward the rear of the vacant house, bent down, and picked up something from the ground. That man then proceeded to enter the Cowans residence through a rear door on the west side of the house. At that time, the officers decided to approach Cowans and Baltimore, who was still in Cowans' house.