By Carrie Pond
Hopkinsville, KY – A Hopkinsville jury has acquitted a former police captain accused of stealing cocaine from his department's evidence room. Monte Strode was accused of stealing nearly 2 grams of cocaine from an evidence bag while processing evidence in August 2007. Strode reportedly took the bag of cocaine with him to the restroom and later returned. When the bags were later processed at a Kentucky State Police laboratory they weighed roughly two grams less. The Kentucky New Era reports Strode resigned after testing positive for cocaine, although he argues the test could have been a false positive. Strode's attorney alleged that the scales that were used to weigh the drugs were faulty and said Strode took cocaine to the bathroom because he didn't want to leave it unattended. A janitor also testified he mopped the bathroom floor between the time Strode was there and when officers found cocaine in a stall.