Driver who hit police car charged with OWI
After hitting a police officer’s vehicle who was out directing traffic, a 42-year-old Brown County man was found to have four times the legal limit of alcohol in his system, according to court paperwork.
On Dec. 30, police and EMS responded to a two-vehicle crash with injury on State Road 46 East near State Road 135 South. While waiting on the vehicles to be towed from the scene, Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant’s police vehicle was hit by a vehicle driven by Todd Wall, according to a probable cause affidavit by Sgt. Colton Magner with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.
Bryant had been out directing traffic with his emergency lights activated. Wall, who lives on State Road 46 reportedly passed multiple stopped vehicles on the right shoulder, disregarding the traffic control. Wall then hit the left front fender of Bryant’s police car, leaving scuffs on both vehicles, according to an accident report by Magner.
Wall then reportedly refused to exit his vehicle. When Magner arrived at that scene, he reported seeing Bryant and Officer Cody Poynter having to pull Wall from his vehicle, the probable cause affidavit states.
Bryant later told Magner that Wall said “No” when told to exit. Wall reportedly was clenching the steering wheel and tensing his body.
When Magner approached Wall as he was being put in handcuffs, he reported smelling alcohol on him. When asked if he was drunk, Wall said he was, the affidavit states.
The affidavit also stated that Wall had slurred speech, his eyes were bloodshot and his balance was unsteady.
A preliminary breath test showed Wall’s blood-alcohol content to be 0.32, which is four times the legal limit of 0.08. Wall consented to a blood draw.
Due to the amount of alcohol in his system, he was medically cleared at the hospital before being taken to the Brown County jail, the affidavit states.
Wall was charged Jan. 4 with attempted resisting law enforcement, a Level 6 felony; operating a vehicle while intoxicated — endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor; and operating a vehicle with an ACE of 0.15 or more, a Class A misdemeanor.
One of the drivers involved in the initial crash, 39-year-old Courtnee Smith of Indianapolis, was taken to the hospital for treatment for a leg injury. Smith told police she was westbound on 46 East when her vehicle began to slide into the eastbound lane due to ice.
Smith’s vehicle collided head-on with a vehicle driven by 48-year-old Jason Gearheart of Columbus. Smith’s vehicle then went down an embankment before stopping.
Gearheart reported having some chest pain, but refused transport to the hospital, according to Magner’s accident report.
Shelburn man faces OWI felonies here
A 26-year-old Shelburn man faces three Level 6 felonies in Brown County after the police stopped a vehicle he was driving for not having a working license plate light.
Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant was operating a speed radar at the Brown County Law Enforcement Center on Dec. 17 when he reported seeing a truck driven by Jayben Bailey drive by that did not have a license plate light, a probable cause affidavit states.
Bryant followed the truck to Van Buren Street and eventually conducted a stop at the West Washington Street parking lot entrance.
Bryant reported smelling alcohol on Bailey, that his speech was slow, his eyes were glassy and his balance was unsteady. The officer also noted that Bailey had to pull himself from the vehicle, the probable cause affidavit states.
A portable breath test showed Bailey’s blood-alcohol content to be 0.13. He also was given a certified test at the Brown County jail, which showed his BAC to be 0.12, over the legal limit, the affidavit states.
He was charged in Brown Circuit Court on Dec. 21 with three alcohol-related felonies.
Two charged following traffic stop near town
A traffic stop for an expired license plate on Dec. 10 resulted in two people facing criminal charges.
Nashville Police Patrolman Cody Poynter stopped Justin Allen, 38, of Plainfield, on State Road 46 East near Eagle Park after seeing the plate, a probable cause affidavit states. Front seat passenger Alissa Hale, 24, Indianapolis, said she owned the car and had the plate at home, but forgot to put it on, the affidavit states.
Poynter discovered both had suspended driver’s licenses.
When asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, Allen said there was a marijuana pipe in the center console. Hale originally said there was nothing illegal in the car, but when asked about the pipe she told police it was in there, according to the affidavit.
During the vehicle search, Poynter and Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Minor reported finding a marijuana grinder in the glove box, and a burnt spoon with residue and two capped syringes in the center console.
Allen and Hale were arrested. Hale told police the items were all hers. When asked if she had anything illegal on her person, Hale said she had a “rig” in her pants and heroin in her bra. She handed both items to Poynter.
While further searching the vehicle, Minor reported finding two glass smoking pipes under a printer in the backseat.
Allen and Hale received summons to appear in court. Their vehicle was towed and they were given a lift to the Speedway gas station to wait on a ride, the affidavit states.
On Jan. 12, Hale was charged with possession of a narcotic drug and unlawful possession of a syringe, both Level 6 felonies. She was also charged with possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
Allen was charged with a Class A misdemeanor on Jan. 12 for driving while suspended.
Man stopped twice for driving without license
A 25-year-old Columbus man was stopped by police twice in one night for operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license and was cited during the second stop for possession of marijuana.
Nashville Police Patrolman Davis Huynh first stopped a vehicle driven by Jeron McDonald on Nov. 2 after he clocked him driving at 68 mph in the 50 mph zone westbound on State Road 46 East past Hawthorne Drive, a probable cause affidavit states.
McDonald told the officer he did not have the vehicle registration since the car belonged to his girlfriend, and didn’t have his driver’s license, which was at his home, the affidavit states.
Huynh checked McDonald’s license status with dispatch and discovered he did not have a valid driver’s license. McDonald told Huynh he had a driver’s license out of Illinois, but the officer told him he could not drive a vehicle without the proper identification of a driver’s license, according to the affidavit.
McDonald was told to park his vehicle in the Brown County IGA parking lot to wait for a valid driver to come and take him home.
Early in the morning on Nov. 3, Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholson Briles reported being behind a vehicle without a license plate. He knew that Huynh had stopped the same type of vehicle earlier that night that also did not have a license plate, the affidavit by Briles states.
After getting a description of the driver from Huynh, Briles stopped the vehicle at the intersection of State Road 46 East and Fair Oaks Trail, the affidavit states. The vehicle continued to travel east until pulling into the Circle K gas station after Briles initiated his siren and air horn, the report said.
McDonald told Briles he did not have a driver’s license and confirmed he was the driver from Huynh’s earlier stop. Huynh also arrived on scene and identified McDonald.
McDonald told police he knew he was not supposed to be driving, but that he was driving to the gas station so that he could put gas in the car to get back to Columbus and be in a better location for a pickup, the affidavit states.
While speaking with McDonald, Briles noticed a bottle of alcohol in the backseat. McDonald told Briles he had not been drinking and granted him permission to check the bottle to make sure none of it was missing. As Briles was leaning into the vehicle to check the bottle, he reported smelling marijuana.
McDonald told Briles there was more alcohol in a bag on the floorboard. When Briles went to check that alcohol, he reported smelling marijuana again.
McDonald denied there being any marijuana in the vehicle. Briles noted he appeared to be nervous and reported seeing a small plastic bag with marijuana inside McDonald’s front sweatshirt pocket, according to the affidavit.
Briles then had McDonald step out of the vehicle and found the marijuana in the sweatshirt pocket, the affidavit states.
McDonald was issued a summons and the marijuana was seized. McDonald was advised to not drive and to park his car at the Circle K to wait on a ride back home.
On Dec. 22, he was charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; and operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license, a Class C misdemeanor.
Traffic stop results in possession charge
A 23-year-old Brown County man faces a misdemeanor for possession of marijuana after police reported finding it in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant conducted the traffic stop Nov. 2 on a vehicle driven by Travis Kelp just after 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of Van Buren and West Mound streets, a probable cause affidavit states.
Bryant stopped the vehicle after seeing that the vehicle had one headlight out and no license plate light, the affidavit states.
Bryant reported smelling marijuana during the stop and Kelp told him he had a bag of marijuana in the center console of the vehicle.
Kelp was cited for possession and was released from the scene.
On Dec. 22, he was charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
Traffic stop results in paraphernalia charge
An 18-year-old Columbus woman faces a misdemeanor in Brown County for possession of paraphernalia after a traffic stop for driving left of center on Oct. 27.
On Dec. 22, Loran Guthrie was charged with possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
Guthrie’s vehicle was stopped at the Circle K gas station after Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant reported seeing her drive left of center. Guthrie gave Bryant her learner’s permit and told him she had just bought the Chevrolet Blazer she was driving, the probable cause affidavit states.
Guthrie said she and the three men in the car were on their way back to Columbus from Lake Monroe in Bloomington.
K9 Kronin conducted a free-air sniff and indicated there were drugs in the vehicle. The occupants were asked to exit and police conducted a search, according to an incident report by Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Schonfeld.
A silicone smoking device with burnt residue and a silicone container were found in Guthrie’s purse. In the container was marijuana wax, the report said.
Guthrie admitted to police that the purse was hers. She said she forgot the silicone smoking device and container were in there. She was issued a citation for possession of paraphernalia.
The Blazer was towed.
Driver had near three times limit of alcohol
A 67-year-old Indianapolis man faces three felonies in Brown County after he crashed his vehicle and police discovered he had nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
Ward D. Harrington was charged with three Level 6 felonies on Jan. 14 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The charges were elevated to felonies because he had previously been convicted of OWIs within the last seven years.
Indiana State Police Trooper Chris Griggs responded to the crash on Nov. 6 in the 6800 block of State Road 46 East just before 4:30 p.m. Griggs reported smelling alcohol on Harrington, seeing alcohol containers in the vehicle, that Harrington’s speech was slurred, his eyes were red and glassy, his manual dexterity was poor and that he had spilled alcohol on himself.
He also left the vehicle in gear when he exited, could not open his door, had to pull himself from the vehicle and staggered from it, the affidavit states.
A portable breath test showed Harrington’s blood-alcohol content to be 0.22, well over the legal limit of 0.08.
Stop for dark taillight results in drug charge
GNAW BONE — A 19-year-old Quincy man faces a misdemeanor in Brown County for possession of marijuana after he was stopped by police for having only one working taillight.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholson Briles stopped Keano Bellmore on Nov. 7 on State Road 46 East near Forest Hills Apartments. Bellmore was searching for his vehicle registration when Nashville Police Patrolman Davis Huynh reported seeing a bag of marijuana in the passenger seat, the report said. Huynh had arrived to assist Briles and was standing at the passenger side of the vehicle.
Bellmore told police the bag had marijuana in it and handed it over. Briles also confiscated an e-cigarette from Bellmore because of his age, the report said.
While writing a summons for Bellmore, Briles discovered he had a warrant out of Jackson County. Bellmore was arrested and taken to the Jackson County line where a Jackson County deputy would transfer him to jail.
On Jan. 11, Bellmore was charged with a Class B misdemeanor for possession of marijuana in Brown County.
