Traffic stop leads to drug arrests
On Saturday, March 25 at 3:59 pm Deputy Gary Eddings with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department initiated a traffic stop on a black four door Nissan in the Little General parking lot in Sharon due to the front windshield of the car being completely caved in, obstructing the driver’s view.
Eddings came into contact with the driver and explained the reason for the traffic stop and noticed the backseat passenger acting extremely nervous, moving around and shuffling items and clothes in the backseat area where he was sitting.
Eddings asked for his identification as well as the front seat passengers’ identification. The male subject in the backseat stated he had no identification on him, so he asked for his name and the subject paused for a few seconds and looked away while stating that his name was “Jacob”.
Eddings then asked “Jacob” for his last name and social security number, and he stated that he didn’t have that information. Eddings informed him that if he was lying, he would be charged with criminal impersonation. “Jacob” then stated that he had his identification and gave Eddings his license stating that his real identity was John Kerr, 24-years-old from Dresden.
After running his information Eddings confirmed two outstanding warrants in Weakley County for failure to appear and violation of probation. While running the information Eddings noticed the passenger back door open up like Kerr was getting out of the car. Eddings immediately went to the car and attempted to place Kerr under arrest for the warrants he had.
Eddings was able to get one handcuff on Kerr, but he kept pulling away with his other arm and Eddings relayed to him that if he continued to resist that he would be tazed. Kerr was handcuffed and placed in the back of Eddings patrol vehicle.
After speaking with the driver, Eddings asked if all the items in the backseat belonged to Kerr and the driver stated that they were and that he was just giving Kerr a ride to another location and that Eddings could search the vehicle.
Eddings located a black backpack with multiple meth related items used to smoke meth including a glass pipe, two spoons with burn marks on them and other items. Eddings then located a brown zipper bag with .4 grams of crystal meth rocks in a piece of tin foil. The bag was located by the front seat passenger Miranda Luster of Sharon. Eddings arrest Luster for the meth, who stated that the drugs belonged to Kerr. The driver said that it was one of theirs because he had just picked them both up to give them a ride.
Eddings filled out a subpoena form for the driver to testify in court and arrested Luster for the meth in order to allow the Judge to decide who the drug belonged to.
Luster was charged with simple possession of Schedule II drugs and Kerr was charged with simple possession of Schedule II drugs, drug paraphernalia meth related, resisting arrest and criminal impersonation.
DISCLOSER: Information obtained came from the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department affidavit provided by Deputy Gary Eddings.
