ROADSIDE NEAR-MISS

Officer Hutchinson was patrolling the Blackwater State Forest when he saw a vehicle driving carelessly, almost striking his patrol vehicle.

After stopping the vehicle, he discovered that the passenger had a warrant for his arrest from Santa Rosa County.

He was arrested and transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail. The driver of the vehicle received a written warning for careless operation.

SCENT OF CANNABIS

Officer Lewis was on patrol in Blackwater River State Forest when he detected the odor of cannabis emanating from a tent.

He heard people inside the tent and asked them to come outside and speak with him. One of the men admitted to smoking a cannabis cigarette and consented to a search of the tent.

Lewis located drug paraphernalia and a baggie that appeared to contain methamphetamine. A field test of the substance in the baggie was positive for methamphetamine.

The man was arrested for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of cannabis not more than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail and the drugs and paraphernalia were seized as evidence.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Officer Lewis saw a vehicle swerving all over the roadway and stopped the vehicle.

He detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle and on the driver’s breath. During field sobriety tasks, the driver showed signs of impairment.

The driver was arrested for driving under the influence and transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail, where he tested at .163, more than twice the legal limit.

He was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of 0.08 or above.

A BOX OF METH

Officer Lewis was on patrol at the Webb Landing campsite in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area when he saw a man and woman camping.

As the man was taking items out of his vehicle, a box commonly used to store drug paraphernalia was in plain sight. He asked the man about the box and the man admitted that there were pipes he used to smoke weed in the box.

The man consented to a search of the vehicle and three pipes with cannabis residue were found in the box. Lewis found another box that contained a glass pipe and a small baggie of methamphetamine.

Officer Jernigan arrived to assist. The officers located a large water bong used for smoking cannabis.

The man was arrested for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia and for an outstanding warrant out of Pinellas County.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: DUI, drug paraphernalia possession among FWC charges