Columbus Police responded to Columbus East High School Thursday morning. Lt. Matt Harris explains that the call came after two students noticed a rifle sitting in a pickup truck. He says that the truck and the rifle belongs to a teacher at East.
Harris says that authorities believe that there was never any threat to students or staff and that the staff member simply forgot the weapon was in his vehicle. Since there was no arrest, Harris says they cannot release the teacher’s name.
Two Columbus residents were arrested Tuesday night on numerous charges following a traffic stop in rural Bartholomew County.
Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, spokesman for the Indiana State Police Post in Versailles, says that the investigation began at approximately 9 p.m. when members of the ISP All Crimes Policing Unit stopped a vehicle on Jonesville Road near Southern Crossing for a traffic violation. During the course of the traffic stop, troopers became suspicious of criminal activity taking place. Columbus Police Officer Jeremy Jones and his K-9 responded to the scene. Officer Jones’ K-9 was alerted to the odor of illegal drugs coming from the vehicle.
Wheeles says that a search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and a stolen handgun. The driver of the vehicle, 32-year-old Jermaine Ford, was arrested on charges of Possession of a Handgun by a Serious Violent Felon, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Theft.
His passenger, 26-year-old Tkieya Weaver, was arrested on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Wheeles says that Weaver was then charged with Resisting Law Enforcement after she allegedly resisted arrest.
Sheriff Matt Myers has scheduled a neighborhood meeting for Hawcreek Township. It will be Thursday, March 8th at 6 p.m. at the Hope Town Hall at 404 Jackson Street. Sheriff Myers has been holding regular meetings since he took office.
He says these meetings have allowed residents to discuss issues important to them and to see how the Sheriff’s Office can better serve people and businesses in all areas of Bartholomew County. “These meetings have created opportunities for residents to have informal conversations about issues important to their particular area of our county,” said Myers.
All Bartholomew County residents are invited to these meetings.
An officer with the Greenwood Police Department was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic Thursday morning. WRTV Channel 6 is reporting that the incident happened at around 8 a.m., near Center Grove High School. The officer was directing traffic on Stones Crossing Road when they were struck, according to the report.
The television station is reporting that the officer was taken to Methodist Hospital in an unknown condition. The driver of the vehicle is cooperating with authorities.
For more on this story, visit theindychannel.com.
A traffic stop on Wednesday evening led to the arrests of two Columbus residents on drug possession charges. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that at approximately 11:30 p.m., Officer Drake Maddix stopped a vehicle near 13th Street and Grand Avenue for a minor traffic violation. Maddix spoke with the vehicle’s two occupants, 35-year-old Goldie C. Reed and 33-year-old Dustin O. Perdue, and then requested a K-9 unit assist him. Officer Branch Schrader arrived and later advised that his partner, Argo, detected the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle. While searching the suspects’ vehicle, the officers allegedly found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Both Reed and Perdue were arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The Columbus Police Department is accepting applications for the position of police officer. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says that applicants must be at least 21-years-old and less than 36-years-old when hired. Prospective applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent and complete all aspects of the hiring process and training program. College graduates and military veterans are encouraged to apply.
Harris says the 2018 starting salary for a Patrol Officer is $49,428. Benefits include an assigned “take home” patrol car, 8.5 hour shift with two weekends off per month, vacation time and paid holidays, shift differential pay, college credit allowance, military incentive pay, longevity pay, clothing allowance and specialty unit pay.
Applications will be accepted until April 6th. The first step of the testing process, a written test, will be offered on Saturday, April 21st.
Applications can be downloaded online at www.columbus.in.gov/police/info-documents/sworn-officer-application-2/ or picked up in the Personnel Office inside Columbus City Hall. Applications will also be available in the Columbus Human Rights Office.
A Scott County man was arrested on charges related to child battery. Sgt. Jerry Goodin, spokesman for the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg, says that 45-year-old Frank Ashby, of Scottsburg, was arrested Tuesday night after the Department of Child Services reported a case of battery.
Goodin says that Ashby is facing a preliminary charge of Battery to a Child under the Age of 14, a Felony. He was booked in the Scott County Jail awaiting his first court appearance.
A Commiskey woman will be in prison a bit longer after a Jennings County judge determined that she showed little remorse for her crime. “The North Vernon Sun” is reporting that 60-year-old Doris Short pleaded guilty in 2012 to stealing nearly one-million dollars over four years from her employer, OnSpot Manufacturing.
The paper reports that Short was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with 20 years suspended and the possibility to apply for home detention after five years. She did just that, but Judge James Webster opted not to allow Short to leave prison after she claimed that she could not remember how she spent the stolen money. According to the report, Webster found Short’s claims to be “completely unbelievable,” indicating a lack of remorse and character.
The paper says that the earliest that Short can be released from prison is late June of 2019.
For more on this story, visit plaindealer-sun.com.
North Vernon Police K9 Heros worked his last patrol day on Tuesday and Sgt. Andrew Richmond, Heros’ handler, says his partner made the most of his final day.
Richmond says the first event occurred at 12:53 PM when Officer Shane Trepanier stopped a pickup truck for an obstructed view from the windshield and the passenger threw a cigarette butt from the vehicle on South State Street. During the stop Officer Trepanier began noticing suspicious behavior from both the driver and passenger. He called for assistance from K9 Heros. Richmond says that Heros was alerted to the odor of an illegal drug coming from within the vehicle. A search conducted revealed the passenger, 27-year-old Deanna Daniel, of North Vernon, had a methamphetamine smoking device, marijuana and methamphetamine hidden in her bra. In addition, authorities say that the driver, 34-year-old Ryan Beeman, of North Vernon, gave them a false name. He was wanted on a warrant for Risk of Fleeing for Non-Support of a Dependent
Daniel is facing preliminary charges of:
– Possession of a Controlled Substance Level 6 felony
– Possession of Methamphetamine Level 6 felony
– Possession of Paraphernalia Class A misdemeanor
– Possession of Marijuana Class B misdemeanor
In addition to the warrant, Beeman is facing preliminary charges of:
– Operating while Never Being Licensed Class B misdemeanor
– False Identity Statement Class A misdemeanor
Richmond says the second incident occurred at 3:08 p.m. when Officer Wes Thayer stopped a vehicle for a false or fictitious license plate on West O&M Avenue. Officer Thayer discovered the vehicle didn’t have current insurance and recognized some suspicious behavior. He called for assistance from K9 Heros, who alerted to the odor of an illegal drug coming from within the vehicle. A search allegedly resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine, marijuana, a methamphetamine smoking pipe, a marijuana smoking pipe, a set of digital scales, multiple small bags and a prescription only pill not in it’s container. The prescription pill was found in the pocket of the driver, 46-year-old Dustin Lozier, of North Vernon. Both the driver and passenger, 22-year-old Jeremy Lozier, also of North Vernon, were arrested.
Both are facing preliminary charges of:
– Possession of Methamphetamine Level 6 felony
– Possession of a Controlled Substance Level 6 felony
– Possession of a Legend Drug Level 6 felony
– Possession of Marijuana Class B misdemeanor
– Possession of Paraphernalia Class A misdemeanor
Heros was honored Monday night with a retirement ceremony at the North Vernon City Council meeting. The body also approved the transfer of ownership for the dog from the city’s police department to Sgt. Richmond and his family. Heros is eight-and-a-half years old and has served the city’s police department for approximately seven years.
The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office says that a 40-year-old Bartholomew County man who was found dead in his home January 21st died of an overdose of loperamide. Jay Frederick, deputy coroner, says the drug is the active ingredient in the over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication Imodium.
Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting says that toxicology tests showed that at the time of death the man had an extremely high amount of loperamide, a drug which can cause fatal cardiac dysrhythmia in large doses.
The man’s death has been ruled accidental.