Officers with the Crothersville Police Department made four arrests on a variety on drug charges within about a 12-hour period on Friday, Aug. 2.
Officers were called to the Dollar General Store parking lot around 11 a.m. on Friday with a report of suspicious activity. When CPD Officer Chris Cooper arrived he reported he saw a man on a bicycle talking with the occupants of a black sedan. The bicyclist Cooper said he recognized as Eric Mitchell, 38, of Crothersville. When Mitchell saw Cooper he began riding away from the sedan. As the officer stopped Mitchell and began questioning him, an occupant of the sedan, identified as Justin Barger, 36, of Crothersville, got out of the vehicle and began walking to the Dollar Store. Cooper ordered Barger to come to his vehicle to talk.
As Mitchell was handing the officer his driver’s license, Cooper said he saw Barger toss a cut straw used for ingesting illegal substances under his police vehicle. As Mitchell was being placed in handcuffs, Cooper reported hearing “something else hit the ground.” After both men were placed in handcuffs, the driver of the black sedan, identified as Cooper Hensley, 22, of Paris Crossing, was ordered out of his vehicle.
Crothersville Chief of Police Matt Browning arrived to assist, as did Jackson County Sheriff’s Detective Ben Rudolph.
Cooper said he located a plastic bag with a gray rock-like substance and a plastic straw on the brush guard of his patrol vehicle. Barger admitted he tossed the plastic bag and that it contained heroin.
Officers searched the three and discovered a container of Suboxone and Tylenol in Mitchell’s pocket. In searching Hensley’s vehicle, officers found a syringe, a pill later identified as Clorazapam, and a partially smoked marijuana joint hidden in a cigarette package.
All three were incarcerated in Jackson County Jail just after noon.
Justin Barger was charged with possession of a narcotic drug and possession of paraphernalia.
Eric Mitchell was charged with violation of the legend drug act and possession of a controlled substance.
Cooper Hensley was charged with possession of a syringe, violation of the legend drug act and possession of a controlled substance.
Around 11 p.m. that night, Crothersville Police officer John Amis was dispatched to East Bard Street on the report of a man acting erratically.
When he arrived he reported seeing a shirtless man, walking in the street, hitting his face and throwing punches in the air.
The officer stopped to talk to the man identified as Rowdy Deaton, 30, of Crothersville. Amis reported that Deaton was sweating profusely and was unable to stand still. A search of Deaton, officers found a small pill container with a white powder substance in his pants pocket.
Amis reported Deaton told him it was either heroin or Fentanyl and that he had ingested some “about four hour ago”. Amis reported that a field test proved negative for heroin, methamphetamine and opium alkaloids. When told it wasn’t heroin, Deaton responded, “It must be Fentanyl then.”
Deaton was placed under arrest for possession of a narcotic drug. Police transported him to Schneck Medical Center for a medical evaluation. After being cleared by the hospital staff he was transported to Jackson County Jail where he was booked-in just before 1 a.m. Saturday.
