Crothersville Police and Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated two separate incidents on Thursday, Aug. 15, which led to drug charges.
Late Thursday afternoon, Aug. 15, police received a call of a man with a syringe in his hand slumped partially out of a black Dodge Journey in the 8000 block of State Road 39 south of Tampico.
When he arrived Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Settle reported he removed the syringe from the man’s hand and noted the syringe was uncapped and the needle was bent.
“I grabbed the male to lift his head to administer Narcan,” Settle wrote in the probable cause affidavit. “As I grabbed (the man) he became alert and tried to stand up.”
The man was identified as Herman Curtis Eldridge Jr, 49, of the 300 block of S. York Road in Austin.
Crothersville Chief of Police Matt Browning, Assistant Chief Jonathan Tabor and Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Ferguson arrived to assist. Officer Tabor located a small tied corner baggie containing black tar like substance and two syringes inside the driver’s side door.
Eldridge told police that he had injected heroin earlier before they arrived.
Jackson County EMS transported Eldridge to Schneck Medical Center for evaluation. After he was cleared, Eldridge was booked into Jackson County Jail at 6:52 p.m. charged with two felonies: possession of a narcotic drug and possession of a syringe.
Jackson Circuit Court Judge Richard Poynter set his bond at $1,500 full cash.
Later that same evening, police were called to the 10200 block of 500 S north of Crothersville on a report of a man being disorderly. Deputy Ferguson and Asst. Chief Tabor responded.
Sandra Adkins, told police that she and her son, Michael, had gotten into an argument over popcorn that had been spilled in the recliner.
In the residence’s garage they were met by Michael Daniel Adkins, 32, of Crothersville. In the garage police observed an indoor marijuana growing operation as well as Lions Mane and Blue Oyster mushrooms growing in a small moisture controlled greenhouse. Adkins told police that the marijuana was for his personal use. He also confessed that he was growing Psilocin mushrooms in four totes in the garage.
Officers questioned Adkins’ mother about the marijuana growing in her garage and she stated that Michael “had told her it was invasive trees that he had been tying to sell online and stated that someone told him it was illegal to sell that type of tree,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
Questioning Adkins further, he told authorities that he was going to try to sell the mushrooms.
Police transported Adkins to Jackson County Jail where he was booked in at 11:01 p.m. charged with dealing marijuana, dealing in controlled substance, both felonies and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.
Judge Richard Poynter set Adkins bond at $2,000 cash only.