Ronald L. Morris, 38, of 868 E. Sandusky Ave., was charged Sunday with operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, possession drug paraphernalia and felony possession of drugs. He also was issued traffic citations a marked lanes driving violation, an improper turn at an intersection, failure to use a turn signal, a high beams violation and no operator’s license.
At 12:25 a.m., an officer patrolling southbound on Main Street near Patterson Avenue observed a northbound car with high beams activated. The officer flashed his cruiser’s beams several times but the motorist did not respond.
The officer turned and followed the car to observe the motorist fail to use a turn signal while turning eastbound on Auburn Avenue and turn too wide straddling two lanes of the street.
A traffic stop was initiated but Morris continued to drive northbound on Madriver Street with the right turn signal on. The officer noted Morris passed several area where he could have pulled off.
The officer made contact with Morris in the lot of Village Pantry, 200 E. Sandusky Ave., and attempted to speak with him. Morris, according to the officer, was extremely hard to understand as he mumble most of his replies to the officer’s questions.
After determining Morris’ identity, the officer noted he had participated in a stop a week prior in which Morris spoke more clearly. Field sobriety tests indicated he was impaired. A search of the car and the motorist’s possessions and clothing recovered marijuana, a straw with white powdery residue and small bag containing cocaine.
He was taken into custody and transported to jail. There, the officer conducted another sobriety test and observed pieces of a crushed prescription-only pill in the motorist’s nostrils.
Morris declined to participate in chemical analysis testing, the officer reported.
• Joseph H. Jackson, 46, of 547 E. Columbus Ave., Apt. 7, was charged Sunday with OVI and issued traffic citations for an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and stop sign violation.
An officer on patrol observed Jackson southbound on Allison Road near Omaha Road at 2 a.m. Jackson slowed but did not fully stop for the stop sign at the intersection with Dakota Road. A traffic stop was initiated and the officer made contact with Jackson.
He reported the motorist’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy and there was an odor of alcohol coming from the car.
Jackson was ordered out of the car and reportedly stumbled and staggered toward the officer’s cruiser.
Field sobriety tests indicated he was impaired by alcohol. His breathalyzer test recorded a 0.148 sample.
Two open containers of alcohol were found on the passenger sear of the car and a search several more in the vehicle.
Charge issued in domestic
Kole A. Rutledge, 21, of Springfield, Ill., was charged Tuesday with domestic violence.
Officers responded to Comfort Inn, 260 Northview Drive, on a reported assault. They arrived and observed Shontavia McDaniel in a hallway outside arguing with Rutledge who kicked her bag of clothing from the room.
McDaniel told officers she was visiting Rutledge, her boyfriend, who was in the area working. She said he punched her in the back of the head while forcing her from the room.
He denied punching her.
McDaniel was allowed to collect her belongings and instructed by motel staff to leave the property.
Rutledge was issued a summons.
Woman lodged on drug charges
Kilee N. Kendall, 33, of 308 Pickrelltown Road, West Liberty, was charged Friday with two counts of felony possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession drug paraphernalia.
Around 2:05 p.m., she was found slumped over the wheel of a pickup truck parked in the lot of Tractor Supply Co., 1651 S. Main St. Medics of the Bellefontaine Police and EMS Department had escorted her from the pickup to a squad as officers arrived on scene.
The officer looked into the pickup and observed a pipe commonly used to consume crack cocaine in a door handle pocket. The officer obtained Kilee’s consent to search the pickup and he found a cigarette pack with four prescription pills and rock of crack cocaine in the center console. Another rock of crack cocaine was found in a small plastic bagging inside an auxiliary power plug.
Kendall was transported to the Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment.
She was later lodged in jail.
• Virgil Hinkle, 58, of 128 E. Auburn Ave., was charged Sunday with public intoxication and possession of marijuana. He was charged after he tripped, fell and hit his head outside 1100 Heritage Court around 8:10 p.m.
He was found laying in a tree line near the building with a bleeding head wound. He was checked by medics of the Bellefontaine Police and EMS Department and offered a chance to contact a sober person to take responsibility for him.
He was unsuccessful and taken into custody for his safety.
Neighbor dispute leads to charges
Jesse D. Bickham, 29, of 928 Ohio St.; Andrew S.S. Cook Jr., 28, of 320 N. Troy Road; and Dion J. Kantner Jr., 421 West St., Apt. 2, each was charged Sunday with disorderly conduct. Cook also was charged with obstructing official business.
Officers arrived at Kantner’s residence around 11 a.m. regarding a dispute with neighbors over Bickhom and Cook revving the motor of a demolition derby car and disturbing Kantner’s girlfriend who works a third shift job.
Witnesses report the trio were yelling back and forth and threatening to fight each other. Kantner produced a sword from his residence after Bickham and Cook walked over to his residence.
As officers were investigating the dispute, Cook ran into his residence where he was taken into custody. He was lodged in jail while the others were given summons.