A 38-year-old Quitman man was jailed on a controlled substance charge after almost striking a sheriff’s office patrol vehicle Tuesday evening in Hopkins County according to arrest reports.
Aaron Chaney, a deputy with Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, reported he was on routine patrol in the area of State Highway 19, he turned west onto FM 1657 west around 6:45 p.m. Aug. 20. While continuing west on FM 1567, Chaney reported an eastbound Chevrolet Impala entered into the westbound lane, “almost striking my patrol unit.”
The deputy reported turning around and initiated a traffic stop on the silver sedan. The vehicle stopped on State Highway 19, just south of FM 1567 west, according to arrest reports.
Upon contact with the driver, Chaney alleged the 38-year-old Quitman resident appeared to be nervous to the point his hands were shaking and his voice quivered when he spoke. The driver, identified in arrest reports as Russell James Whited, was unable to produce proof of insurance on the car and was asked to step out and talk to the deputy, according to arrest reports. When asked, Whited reportedly admitted he’d been arrested previously for narcotics possession.
Chaney alleged that because of the man’s nervous behavior and past criminal history, he asked permission to search the car. When the Whited refused the search, Chaney had dispatchers run a complete records check on Whited and asked for on-call k-9 handler to response with a police dog. Deputy Thomas Patterson responded with his canine partner, Chiv.
HCSO K-9 Chiv alerted positively for the odor of illegal substances inside the car during an open air sniff search around the car, Chaney alleged in arrest reports. A probable cause search of the vehicle alleged revealed a small container with a crystal-like substance suspected by the deputy to be methamphetamine. He was placed into custody and read his rights, and did not further provide Chaney with information that would lead the deputy to believe he was not in possession of the contraband.
Thus, Chaney took Whited to jail for suspicion of controlled substance possession. At the jail, the substance had a positive result when tested using a NARC II methamphetamine field test kit, resulting in Whited being charged with possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, Chaney alleged in arrest reports.
Whited was released from Hopkins County jail Friday, Aug. 21, on a $5,000 bond on the felony charge, according to jail reports.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
