Crime
Although it’s not the 4th of July yet, Sulphur Springs and surrounding areas celebrated Independence Day early. Locals celebrated as well- perhaps a little too prodigiously. Over the weekend, Sulphur Springs Police, Hopkins County Sheriff and Department of Public Safety arrested six for charges ranging from public intoxication to DWI first and third to possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Friday, June 28 at 6:00 p.m., SSPD officers Moon and Findley pulled over the first arrest of the night at 1500 East Shannon Road. The 27-year-old Sulphur Springs man was charged with public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to reports.
Statements by police said that officers responded to a call of an intoxicated subject in a vehicle. Upon their arrival, the officers found the man at the location, in the ditch, the report said. The officers observed “a glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamine, with methamphetamine residue, in plain view between [the man’s] feet,” the report read.
According to the report, the man exhibited signs of alcohol intoxication, including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of alcohol on his breath. He was booked into HCSO custody without incident, and was later released.
At 11:51 p.m. that same evening, SSPD Officer Adrian Pruitt came into contact with a 25-year-old Sulphur Springs man at 297 Texas Street, St. James Catholic Church, reports said.
Called in as a suspicious person, the man was asleep outside the church, according to reports.
After performing field sobriety tests, Pruitt determined that the man allegedly was having trouble balancing, and had glassy, bloodshot eyes. Pruitt noted he was “very disorderly” and determined he was allegedly a danger to himself and others.
The man was booked into HCSO without incident, according to the report, and was later released.
Only two minutes later across town at 11:53 p.m. on Friday, HCSO deputy Shea Shaw was contacted by another officer advising that Joseph Andrew Newman, 31, of Sulphur Springs, was stopped for a traffic stop at Taco Bell on Broadway, reports read.
When Shaw arrived at the scene, he learned that Newman “nearly wrecked into the [other] officer’s patrol unit on College Street,” the report said.
According to Shaw’s report, there were three open bottles sitting on top of Newman’s vehicle.
Shaw determined that Newman allegedly “showed multiple clues of intoxication.” Newman was booked into HCSO without further incident, and was later released.
About a half an hour later, at 12:33 a.m., Deputy Shea Shaw received another call, and arrested a 29-year-old Sulphur Springs woman for DWI first offense, a class B misdemeanor.
According to reports, Shaw was alerted to a silver Dodge charger that was involved in a disturbance on Helm Lane. The report stated that Shaw arrived in the area and observed the vehicle driving on Helm Lane toward the EZ Mart, where Shaw conducted a traffic stop.
When Shaw noticed the woman allegedly emitting the smell of an alcoholic beverage from her person, she allegedly stated she had recently consumed four alcoholic beverages.
An initial breath test confirmed a blood alcohol content higher than .08, the report stated.
The woman was transported to HCSO without incident, the report said, and was later released.
At the very same time in the 800 block of Gilmer Street, SSPD officer Moon and DPS officer Williams were arresting a 25-year-old Cumby man for public intoxication.
Officer Moon said in a report that he “heard what appeared to be a disturbance,” which allegedly appeared to be the man exhibiting indicators of intoxication.
According to the report, the man was unsteady on his feet, had bloodshot eyes, and was allegedly emitting a “strong odor of alcohol from his breath.”
The report stated the man “was attempting to gain entry into his vehicle, and advised that he wanted to drive home.”
Moon and Williams stated they believed the man to be a danger to himself and others, and arrested him, reports said. He was transported to HCSO without incident, and later released.
The weekend’s final intoxication arrest came at 1:18 a.m. on Saturday, when Deputies Steward of HCSO and Sorley of DPS arrested a 33-year-old Mt. Vernon man for DWI first offense with an open container.
Deputies were located at approximately mile marker 128 of I-30, where they had been detaining a female subject in relation to another matter, according to a report.
The 33-year-old man, according to the report, drove on I-30 to come pick up the female. Upon his arrival, however, deputies allegedly identified the odor of alcohol.
The man allegedly stated he “drank three mugs of beer before driving,” the report read.
Field sobriety tests found the man to be intoxicated, according to the report, and the man allegedly had an open container in his vehicle.
The man gave a blood sample for testing at the hospital, the report said, and he was transported to HCSO without incident and later released.