The open trunk of a moving vehicle led an Izard County Sheriff’s deputy to conduct a traffic stop and a situation where he was unable to keep the occupants of the car inside despite repeated attempts.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the stop was conducted on State Highway 9 in Oxford on the afternoon on July 28th, with the deputy concerned for the safety of the four occupants in the vehicle, as well as other traffic.
As the deputy explained to the driver, 51-year-old Thomas Wheeler of Mountain Home, the reason for the stop, the front seat passenger, Mark Wheeler, began to open the vehicle door to get out. The deputy immediately instructed Mark Wheeler to stay in the vehicle. As he did, the driver, Thomas Wheeler, exited the vehicle and approached the deputy.
The deputy then instructed both men to remain in the car and relax, noting both were making him nervous with their erratic and anxious behavior. Neither man complied with the deputy’s instructions, with the driver lifting the trunk door and slamming it shut.
The driver then returned to his seat, while his passenger had to be instructed twice more to return to the vehicle before he complied.
The deputy then asked for the four occupants to provide their identification. Only a female passenger seated behind the driver was able to produce any identification, with the others giving their names and dates of birth.
At this point, Mark Wheeler again attempted to exit the vehicle and was instructed to stay inside and relax.
Dispatch advised a female passenger, Jennifer Wheeler, was wanted in Izard County on an outstanding warrant and was placed into custody, with help from a backup officer. As Jennifer Wheeler was being placed into custody, a third officer arrived with his K9 partner, Hugo. As Hugo walked the parameter of the vehicle, he made two significant alerts.
With the four occupants now out of the vehicle, a search led to the discovery of several bottles of prescription medications, a hydrocodone pill under a rear floor mat, drug paraphernalia with white residue and several unidentified white pills on the driver’s side dash.
The four were taken into custody. However a press release from the Izard County Sheriff’s Office notes only a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, against Thomas Wheeler. His bond was set at $10,000, according to the warrant, and he is set to appear in circuit court for a pre-trial hearing in November. Online court records do not reflect cases for the other three vehicle occupants.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI