PARKING DECK TOKER
The afternoon of Sept. 5 Officer Cortolano smelled the strong odor of burning marijuana in the North Parking Deck. The officer turned around to investigate the odor and observed someone sitting in a beige 4Runner. The officer made contact with the individual after he exited the vehicle and asked if the individual man had been smoking in the vehicle. The driver said he was not but admitted that he had earlier. The officer asked if there was marijuana in the vehicle and the individual reportedly stated, “Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. I don’t know.”The individual refused an initial search of the vehicle, but he consented when Officer Jackson arrived on scene with K-9 Jerry Lee. Jerry Lee alerted on the vehicle and the officers conducted a search, finding suspected fresh marijuana inside a grinder in the center console as well as a suspected burnt marijuana cigarette in the ashtray. The individual was taken into custody and transported to Cobb ADC.
OUTSTANDING WARRANT
Early Sept. 1, Officer Culberson spotted a Ford Escape with expired tags and conducted a traffic stop. The officer made contact with the driver, and neither the driver nor the vehicle turned up any warrants. Officer Jordan arrived as backup. One of the four passengers turned out to be wanted in Bartow County for violation of probation, obstruction, providing false information and assault. The wanted passenger was placed under arrest and searched for weapons and contraband. None were found. The driver was issued a citation and the wanted passenger was transported to the county line and turned over to a Bartow County Sherriff’s Deputy.
MEAN-MUGGING
Officer Fry observed a black Crown Victoria with mirrored window tint on the evening of Aug. 31 and maneuvered the patrol vehicle behind the vehicle at a traffic light. The driver was observed glaring at the officer through the driver’s side mirror.. Once the light turned green, the driver turned left into the left lane and abruptly changed lanes to the right, attempting to escape onto I-75. Officer Fry initiated the traffic stop. The driver pulled over and abruptly stopped and continued to give the officer aggressive looks. Due to the angry looks, Officer Fry requested backup. The officer requested the driver to lower all the windows on his vehicle, and the driver refused several times before lowering the right rear window. The officer made contact and the driver was very aggressive and screamed at the officer. Officers Putnam and Shepherd arrived. Officer Putnam instructed the driver to place his hands outside the driver door, and the driver complied until the officer approached. The driver quickly lunged for something under the seat, and the officers reacted quickly, subduing him. The driver was taken into custody and a search of the vehicle revealed $2,827 under the driver’s seat.
DRUNKEN DRIVER
About midnight on Aug. 29, Officer Mason observed a gray Kia Sportage traveling at a high rate of speed as it passed the stadium. When the driver spotted the patrol car, he stepped on the brake suddenly and quickly turned onto an access road. Mason reported that the driver attempted to elude him, and the vehicle was observed to fail to maintain lane. The driver was observed moving erratically within the vehicle, and after coming to a stop,knocked the vehicle out of gear. The driver attempted to accelerate without success before noticing the vehicle was no longer in gear. The driver corrected this and made his way into a parking area where the officer initiated a traffic stop. Officer Mason noticed the smell of alcoholcoming
from inside the vehicle and noticed the driver’s eyes were bloodshot and watery and his face was flush. The driver quickly lit a cigarette and began to smoke vigorously as the officer approached the vehicle a second time. The driver was asked to step out of the vehicle and to put out his cigarette, and the driver appeared to wobble as he walked toward the officer. The driver declined the Alco- sensor but submitted to a field sobriety test. The driver was arrested and transported to Cobb ADC.
