July 2019 Find

DEPUTY DEREK MILLER

K-9 FADO

WARRICK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (INDIANA)

On 7/4/2019, Deputy Rohl requested I respond to his traffic stop at Nancy on State Street in Chandler. I arrived on scene and approached the vehicle. I introduced myself and informed the driver and passenger that I am with the Sheriff`s Office K9 Unit and that I was going to walk my police K9 around their vehicle. I advised them that my K9 would alert to marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy. I asked if there was any reason my K9 would alert on the vehicle. They stated that there shouldn`t be.

I removed my USPCA certified K9 Partner Fado from my car. I walked him up to the vehicle from the passenger side. As we were walking up to the car on the passenger side I observed Fado began to become very excited. He began to pull to the car and began to sniff the car on his own. He worked the C-post on the passenger side of the car, then sniffed the B-post slowly and intently with his mouth closed before going into a sit. This is his way of alerting to locating the odor of narcotics. He did this without me giving him any commands. I encouraged him on and put him into a sit at the passenger side front head lamp. I then gave Fado a dope seek command. He worked around the front of the car and then down the driver`s side. I observed that he was becoming excited with his tail wagging, and then his head whipped back toward the B-post seem of the car. I observed that he sniffed the seam with a closed mouth and went into a hard sit.

We informed the occupants that the K9 had alerted on the vehicle. We asked them to step out. The female driver, stated that she thought this was over kill for a turn signal stop. I informed her that the K9 had alerted on the vehicle for the presence of narcotics and told her she needed to step out of the vehicle. When she stepped out I observed a pink/tan colored purse next to her feet by the driver`s door. Inside the purse I observed a small double barreled pistol in her purse. At that time I informed Deputy Rohl to detain the driver. I then observed a blue zipper pouch in her purse. Inside the pouch I located two small clear plastic baggies tied at the top. The baggies contained a clear/white crystal substance that through my training and experience I recognized the substance as being consistent with crystal methamphetamine. I notified Deputy Rohl of this find as well. I heard the female say that was not her purse. In an exterior pocket of the purse I located a photo envelope with her name on it.

As we continued to search the car I located a clear plastic baggy stuffed in between the driver seat and the console. I removed the bag and found that it contained a lot more of the clear/white crystal like substance that also appeared to be crystal methamphetamine through my training and experience. I guessed the weight of the bag to be around one ounce. Deputy Rohl collected all the evidence. The male passenger was also arrested. During a search of his person 2 bullets for the pistol were located in his pocket. An assisting officer stated he observed the male pass the female an object before they knew he was there. That item was determined to be the handgun. I found no other items of evidence in the vehicle. I performed an inventory of the vehicle and waited for the tow truck load the vehicle. The vehicle was towed by Brad`s Towing. Field weight of the methamphetamine collected was 1 ounce. The passenger had just completed a period of incarceration at the Warrick Jail and was released at 12:01AM the same day. He was booked into the jail just over 18hours after being released. He is also a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm. The U.S. Attorney’s office is looking to file the case for Federal charges.