On Jan 28. Communications received a call from an RHPD officer advising that while booking an inmate into the city jail, he discovered a small plastic bag that appeared to have heroin residue inside of it. The reporting officer requested to meet the RHPD officer at the city jail to recover the found evidence.
Once at the City Jail, the RHPD officer explained that he was in the process of booking an inmate when he discovered the small plastic bag on the floor of the booking room. While investigating where the bag came from, the officer checked the camera footage for the booking room. In doing so, it was discovered that the bag was seen falling out of a subject’s pants leg during intake. The RHPD officer advised that the subject in question was identified as having no Winthrop affiliation. The subject was booked on Jan. 27. At that time, the subject was arrested on a warrant and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and operating an uninsured vehicle.
After leaving the city jail, the R/O advised A/C Yearta of the recovered evidence. Atthat time, A/C Yearta contacted the law center and discovered that the subject had already bonded out on the charges listed above. Arrest warrants will be sought and the subject will be charged with possessing contraband in the city jail and also violation of drug laws (possession of heroin).
At 5:50 on Jan. 28 A/C Yearta received feedback from the Rock Hill City Jail on the video surveillance. The footage showed the subject dropping a small plastic bagcontaining heroin onto the floor of the booking room. While looking at the footage, it was determined that due to the lack of clarity on when the plastic bag was dropped, charges on the subject will no longer be prosecuted. Thefootage would showthe subject being booked into the jail on Jan. 27 at approximately 12:45 p.m., butthe plastic bag would not be discovered until Jan. 28 at approximately 1:00 p.m. The video would also show that other officers and inmates were also inside of the booking room in between those times. At this time, charges on the subject were dropped due to inconclusive evidence.
On Jan. 28, the Reporting Officer (R/O) was conducting normal patrol at the intersection of Eden Terrace and Evergreen Circle in the city limits of Rock Hill. The R/O observed a Nissan Altima with only one illuminated head- light. The R/O then initiated a traffic stop. The R/O made contact with the suspect who was a Winthrop student. As the officer was talking with the suspect, he detected the odor of marijuana.
The officer then asked the suspect if he had any marijuana in the vehicle. The suspect initially stated that he did not, but once the officer advised him that he was going to search his vehicle, the suspect stated that he had marijuana in his pocket as well as a handgun. The R/O then detained the suspect and recovered the firearm from the suspect’s front right jacket pocket.
The R/O recovered a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield. The R/O had dispatch run the firearm through NCIC and it came back clear. The R/O then recovered a baggie of marijuana from the suspect’s front left jacket pocket. Rock Hill Police Department arrived on the scene and searched the passenger. The R/O then searched the suspect’s vehicle and recovered a baggie of marijuana from the center console of the vehicle. The R/O then arrested the suspect for unlawful carry of a handgun and possession of marijuana first offense. The suspect’s vehicle was released to the passenger.
