Press release
On Tuesday, February 10, at approximately 11:50 pm, Officer Zachary Kennedy of the Gun Barrel City Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 1700 block of West Main Street for a traffic violation. The vehicle was operated by Charles Mezzell, 51, of Gun Barrel City. The passengers were identified as Melony Mezzell, 45, of Halton City and Bob Stripling, 58, of Trinidad.
During the traffic stop Kennedy developed probable cause through numerous clues that led him to believe that there was contraband located in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a bag in the vehicle that contained a substance that later field tested positive for methamphetamine, along with scales, baggies and other items consistent with the distribution of methamphetamine. Stripling admitted ownership to the bag and its contents and was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled substance pg-1
Meth is bad. It’s bad for you. It’ll destroy your life. And sometimes the lives of those who love you. But, with that said, and note… I don’t do meth. Smoke pot. Or even drink that much. (A 6 pack will last me passed the expiration date.(beer has no expiration date)..
But with that said, should our government (Federal, State, County or City) have the authority to tell anyone what they can eat, drink, smoke or put into their bodies? Drugs seem to be more of a revenue generator than a “safety” problem. Not to mention the fact that drug usage is a medical problem. It shouldn’t be a legal problem unless it adversely affects others. When a family member get’s hooked on drugs or alcohol, we don’t call the cops on them. We try to help them.
We have thousands of people in our jail and prisons that are non-violent. They were jailed/imprisoned when there were no actual “victims” involved. Non-violent victimless “criminals” that costs the tax payer around $40,000 each. Not to mention, if the cops are focused on catching these non violent victimless criminals, then they can’t focus on the real threats in our society. People that do harm to others. Which makes me think that if the cops have that much extra time on their hands, maybe we don’t need as many cops on the payroll. Which would also free up revenue. If someone is breaking into my home, or doing something bad to me or my family, I would want plenty of cops to respond. And not be held up by some non-violent victimless drug/traffic stop.