WESTOVER — Two additional traffic stops this week have led Westover Police officers Justice Carver and Isaiah Harmon to recover cash and illegal drugs.
The most recent is the arrest is of Tyrelle Morris, 23, who is charged with possession with intent to manufacture and/or deliver, the first for a schedule I narcotic and the second for a schedule II narcotic. He is also charged with use of a firearm in commission of a felony, according to the criminal complaint.
Carver and Harmon were conducting a traffic stop on Tuesday when Morris allegedly exited the vehicle and fled on foot, according to the criminal complaint. The officers then apprehended Morris and conducted a search, during which they allegedly found Oxycodone, a Glock .357 caliber handgun, and more than $1,700 in cash.
Officers found 140 grams of marijuana inside a backpack belonging to Morris in the vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. A check of Morris’ criminal history also revealed Morris was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to being convicted of domestic assault in 2019.
Morris is being held in the West Virginia North Central Regional Jail as of Wednesday, and bond is set at $35,000.
A separate traffic stop conducted on Monday by Carver and Harmon also led them to finding 130 grams of marijuana and more than $900.
Christopher Tucker, 28, is charged with possession with intent to manufacture or deliver. Along with marijuana, $945, a digital weighing scale and packaging material was recovered from Tucker’s vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.
Deputy Chief Scott Carl said this vehicle stop was conducted after Tucker pulled out of the BFS on Fairmont Road. Officers noticed Tucker was not wearing a seatbelt and part of the vehicle’s license plate was covered. Officers then performed the traffic stop during which they noticed a strong odor of marijuana emitting from Tucker’s vehicle.
Carl said after running the license plate, officers discovered Tucker had six warrants out for his arrest. Carl said these included domestic battery, unlawful taking of a vehicle, petty larceny, strangulation, robbery in the first degree, domestic battery second offense, and capias violation for failure to appear in court.
According to the complaint, during processing, Tucker stated he was “just out here to sell a little bit of weed and make a little bit of money.”
Tucker is being held at the West Virginia North Central Regional Jail as of Wednesday, and bond is set at $25,000.
Earlier this week, Carver and Harmon also conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the arrest of two New York men and the recovery of more than $52,000, along with illegal narcotics.
Carl said the number of drug trafficking arrests being conducted isn’t necessarily because of an increase in these crimes, but instead may be due to increased training. He said this year, additional officers have been able to attend drug interdiction school, which teaches them how to spot signs of illegal drug trafficking more efficiently.
“It’s not that there’s more drugs,” Carl said. “It’s just they’ve been taught better how to find them quicker, is what it’s come to.”
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