Man found asleep with rifle in his lap at the intersection of Hwy 302
Dec 15, 2024
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A man was detained by Olive Branch Police after being found in his car asleep with a rifle, marijuana and alcohol on a Mississippi road.
Jermel James Moore, 20, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance enhanced by a firearm, possession of paraphernalia, obstructing traffic, and open container and window tint violations for the following incident:
Jermel Moore. (Olive Branch Police Department)
On Saturday, a call for a welfare concern came in at 8:06 p.m. regarding a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Highway 302 and Craft Road.
Officers from the Olive Branch Police Department arrived on the scene shortly after and attempted to make contact with the driver. According to police, due to the dark tint on the windows of the vehicle, they found it difficult to see inside the vehicle.
Using a flashlight, an Officer noticed slight movement from the driver, detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from within the vehicle, and saw a rifle on his lap.
Officers placed stop sticks beneath the vehicle and retreated to a safe position while awaiting backup. Multiple officers from the OBPD and DeSoto County Sheriff's Department arrived to assist.
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OBPD said there was no response from the driver to the repeated requests through the officers' PA system. The vehicle eventually moved forward across the intersection of Highway 302 and came to a stop on Craft Road, just North of the intersection.
Officers said they made additional attempts to communicate with the driver without success. A beanbag round was used to break the back glass of the vehicle to allow officers to obtain a better view inside.
They observed the driver sleeping and confirmed the presence of alcohol and a rifle in the vehicle. Officers deployed a drone into the vehicle through the broken window which startled the driver and he drove to the parking lot of Walgreens.
Moore was detained and taken into custody without further incident.