A 40-year-old Maryville woman is facing eight charges including one for felony reckless endangerment after a welfare check ended with her allegedly “swallowing a bag of marijuana.”
According to arrest reports, Alcoa Police officers responded to requests for a welfare check on a woman “slumped over in the driver’s seat and a passenger in the front seat of a running vehicle” at Walmart, 1030 Hunters Crossing Drive, around noon on Thursday.
On scene, officers spoke with a woman who they described as having “pinpoint pupils” and acting “nervous and defensive.” When asked, the woman claimed to be “doing her makeup” as she had been for the last 15 minutes.
Officers reportedly smelled marijuana emanating from the vehicle and requested the driver exit, but the 40-year-old refused and “began to stuff unknown objects around the driver’s seat and handing things” to the passenger.
At this point, one officer reached into the open window of the vehicle while another reached to open the door but reportedly “she locked the doors and placed the vehicle in reverse.” The one officer who was still reaching inside the vehicle was able to back away safely due to their cruiser blocking her in, but that apparently only prompted the woman to try to put the vehicle in drive.
While attempting to escape, officers reported that the woman continued rummaging throughout her car, leading them to draw their weapons and order her to park and exit. She reportedly swallowed “an unknown substance followed by washing it down with a Mountain Dew” and threw “an object out of the passenger window” before opening the driver’s side door.
Police said she told them it was a “bag of marijuana” which she swallowed before opening the door.
During her arrest, the 40-year-old reportedly sustained a minor injury to the face.
In searching the vehicle and surrounding area, officers reported finding a small glass vial “with a white rock-like substance consistent with crack cocaine,” three glass pipes, a blue pill container holding one Gabapentin pill, two black boxes and two zip-up bags containing copper mesh, screen filters, syringes and “other miscellaneous paraphernalia items.”
