On August 18, 2024, at approximately 11:36 PM, a Hopkins County deputy observed a vehicle traveling southbound on State Highway 19 South. The vehicle, which was towing a trailer, lacked both lights and a license plate. A traffic stop was initiated due to the absence of a tail lamp and license plate.
The driver, identified as 52-year-old Angela Moore Stanton, was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Stanton exhibited immediate aggression during the interaction and mentioned that she was close to her home. The deputy noticed a vape pen in the center console and inquired about its contents. Stanton became defensive and denied having anything illegal in the vehicle. She also refused consent for a search.
The deputy instructed Stanton to exit the vehicle, requiring multiple prompts. Shortly thereafter, Sergeant Justin Wilkerson and K-9 Corporal Drew Fisher arrived on the scene to assist. Cpl. Fisher deployed his K-9 partner, Axe, who indicated the presence of narcotics within the vehicle. A probable cause search was conducted, leading to the discovery of a small bag beneath the driver's seat. The bag contained a glass pipe typically used for smoking methamphetamine and a clear container holding a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine.
Stanton was placed in double-locking handcuffs, and additional drug paraphernalia was found during a thorough search of the vehicle. The evidence, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed approximately 0.752 grams including packaging, was secured and placed into a temporary evidence locker. Stanton was transported to the Hopkins County Jail, where she was booked on charges related to the possession of methamphetamine.
Sergeant Wilkerson and Corporal Fisher remained on the scene to complete an inventory of the vehicle.
