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Last updated on Tuesday, October 21, 2014
(EPSOM) - On Monday afternoon Indiana State Troopers from the Jasper Post conducted a K-9 search in the area of County Road 750 North and County Road 550 East, near Epsom.
Troopers Mitch Wier and Robert Lambert, along with K-9 "Diesel", were searching the area for additional evidence related to the Saturday morning pursuit in the area, in which three were arrested on multiple drug charges.
During the search, Diesel located a .44 caliber revolver lying in the weeds.
At this time, Troopers are unclear if this weapon was tossed by the two suspects that were fleeing from Trooper Wier on foot Saturday morning.
Further fingerprint testing at the State Police Forensic Laboratory will be conducted to determine who the gun belongs to.
What Troopers can confirm is that a handgun that could have possibly been found by a child has been safely secured.
Troopers are continuing their investigation; further information will be released as it becomes available.
The incident began Saturday after police were called to investigate a driver leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
Just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Indiana State Police received a report of a gray Ford F-150 pick-up truck that had driven through a fence and left the scene at 8363 North County Road 550 East in Epsom.
Trooper Mitch Wier and Daviess County Deputies arrived on scene and spoke with the property owner. The owner informed officers of who he believed had been driving the truck.
Officers patrolled the area looking for the pickup.
At 3:14 a.m., officers located the Ford in a church parking lot in Epsom; however, the driver was gone.
While waiting for a tow-truck to impound the vehicle, a SUV slowed down on County Road 550 East to turn into the church parking lot.
After seeing officers standing near the Ford truck, the SUV sped away down CR 550 E.
Trooper Wier, believing the SUV was stopping to retrieve the Ford truck, attempted to stop the SUV by activating his emergency lights. The SUV accelerated, attempting to evade officers.
Three minutes later, the driver of the SUV turned off the vehicle's lights, pulled into a driveway just off of County Road 800 North and stopped. After stopping, the driver and one passenger fled on foot.
Trooper Wier attempted to pursue the two on foot, but returned to secure the remaining three passengers in the vehicle.
Washington PD Officer Derrick Devine and his K-9 partner "Diesel" arrived on scene to attempt to track the two suspects.
While conducting an inventory of the SUV before impounding the vehicle, Trooper Wier located meth, hypodermic needles and other drug paraphernalia.
The K-9 track did not locate either of the two subjects, but did recover of a purse with a large quantity of marijuana.
Officers found that the purse belonged to one of the three passengers, 20-year-old Shawna D. Campbell, of Washington. Campbell, along with the other two passengers, 18-year-old Joshua D. Stoll, of Montgomery and 31-year-old Natasha L. Graber, of Elnora, were charged and arrested for the drug materials in the vehicle.
Officers believe they have determined the identity of the subjects who fled the scene, and will file warrants for their arrest through the Daviess County Court.
Arrested and Charges:
Shawna D. Campbell, 20, Washington
Joshua D. Stoll, 18, Montgomery
Natasha L. Graber, 31, Elnora
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