BEDFORD – Indiana State Trooper Ben Burris arrested a Bedford man on drug charges on Thursday, July 11, after stopping his vehicle for a nonworking headlight.
Trooper Burris was parked in the median of State Road 37 near 5th Street at 10:02 p.m. when a vehicle traveling south passed him with only one working headlight.
Trooper Burris stopped the vehicle. The driver was 24-year-old Thomas Neal.
Lawrence County Deputy Josh Rhoades assisted with his canine partner Dusty, who alerted officers to possible drugs in the vehicle.
Neal was asked to give officers anything illegal he had. He handed Trooper Burris a glass smoking device in his pants pocket. The pipe contained burnt marijuana.
Under the driver’s seat, police found a green cloth tied in a knot. Inside was a broken glass smoking device with meth residue.
Neal admitted to smoking marijuana a few hours before being stopped. He also revealed the glass smoking pipe found in the vehicle belonged to him, and he had broken it a few days ago.
Neal completed several field sobriety tests. He was transported to IU Bedford Health Hospital for a blood draw.
Neal was detained and transported to jail on charges of possession of meth, operating a vehicle while intoxicated on a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
