Ada —  

For the second time in as many weeks, law enforcement officers in Pontotoc County and Ada have charged someone with sneaking contraband into the county jail.

Thursday evening, 25-year-old Carl Watham and 20-year-old Chelsi Smith were accused by police and arrested on charges of  speeding and swerving, for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license, resisting arrest, hiding contraband inside the Pontotoc County Jail, carrying offensive weapons, running from peace officers, carrying marijuana with intent to sell it inside 2,000 feet of a school and a lot of other stuff to be added later, officials said.

This time, it was Deputy John Murphy with the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Department who began making the discoveries. It all started when he noticed a Chevrolet pickup traveling north at the intersection of 10th and Mississippi in Ada.

According to his report, he noticed, among other things, the vehicle weaving from side to side.  It would swerve left, crossing the center line, then cross the center line to the right side.

Murphy followed the pickup into Taco Bell when he noticed other items of suspicion, which soon led to the arrival of other police officers from Ada and Chickasaw Lighthouse Police Department.

After a bit of persuasion, everyone migrated to the Pontotoc County Jail.

First though, the persuasion part.

Murphy asked Deputy Shandy Bynum to check Smith for offensive weapons with the intention of administering the sobriety tests afterward.

Bynum then asked Smith to face the vehicle. Smith, the report said, looked at the officers, slipped out of her shoes and took off barefoot, fleeing southeast toward Seventh St.

Bynum and Murphy ran after her, yelling several times for her to stop.  She continued to run just the same, the report said. She ran south, then north and east. Finally, the report said, she began running toward Murphy since she was now in a carport with nowhere else to run. 

“Please don’t tase me,” she said to the officers.

He reportedly didn’t do that, but when Murphy attempted to cuff her, she didn’t comply, the report says. So, Murphy forcibly placed her hands behind her back, Bynum stepped in to help. At that point the officers noticed a watch and other pieces of jewelry in the carport. All of this was collected.

Deputy Brent Rhoads then transported her to the jail. 

Here’s a list of what Murphy and the other cops discovered after taking a more careful inventory of the pickup, according to police records.

• Ninety dollars in U.S. currency, a metallic cigarette case with white residue, a set of digital scales, a spring assisted “Tac-Force” knife, a Frost skinning knife, an “Original Bowie” knife with sheath, two homemade batons, three packages of rolling papers, one medieval style battle ax, one clear baggy containing green residue, 26 small blue baggies, one silver spoon with white residue, one used needle without a tip, an open package of “Devil Eye” synthetic marijuana containing green and brown leafy substances, two rounds of tan pills “L852,” and one round white pill.

Since pickup swerving aroused curiosity for this bust in the first place, Murphy asked Watham if he would be interested in taking the state’s implied consent test.

Watham, according to the report, was interested.

Once everyone arrived at the police station, Watham was taken to Valley View Regional Hospital for the state’s sample.

He was then taken back to the county jail and asked if he had anymore contraband on him, and that if he did it would be considered a criminal act to conceal it.

Watham assured the officers he didn’t have any more contraband, according to the report.

Jail staff searched him, anyway.

Detention Officer Allen Youngblood noticed a blue baggy that had been overlooked earlier. It contained a white crystallized substance in Watham’s right front jeans watch pocket.

She handed her findings over to Murphy, which the deputy added to his swelling evidence bag.

He then transferred everything to the Sheriff’s office, packaged it and placed it into evidence with Deputy Rhoads.

Cheisi Smith was arrested and accused of escaping from lawful detention, possession of controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, possession of an offensive weapon, public intoxication, fleeing a peace officer and resisting arrest.

She didn’t have any contraband discovered at the station so her bail was set at $2,500. Watham, on the other hand, was being held on a $50,000 bond.