Four Kingsport residents were arrested early Sunday morning after a traffic stop and scuffle with Carter County deputies and constables.
According to a police report on the incident written by Carter County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Keith Range, officers were told to be on the lookout for a green Chevrolet Cavalier after to a report that the driver was possibly intoxicated. Range said in his report that the caller reported that two males and two females had been at a convenience store in Hampton trying to buy alcohol, but that the clerk had refused to sell them alcohol because they appeared intoxicated.
The caller reported to the 911 Communications Center that the four had left the store in a green Cavalier and had traveled on U.S. Highway 19E toward Elizabethton.
Range said in his report that the Elizabethton Police Department also received a warning to be on the lookout for the vehicle after a caller to 911 reported it had almost struck another vehicle.
“A short time later Constable Mark Carrier and Constable Harvey Shaffer observed the vehicle traveling south on Highway 19E near the intersection of East Elk Avenue,” Range said in his report. “Constable Carrier stated that he observed that the back right tail light was busted.” Range continued that, “Before Constable Carrier could turn on his emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle pulled onto the property of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department. At this time Constable Carrier observed a male, which was in the drivers seat, and a female, which was sitting in the back behind the driver, switched places.”
Range said in his report that as Sheriff’s Department personnel began to approach the vehicle, the odor of an alcoholic beverage could be detected through a partially open window.
When officers asked the occupants of the vehicle for identification. they “became belligerent and uncooperative,” Range said in his report, adding that officers were able to obtain identification from all of the individuals except for the male passenger who had been seen exiting the driver’s seat. That male subject identified himself to officers as “Michael Stephen Lance,” but it was later determined that he had given police a false name and he was positively identified as Christopher R. Lance.
Range said in his report that when officers asked Christopher Lance to exit the vehicle, all four of the subjects began “cursing and threatening officers” and that they refused to exit the vehicle. He added that the subjects’ behavior began to escalate and the threats toward officers became more intense, and that Amber Lance, who was in the driver’s seat, then locked the doors of the vehicle in an attempt to stop officers from removing the subjects from the vehicle.
“I reached in to unlock the door and (Amber Lance) and (Christopher lance) began hitting my arm and grabbing it to prevent me from unlocking the door,” Range said in his report, adding that after several minutes, all of the occupants were removed from the vehicle.
Once outside the vehicle, officers began to place Amber Lance and Christopher Lance into custody, at which point they became combative, Range said. Officers were finally able to place Amber Lance and Christopher Lance into custody. Once those two were in custody, officers said the other two occupants of the vehicle – identified as Kaitlyn Lance and Patrick Lafferty – became compliant and were placed in custody without further incident, Range said in his report.
When a warrant check was conducted on the four, officers determined Christopher Lance was wanted out of Orange County, Fla., on an outstanding warrant charging him with violation of probation on a burglary conviction and also out of Sanford County, Fla., on an outstanding warrant charging him with violation of probation on a robbery conviction.
Christopher R. Lance, 26, 361 N. Holston River Drive, Kingsport, was charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, assault on an officer and being a fugitive from justice out of the state of Florida.
Amber M. Lance, 22, 361 N. Holston River Drive, Kingsport, was charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest and assault on an officer.
Kaitlyn M. Lance, 21, 361 N. Holston River Drive, Kingsport was charged with public intoxication.
Patrick J. Lafferty, 24, 361 N. Holston River Drive, Kingsport, was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct.