A Carter County man faces multiple charges after police say he found in possession of drugs and a firearm in the parking lot of city restaurant early Sunday morning.
Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested James Shannon Carpenter, 42, 1137 Blue Springs Road, Elizabethton, and charged him with possession of Schedule II drugs for resale, possession of Schedule IV drugs, simple possession of Schedule VI drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and child neglect. Officers also served Carpenter with a warrant charging him with driving on a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a traffic stop on Dec. 29, 2015.
Shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, officers of the Elizabethton Police Department responded to a report of possible drug use in the parking lot of McDonald’s, located at 215 Broad Street. EPD Sgt. Curtis Bullock and Cpl. Kirk Carrier responded to the scene along with an undercover officer from the department’s VICE unit. When officers arrived on the scene, they located the suspect vehicle and identified the driver as Carpenter. The undercover officer said Carpenter had his juvenile son, who is disabled, in the vehicle with him.
“We had prior knowledge that Carpenter is involved in illegal drug use/sales,” the undercover officer said in the warrant for Carpenter’s arrest. “Carpenter became nervous while Cpl. Carrier was attempting to speak with him. Cpl. carrier opened the door and we observed a firearm on Carpenter’s side. The firearm was removed by Sgt. Bullock, and I removed Carpenter from the vehicle.”
When officers checked the gun, they found the magazine was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Officers also found Carpenter was in possession of “a large knife.”
According to police, Carpenter admitted he had drugs in his pocket and allowed officers to search him and the vehicle. During a search of Carpenter’s person and the vehicle, officers said they found three different kinds of prescription pills, marijuana, and several types of drug paraphernalia including a digital scale, pipes commonly used to smoke drugs, spoons, straws and rolling papers. Officers also located a container with 48 rounds of .25 caliber ammunition in the vehicle.
Carpenter appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Monday morning and was arraigned on the charges against him. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. scheduled Carpenter to return to court on March 8. Carpenter remains held at the Carter County Detention Center under at $15,500 bond.