Contraband found in courthouse toilet

A Pottawatomie County sheriff’s deputy who spotted a piece of fishing line attached to a toilet seat in the men’s restroom at the courthouse resulted in the discovery of something fishy — a bag of contraband. Undersheriff Dave Balleweg said the initial finding by Deputy Jimmy Brewer occurred Wednesday, which is typically a busy day in court. Deputies watched that restroom, but no one attempted to go in and retrieve whatever was attached to the line. Because the item was stuck and couldn’t be removed easily, an out-of-order sign was placed on the stall until Thursday, when maintenance crews and Balleweg could disconnect the toilet to see what was inside. Just as they suspected, they found a plastic bag containing two hunks of tobacco and a small amount of marijuana, along with rolling papers, he said. But Balleweg said there also was a note for the intended prisoner. “I love you. Keep your head held high,”  the note said, and was signed, “Your wife.” The source of the contraband was unknown, but deputies were glad it didn’t end up being “fished out” by the intended party.

2009 Shop with a Cop!

It doesn’t take 9-year-old Preston Gunter long to shop. Just a few minutes after he headed into the wilds of Wal-Mart during Sunday’s Shop with a Cop, he was standing in the checkout line with Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Troy Thompson, his shopping buddy. In his cart: an Indiana Jones video game, a Bakugan game and a large bag of Butterfingers. There was one problem. He hadn’t spent enough — there was money remaining on his gift card. So, off he went again with Trooper Thompson, quickly returning with a case for the Bakugan game. “He knew what he wanted and he knew right where to go,” Thompson said. “There were only three of the games, so he was glad he got to be one of the first to go.”
For his part, Preston didn’t say much, but his frequent smiles spoke volumes. He was one of 97 children taking part in Leadership Shawnee’s Shop with a Cop. The Shawnee Chamber of Commerce annually sponsors Leadership Shawnee and requires each class to have a project. This year’s class decided to organize Shop with a Cop and raised $7,500 to buy $75 gift cards for 92 children and presents for five of their siblings who were younger than 18 months. The 92 older children were paired up with a local enforcement officer as a shopping partner. For about two hours, the area just south of Wal-Mart’s book section was packed with children, their parents, cops and Leadership Shawnee class members. Everyone involved genuinely seemed to enjoy the experience. “All the policemen are smiling and all the kids are smiling,” said Felicia Freeman, one of the Leadership Shawnee class members. “It feels good just knowing that we helped make the kids have a good Christmas.” A total of 39 officers from the Shawnee, McLoud and Tecumseh police departments, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the Absentee Shawnee Nation volunteered to help the youngsters shop. Dan Shumaker of the Shawnee Police Department said he was glad he had the opportunity to participate. His first shopping partner was a girl who bought clothes. “Her father thanked me over and over and over,” Shumaker said. “With the economy being the way it is, this is perfect timing. You could see in her face that it made a difference.” Wal-Mart supplied cookies and Hawaiian Punch for the shoppers, their parents and the cops. Brenda Burkey, a department manager, came in on her day off to run a register at a line dedicated for Shop with a Cop sales only. “I’m a sucker for the kids,” she said. “You could see their eyes light up. It was just magic.”
For some shoppers, particularly the older ones, it went fast indeed. Some of the younger ones took a more leisurely pace, savoring the moment and the company of the cop. And the program had an unintended benefit for one person not involved in Shop with a Cop. A lady went to the check-in table to sternly ask how long the policemen would be tied up at the store. When told about another hour and a half, she brightened.
“That’s great — I’m going to speed on my way home.” Despite the potential for abetting in the violation of speed laws, members have discussed continuing Shop with a Cop next year and making it annual event.

Police officer awards

As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, several area police officers were honored for the excellence in report writing and investigation into domestic violence cases. Officers honored during the Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign hosted by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Violence Prevention Program and the Pottawatomie District Attorney’s Office were: Detective Lee Minick, Sgt. Jody Opela, Officer Daniel LeClaire and Investigator LaTrenda Sanders, all from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal police; Sgt. Tim Boyd from McLoud Police Department; Deputy Scott Hawkins and Deputy Amanda Myrko from the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office; Patrol Officer Kevin Hughey, Cpl. Kim Dibble and Cpl. Shawn Parsons from Shawnee Police Department; Officer Brandi Carnell from Tecumseh Police Department; as well as two officers from Lincoln County.

Charges filed in high-speed pursuit

A Shawnee man, who allegedly led authorities on a high-speed pursuit through Pottawatomie and Oklahoma counties Oct. 26, has been formally charged with two felonies and eight misdemeanor counts.  Christopher Jay Harrell, 22, is charged in Pottawatomie County District Court.
He is charged with the felony count of eluding a peace officer in a manner that endangers another. He is accused of driving a 2001 Honda motorcycle on Kickapoo Street between West 36th and West 45th Streets when he eluded Deputy Joe McGirt, who tried to conduct a traffic stop.
“The defendant endangered numerous other persons who were using the same roadway … by passing on the right side of the roadway at a high rate of speed, then moving into oncoming lanes of traffic after failing to stop at a red traffic light at the intersection of 45th and Kickapoo Street,” the charge alleges.

In a second felony count, Harrell is accused of running a roadblock at Pecan Grove Road and SH 102 as the pursuit continued.
He also is charged with one misdemeanor count of failure to stop at a stop light at Kickapoo and Kickapoo Spur, and then seven counts of failure to stop at stop signs, located at: Benedict and Leo, Kennedy and Kickapoo Spur, Broadway and Independence, Broadway and Federal, Broadway and MacArthur, Broadway and 36th Street and Kickapoo and West 36th Street, charges allege.
The pursuit continued for more than 30 minutes and ended in Oklahoma County where Harrell allegedly surrendered to state troopers without incident.

Harrell was jailed following the incident but has since posted bond. According to Pottawatomie County Court records, Harrell has been cited for numerous traffic violations in recent years, including reckless driving and speeding.  If convicted of the two felony counts in this case, he could face a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 in each count, and/or imprisonment for not less than one year or more than five years.  Each misdemeanor counts has varying punishments upon conviction, such as fines and imprisonment up to 10 days for each violation.