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Cop Passes Out After Snorting Xanax, Crashes Patrol Car Into Middle School

By Alicia Bayer
Published on: 06:44 PST, Sep 15, 2016

A West Virginia sheriff’s deputy has resigned after he passed out under the influence of Xanax and crashed his patrol car into an embankment at a local middle school.

Sergeant Roger Dale Richmond Jr., 41, was arrested on August 31 and charged with Driving Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance (DUI) and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, according to WVVA.

Deputies were initially called to a nearby area by Richmond, who had just ended his time on duty when he called to report that he had crashed his patrol car. They noted skid marks across from a nearby gas station and towing yard.

Officer T.L. Miles eventually discovered Sergeant Richmond in his marked patrol car about a mile and a half from the first scene, crashed into an embankment at the entrance of Shady Spring Middle School.

WVNS-TV reports that officers ascertained that Richmond first crashed his patrol car across from the gas station before driving into the middle school embankment since there were fresh rut marks in the ditch at the first scene and dirt on the road leading to the middle school.

The patrol car’s front bumper was heavily damaged, and the driver’s side tire was completely missing. Richmond was unresponsive in the car.

The Free Thought Project reports that officers found a short straw used for snorting drugs between Richmond’s legs and a blue powder all over the seat.

“I noted blue powdery residue on the front seat and in the driver side floor board,” Officer Miles wrote in the criminal complaint. “A short straw was lying between the legs of Richmond. This device is commonly used to ingest crushed pills via the nasal cavity. There was also a dollar bill in the floorboard which has residue on it.”

In the police report, Officer Miles said that Richmond was passed out when they arrived. He reported that he eventually was able to shake the officer awake but that he had slurred speech and was disoriented and uncoordinated.

“He appeared to be drowsy and on the nod as well during Sgt. Killen’s observations of him at Raleigh General Hospital. Richmond was perspiring and had a flushed face. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. He appeared to be impaired.”

The officer further reported that Richmond was unsteady on his feet and needed assistance to keep from falling.

Testing revealed that the blue powder found at the scene was Xanax. More pills were also found in the cruiser. The Gazette-Mail reports that a Board of Pharmacy review found that Richmond did not have a prescription for Xanax.

Richmond resigned from the sheriff’s department the following day.

The sheriff’s department issued a press release on September 2, informing the public that Richmond had wrecked a patrol car and was arrested and charged with a DUI.

“After an investigation, Sgt. Richmond was brought in to speak with the Sheriff and Richmond resigned from the Sheriff’s Office. He was immediately arrested for DUI first offense and possession of a schedule 4 controlled substance. This arrest was made by deputies of the Sheriff’s Office by warrants issued by the deputies of the Sheriff’s Office.”

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Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department Captain Larry Lilly told WV MetroNews that they are not aware of any previous problems that Richmond had with drugs or alcohol and that they take the situation very seriously.

“We try to weed out folks who do things like this out and when we don’t we hold those folks accountable.”

Lilly added that the department is investigating whether they need to review any cases that Richmond worked.

Richmond had been a deputy at the department for more than twelve years.

[Featured Image by Michael Dechev/Shutterstock]

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