HCSO log

By submitted, 08/21/17 9:40 AM

Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and Firearms and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor 1st degree.

On August 17, at approximately 7:33 p.m., Deputy Brown was patrolling the 2000-3000 block of W. Ave B, when he observed a red 1997 Toyota Corolla bearing Arkansas license 314126, commit the traffic violation of no turn signal, in violation of Arkansas code 27-51-403, in Hope, Hempstead County, Arkansas.

Deputy Brown made contact with the driver of the vehicle, Ella Cottingham. Brown observed a bag in the backseat containing several cold Bud Light beer. Deputy Brown asked Cottingham to step out of the vehicle and speak with me, she complied. Deputy Brown asked her if there was anything illegal on her person and she stated no. Deputy Brown asked Cottingham if he could check to make sure and she advised he could.

She appeared to be very nervous, and stated she had some Xanax in her purse, but they were in a bottle. Deputy Brown asked her if he could see the medication and she asked the passenger and owner of the vehicle, Dean Picket to get it out of her purse. Pickett got the medication out and showed officers. Deputy Brown asked Cottingham if there was anything else in her purse and she stated no. He asked her if he could check her purse to make sure. She shrugged her shoulder and said let’s take a look, but there is nothing in there.

Cottingham took a Marlboro cigarette pack out of her purse, along with a little blue change purse. Deputy Brown asked her if there was guns or drugs in her purse. She stated she had a gun, then pulled a black revolver out of her purse and threw it on the ground. Deputy Brown got Cottingham away from the gun and secured it. While getting her away from the gun, he placed her cigarette’s and blue change purse on top of the vehicle. Deputy Brown recovered the firearm and it had five unspent .38 special rounds in it.

Once the firearm was secured, he spoke with her again. and asked if anything illegal was inside the vehicle and she stated not that she knows of, there should not be.  While speaking with Cottingham she asked for her pack of cigarettes so she could smoke. Deputy Brown got her cigarette pack from on top of the vehicle, he observed a clear bag inside the cigarette pack containing suspected methamphetamine. She was placed under arrest at this time.

There was a one-year-old child in the backseat and the mother was not present. Deputy Brown asked Cottingham where the mother was and she did not know, stating she met the mother and got the baby to watch him for a little while.

The child was released to the passenger and owner of the vehicle, Pickett who agreed to get the child to the mother. Deputy Brown provided DHS with all the information on the mother and incident DHS will investigate the matter in regards to the child.

Cottingham was transported to the HCDF where she was charged with Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and Firearms and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor 1st degree. Ella was turned over to the on-duty jail staff for booking process. She will be held for a 1st court appearance.

Residential Burglary

On August 17, at approximately 3:39 p.m., Deputy Malone was dispatched to 3825 Hempstead 2 regarding a residential burglary.

Upon arrival, he made contact with Carroll Byers, who stated that he left his residence at approximately 11 a.m. and arrived back at his residence at approximately 3:30 p.m. He stated that he locked the dead bolt and door knob to his front door.

Byers stated that he walked into his residence and sat down. He stated that he then realized that his 42 Emerson flat screen TV was gone. Byers stated that he then began looking around his residence to see if anything else was missing. He stated that he then noticed that his dead bolt was unlocked and the screen cover to his window that was open had been removed.

Byers stated that his TV, remote to the TV, and remote to his space heater were the only property that was stolen. He stated that he values the TV and remote to the TV at $400 dollars, and the remote for his space heater at $15 dollars. Byers stated his TV was sitting on top of his television receiver that was sitting on top of his of his space heater in the front living room of his residence.

The incident is under investigation.

Reckless Driving

On 17 August, Inv. Gary Dorman was patrolling the area of Hempstead 21 (Melrose Lane) and highway 278 west. The Police Dispatcher gave out a call over the radio that there was a silver Honda CRV that was traveling west on highway 278. The Dispatcher stated that the caller advised that the Honda passed them on a double yellow line.

Dorman observed a silver Honda turn onto Hempstead 21 and begin traveling south. he observed that the Honda was behind another vehicle for approximately one mile. The vehicle was following within, what appeared to have been just feet of the vehicle in front of it. Dorman then observed the Honda pass the vehicle that was in front of it. The Honda was passing the car in a no passing zone and through a railroad crossing. Dorman then got behind the vehicle and activated my emergency lights. The Honda pulled to the side of Hempstead 21 near the intersection of Hempstead 2.

Inv. Dorman made contact with the driver of the vehicle, Linda Daugherty, who still had her window rolled up and at first refused to lower it. Inv. Dorman advised her that he was just there to talk to her about her driving and after talking to her for a minute, she finally opened her door. He advised Daugherty who he was and why he had stopped her.

Dorman advised Daugherty he was following her at one hundred miles per hour. Shestated “It was more like a 110 miles an hour.” Dorman advised her he believed that and she stated “Good because that’s the truth”. During the time he spoke to Daugherty, she kept her hands up in the air and when Dorman told her that she didn’t have to hold her hands up, she stated “I don’t want you to shoot me”.

Dorman asked her to step out of vehicle. She was reluctant at first to get out but eventually did so. Dorman knew that she had recently fled from officers of the Nashville Police Department. The incident ended in Hempstead County after officers deployed spike strips on her tires and had to break out a window to remove her from the vehicle.

Inv. Dorman asked why she was driving like she was. She stated because someone was chasing her. Dorman advised her that he was following her and that no one was chasing her. Daugherty stated that the person chasing her must have kept going towards Hope on the highway.

Inv. Dorman placed her under arrest for reckless driving and made a phone call to her husband,  to come and get her vehicle. He was in walking distance of the location where Dorman stopped Daugherty and the vehicle was released to him.