A Man Handcuffed In The Back Of A Patrol Vehicle Gets Out Of The Seat Belt, Throws A Glass Pipe Out Of The Window
- Travis Uresk
- Sep 11, 2024
- 2 min read
By Travis Uresk
9/11/24
| Uintah County | September 9th, 2024 |
Uintah County Deputy Fairey conducted a traffic stop on a light-colored Toyota convertible near mile marker 136 on US-40 West of Vernal. Before the stop, the deputy observed that the vehicle's left headlight was not working.
After stopping the vehicle, the deputy spoke with the occupants and informed them of the reason for the stop. The driver was asked for his identification, and he provided a Utah state driver's license showing him to be 61-year-old Stephen Latrille Judd.
Deputy Fairey asked dispatch to check Stephen's personal information. They found an active arrest warrant issued by a local district court for Stephen. Stephen was informed of the active warrant and told he was going to be arrested.
Before being arrested, Stephen was asked if he was in possession of any prohibited items, which he stated he was not.
Stephen was handcuffed and placed into the patrol vehicle. Stephen complained of his anxiety level and being claustrophobic and stated he felt as if he may vomit. The window of the prisoner area of the patrol vehicle was lowered partially to allow additional airflow.
The traffic stop investigation continued with an assisting deputy arriving to assist. The assisting deputy had been standing near Deputy Fairey's patrol vehicle and heard the sound of glass breaking or possibly a rock hitting the vehicle.
The assisting deputy went to investigate and observed a broken glass pipe lying on the ground outside the patrol vehicle's prisoner door.
Following the discovery of the pipe, Deputy Fairey went to the prisoner area of the vehicle where Stephen was seated. He was able to remove the fastened seat belt. Stephen stated that he had forgotten about the pipe, and he panicked because he didn't want to be caught with it on him.
The pipe was collected from off the ground and smelled of marijuana.
The deputy's in-car camera was on during the traffic and captured Stephen's actions while he was in the prisoner area of the patrol vehicle. A review of the video showed Stephen struggling to remove an item from his clothing while handcuffed behind his back. The video shows Stephen as he retrieves the pipe and unfastens the seatbelt. Stephen is then able to twist his arms around the left side of his body so that he was able to throw the pipe through the partially open window.
In addition to the active warrant, Stephen was booked into the Uintah County Jail.
The charge of possession of marijuana was enhanced by one degree due to Stephen possessing the item while confined within the secure area of the patrol vehicle.
The glass pipe was booked into evidence at the sheriff's office and has been submitted for testing to confirm the existence of illegal drugs.
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