A Kentucky man is facing various charges after swallowing drug evidence while in the back of a police cruiser. Don’t police officers check for that sort of thing before leaving them alone like that?
The suspect was identified as 72-year-old Billy Jack Montgomery of Salyersville. He had been pulled over on June 11 after almost driving into a Salyersville Police Department cruiser head-on.
Police said Montgomery rounded a curve and came incredibly close to striking the patrol vehicle before officers initiated a traffic stop. Following the stop, officers arrested Montgomery on suspicion of driving under the influence, wanton endangerment, and drug possession after allegedly finding marijuana and several pills inside his vehicle.
According to the police report, officers discovered a pill bottle containing four Xanax tablets, three Adderall pills, and half of a Neurontin tablet. What happened next, however, made an already serious situation even stranger.
The Evidence Wasn’t in the Evidence Bag for Long
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Police say Montgomery had already been placed inside the patrol vehicle while officers continued their investigation. At some point, an officer stepped away from the cruiser to speak with Montgomery’s ex-wife about the arrest.
During that brief moment, police say that Montgomery reached through a gap in the partition separating the front and back seats of the patrol car, grabbed the bottle of seized pills, and swallowed all of them. Well, that technically answers my earlier question.
When the officer returned to the vehicle, authorities say Montgomery had admitted what he had done. Not long after, the situation reportedly shifted from criminal investigation to medical concern.
After Eating the Pills, Things Got More Serious
Given the potential medical risks associated with consuming multiple prescription medications at once, officers transported Montgomery to a hospital to be medically evaluated before he was taken to jail. Police say that Montgomery was complaining that his “heart was racing.”
In addition to the original charges, police also added an evidence-tampering charge tied to the alleged destruction of the pills. Montgomery is now facing charges that include DUI, wanton endangerment, two counts of drug possession, and tampering with physical evidence.
If convicted of these crimes, then Montgomery could face up to six years in prison and fines up to $500. Authorities have not released information regarding Montgomery’s condition following the hospital visit.
Things Could Have Ended Much Worse
While unusual circumstances during arrests are not unheard of, incidents involving suspects allegedly consuming evidence can quickly become dangerous, especially when prescription medications or unknown substances are involved.
Drugs such as Xanax and Adderall can affect the body in very different ways, and combining multiple substances without medical supervision can create serious health risks, particularly for older adults. Police have not said whether Montgomery had legal prescriptions for any of the medications allegedly found in the bottle.
As of now, additional court details surrounding the case have not been released. Montgomery, like all defendants, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.