Berlin Police found packets of heroin, crack cocaine and little carrying cases. Photo courtesy of Berlin Police Department Facebook Page.
BERLIN — What started out as a traffic stop on River Run Manor Drive in Berlin turned into a drug bust for a Montpelier man and a Barre woman on the Fourth of July.
Officers Peter Vosburgh and Steven Tiersch were conducting a traffic stop for traffic violations, when further charges were uncovered for Cole W. Brooks, 35, of Montpelier, and Alysha M. Wood, 27, of Barre, according to a report.
First off, when the officers asked the vehicle to stop, they could see a male driver, but after turning down River Manor Road, they could see the female switch places in the driver’s seat with the male. The male was “found to have been operating a motor vehicle on a criminally suspended driver’s license, as well as was found to be in possession of heroin and cocaine.”
Brooks was released on a “citation to the Vermont Superior Court Washington Criminal Division on August 16, to answer to the charges of Criminal DLS, Possession of Heroin and Possession of Cocaine.”
Then, police suspected Wood of being impaired. “The female conducted the standard field sobriety tests and was taken into custody for Suspicion of DUI Drug.” A drug recognition expert was called in to further check out the situation.
In the end, Wood “was processed at the Berlin Police Department and released on a citation into the Vermont Superior Court Washington Criminal Division on September 10 to answer the charge of DUI Drug. During the processing a DRE was contacted and conducted a DRE evaluation.” A DRE is a Drug Recognition Expert.
Police are trained and equipped to detect alcohol impairment, but further investigation is needed to determine drug impairment, according to Sergeant Monteith of the Berlin Police Department on July 6.
