Portsmouth Ohio Police seized drugs, guns, and ammunition during a bust at the Oasis Convenience Mart on 17th Street. The bust went down back on August 5. However, it took us some time to get our hands on the police report detailing what happened.
It all started just after 11 am on the 5th. A caller alerted police to a drug deal at store. The caller said a man in a white shirt and black face mask was dealing drugs in the parking lot. The caller also reported the man had a gun in the waistband of his jeans.
When Officers Newman, Dixon, and Cooper arrived on the scene, the saw a man matching the description sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Officer Dixon parked behind the vehicle and asked the man to step away from the vehicle and walk slowly toward him with his hands in plain view. Newman also said he explained to the suspect that he matched the description in the complaint.
The suspect, Ryan Collins, told the officer that he was at the store purchasing ‘pull tab’ tickets with his ‘old lady’ and that she was inside the store. The officer asked for permission to pat Collins down for weapons. Collins consented.
Handguns and Heroin
His companion, Jean Garrison, came out of the store, Officer Newman spoke with her. Ms. Garrison advised the officer she had a CCW permit and a firearm inside her purse. The purse was inside her vehicle. She granted Officer Newman permission to search her purse and vehicle. He discovered a Taurus G3 9mm handgun in the purse. Newman called the serial number of the weapon in to dispatch. The New Boston Police Department had listed the gun as stolen.
Officers Dixon and Newman placed the couple in handcuffs. When police searched the the vehicle they discovered a piece of white paper with a crystal-like substance inside. Officer Newman read both suspects their rights.
Officer Dixon put Collins in his patrol car and Officer Newman placed Garrison in his. Both suspects maintained they didn’t know what was inside the paper. Collins said he’d been out of town and Garrison had offered rides to friends. Officers also discovered another weapon, a Springfield XD 45 mm in the glove box of the suspect vehicle. The pair claimed not to know what was inside the paper.
Police learned that Garrison’s weapon was no longer listed as stolen. In fact, Garrison and Collins originally reported the gun stolen in the first place. Garrison said she gave the firearm to Collins and asked him to put it in the glove box. Further, she admitted the unknown substance was heroin, and belonged to her.
Officers impounded the weapons, ammunition, heroin, and the couple’s cell phones.
The pair was not arrested due to restrictions at the Scioto County Jail. Instead, officers filed charges of drug possession and improperly securing a firearm directly with the Scioto County Grand Jury.
Refer to this article regarding the issue of the Scioto County Jail refusing to accept prisioners. This has happened, yet again, at the publishing of this article.
