BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested Friday afternoon after a traffic stop escalated into a physical confrontation with police, leading to multiple charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer and drug possession.
Derick Wayne Terrell, 33, is also facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer by bodily waste, battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, obstruction of justice, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting law enforcement, and disorderly conduct.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Officer Michael Bell of the Bedford Police Department, the incident began around 4:24 p.m. when Officer Bell observed a red Ford Explorer with a false and fictitious license plate. After confirming the plate belonged to a different vehicle, Officer Bell initiated a traffic stop in the Hoosier Hills Credit Union parking lot.
Upon approach, the vehicle’s occupants, including a female front passenger and a back seat passenger, Derick Terrell, became confrontational. While the female driver was being questioned, officers noticed the passengers appeared visibly nervous.
A K9 unit conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle, resulting in a primary alert for narcotics. A subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle yielded a cut straw with residue, consistent with the ingestion of illegal narcotics.
During the stop, Derick Terrell’s parents and brother arrived and began approaching aggressively, yelling at officers. Despite repeated warnings from officers, they continued their disruptive behavior from a nearby parking lot.
When confronted about the straw, Derick Terrell became emotional and tried to blame another passenger. Officers then proceeded to search Terrell. During the search, officers located a bulge in Terrell’s pants. Terrell became emotional and began forcibly resisting officers as they attempted to recover the items.
As officers attempted to recover a black sock, a paper bindle, and burnt aluminum foil from Terrell’s pants, he allegedly defecated on Officer Jones’ hand and on the evidence. After being informed of his arrest, Terrell stomped on the evidence, mixing the powder-like substance with his feces. During further attempts to control him, officers and Terrell tripped, falling to the ground, where he continued to resist and yell profanities. Terrell then allegedly headbutted Sergeant Crulo’s chest.
Terrell was eventually secured and transported to the Lawrence County Jail. Terrell’s family continued to be belligerent. Sergeant Crulo again instructed them to back away and stop yelling. The other occupants of the vehicle were released from the scene, and the driver received a verbal warning for the infraction.
The powder-like substance on the ground field-tested positive for cocaine, and the burnt residue on the aluminum foil field-tested positive for fentanyl.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
