BEDFORD– A Mitchell woman was taken into custody on Friday, following a report of an erratic and intoxicated individual at a local pawn shop, leading to charges including operating a vehicle while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, and public intoxication.
Bedford Police officers detained 40-year-old Pamela Sue Brent.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by BPD Captain Dakoda Emmons, he was dispatched to Ace Pawn located on 5th Street regarding an intoxicated female who had become hostile with employees. The caller advised that the woman had entered a Chevrolet Trailblazer and that they were concerned about her driving.
Upon arrival, Captain Emmons located the maroon Trailblazer in the parking lot. He observed the driver, later identified as Pamela Brent, moving erratically inside the vehicle.
During the initial interaction, Brent reportedly exhibited rapid speech, appeared standoffish, and experienced rapidly shifting emotions. Captain Emmons eventually instructed her to turn off the vehicle and step out.
Employees told Captain Emmons that Brent had been “hateful” inside the store, with one employee stating she was mad because he wouldn’t pawn her items, and that she had been “hissing at him like a snake.” The employees’ primary concern was her driving off while appearing to be “on something.”
After Brent declined to give a definitive “yes” or “no” to a vehicle search, Officer Bell was called to the scene to conduct a free-air sniff with his K-9 partner, Castiel. Castiel gave a primary alert to the front driver’s side of the vehicle, providing probable cause for a search.
Brent agreed to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs). While she showed no signs of impairment on the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, she exhibited several clues of impairment on the tests.
During the vehicle search, officers located a clear zip-top-like bag containing marijuana.
A preliminary breath test showed a negative result for alcohol. However, a SoToxa test—a rapid oral fluid drug screen—yielded a positive result for methamphetamine and amphetamines.
After being read her Miranda Warnings, Brent admitted to using methamphetamine six days prior and admitted to driving to the pawn shop, though she claimed she was sober when she did so.
Brent agreed to a chemical test under Indiana’s Implied Consent law. She was transported to IU Health Hospital – Bedford, where a blood draw was performed at 4:51 p.m. Those results are pending.
Pamela Sue Brent was placed in the custody of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. Her dog was taken into custody by Bedford Animal Control, as she was unable to contact anyone to retrieve it.
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.
