BEDFORD — A traffic stop that began with a vehicle blocking an intersection quickly escalated into a drug and impaired driving investigation on Saturday, November 22, leading to the arrest of a Bedford man on numerous charges, including several felonies.
Kaden Matthew Wilson, 28, of Bedford, was taken into custody after being stopped by Officer Michael Bell of the Bedford Police Department. Wilson is facing six separate criminal offenses, including felony possession of a narcotic drug (Fentanyl) and operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction.
The incident began at approximately 7:37 p.m., when Officer Bell, in a marked patrol vehicle, observed a pickup truck stopped in the middle of the intersection of 16th Street and M Street. According to the probable cause affidavit, the truck had a green light but remained stationary, blocking the northbound lane of M Street.
When Officer Bell activated his emergency lights, the driver, identified as Wilson, began to pull away. Officer Bell made contact with Wilson, who initially attributed his stop to mechanical issues.
During the interaction, Officer Bell noted Wilson exhibited several signs of impairment, including slow speech, poor manual dexterity, and sluggish facial expressions. The officer also observed Wilson initially denying having his driver’s license, only to produce it moments later. Due to these observations and the officer’s prior knowledge of Wilson being associated with illegal narcotics, Wilson was asked to exit the vehicle, at which point he displayed poor balance.
As officers prepared to conduct a free air sniff of the vehicle, Officer Jones performed a consensual pat-down of Wilson. When asked about items in his pockets, Wilson reached into them, pulling out a glass vial containing a grainy, powdery substance. Wilson was immediately placed in handcuffs and secured in a patrol vehicle.
Officer Bell then deployed his K9 partner, Castiel, who gave a primary alert—sitting at the rear driver’s door—indicating the presence of narcotics odor. A subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle yielded several items:
- Multiple syringes
- One crystal-like rock that field-tested positive for Methamphetamine
- One glass smoking device with burnt residue
- One clear plastic corner bag containing a powder-like substance
The grainy powder-like substance Wilson pulled from his pocket was later field-tested and yielded a positive result for Fentanyl, a powerful narcotic.
Wilson was transported to the Lawrence County Jail by Officer Jones and refused to perform standardized field sobriety tests. After reading Indiana’s Implied Consent, Wilson requested a lawyer.
Officer Bell applied for a search warrant to obtain a blood sample, which Judge Hewetson Gouty granted at 8:57 p.m. At IU Health Bedford, a registered nurse drew two vials of whole blood from Wilson at 9:19 p.m. for chemical testing.
Wilson has a prior OWI conviction in Lawrence County from 2022, which elevates the current operating a vehicle while intoxicated charges. Wilson was booked into jail on charges of possession of a narcotic drug (Fentanyl), possession of meth, unlawful possession of a syringe, operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction, OWI, and OWI endangerment.
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.
