LAWRENCE CO. — A welfare check concerning two individuals reportedly walking in the roadway led to a charge of public intoxication against a Salem woman after a Lawrence County Police officer observed multiple signs of impairment.
On August 20, 2025, Officer Kenton Carter of the Lawrence County Police Department was dispatched to the area of State Road 60 East and Lawrenceport Road. Dispatch had received two calls: an initial report of a male and female walking in the roadway, and a second report stating the female was bent over off the roadway and appeared intoxicated.
Upon arrival, Officer Carter found the female, identified as 45-year-old Kristy S. Barrett, seated on the side of the road with a male companion. Both individuals told the officer they were walking back to Salem.
While speaking with Barrett, Officer Carter noted several clear signs of intoxication, including slurred speech, unsteadiness on her feet, and the odor of alcohol.
After being read her Miranda rights, which she acknowledged understanding, Barrett admitted to consuming approximately one pint of alcohol. She stated she had been drinking within the last 30 minutes to one hour.
Barrett agreed to submit to standardized field sobriety testing, which she failed.
EMS personnel arrived to evaluate Barrett, but she refused transport to the hospital.
Toward the end of the encounter, as the male subject’s mother arrived to provide both individuals with transportation, Barrett became verbally aggressive. She began striking herself while seated on the ground.
Officer Carter requested a warrant for Barrett’s arrest. She was detained on October 14.
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.
