Contributed
CHECKING STATION
Whiteville, NC – On April 27, 2019, Columbus County Sheriff’s Office joined forces with neighboring law enforcement agencies to conduct a checking station on Highway 130 near Ervin T. Richardson Road in the Old Dock community. The goal of this combined enforcement effort was to ensure compliance of the motor vehicle codes and to reduce motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and death associated with impaired driving. Columbus County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Forensic Test for Alcohol Branch of NCDHHS to provide their BAT Mobile Unit for the checking station. The BAT (Breath Alcohol Testing) Mobile Unit is equipped with a Magistrate Office, multiple breath alcohol testing stations equipped with Evidential Breath Alcohol testing instruments, fingerprinting equipment, and other necessities required to conduct a large scale checking station.
At 9:00 pm, law enforcement officers converged on Highway 130, in front of Palmyra Baptist Church on New Britton Highway East. The checking station ended at 12:00 am. As a result of this operation, thirty-five (35) traffic and criminal violations were charged including two (2) narcotics arrests and one (1) driving while impaired arrest. Joshua Eric Whitt, 39, of Trap Hill, NC was arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; John Joseph Hay, 43, of Shallotte, NC was arrested and charged with Driving While Impaired and Driving While License Revoked; and Bryant Mitchell, 47, of Lake Waccamaw, NC was arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine.
We would like to sincerely thank each officer and agency that participated in this operation. You are the reason this operation was a success.
The following agencies participated in this checking station:
North Carolina State Highway Patrol
Forensic Test for Alcohol Branch of NCDHHS
Columbus County Magistrate Manolis
Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office
Whiteville Police Department
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