Published: March 07, 2008 01:42 am      

Traffic stop leads to arrest of two

PALESTINE — Routine traffic stops by Palestine police led to a pair of arrests earlier this week.

At approximately 9:51 p.m. Monday, Palestine police officers Tommy Thacker and Matthew Kerr arrested a 55-year-old Palestine man for driving with a suspended license and for possession of a controlled substance less than one gram.

According to Sgt. Larry Boyer, the officers observed a vehicle driven by Charles Goree, 55, of Palestine, run a stop at the intersection of Texas Street and W. Oak Street. When the officers pulled the man over and asked to see the man’s driver’s license, Goree told them he did not have it with him, Boyer said.

A check through the police department’s computer records showed Goree’s license had been suspended, Boyer said, and he was arrested.

As officers arrested the man, they found a hollow metal rod in his front pocket, similar to ones commonly used as drug paraphernalia with crack pipes, Boyer said.

The rod later field-tested positive on one end for cocaine, Boyer said.

Goree was being held on $4,250 bond in the Anderson County Jail as of Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday around 8:54 p.m., Palestine police officer Bobby Dean arrested a 20-year-old Palestine man for failure to identify — fugitive, with intent to give false information and for a pair of city municipal court warrants.

According to Boyer, Dean observed a vehicle on E. Reagan Street approach Crockett Road and make a wide left turn into the center lane.

As Dean fell in behind the vehicle, it turned again onto E. Spring Street, failing to signal the turn, Boyer said, prompting Dean to pull the driver over.

“When (Dean) asked the driver for his driver’s license he said he did not have one,” Boyer said. “The subject gave a name and date of birth which turned out to be false.”

Police arrested Cordis Edens, 20, of Palestine, for failure to identify — fugitive, with intent to give false information, and also for municipal court warrants for no driver’s license and for no insurance.

Edens was being held on $2,500 bond, with $806 in fines, in the Anderson County Jail as of Wednesday morning.

————

Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com