Traffic stop leads to three arrests Friday

Palestine police arrested three men on drug charges and outstanding warrants early Friday morning following a routine traffic stop.

Roderick Tyrone Rhodes, 33, Royrick Vaughn Cook, 37, and William Earl Davis Jr., 34, all of Palestine, were arrested after Palestine police officer Bobby Dean stopped a 1999 Hyundai Elantra by the intersection of Sterne Avenue and W. Palestine Avenue for failure to signal a turn at 3:52 a.m. Friday.

Rhodes and Cook each were charged with possession of a controlled substance less than one gram, Sgt. Larry Boyer said. Cook also had an outstanding warrant on a charge of driving while license suspended/invalid, Boyer said, and Davis was arrested on outstanding warrants for failure to identify, failure to appear and bond forfeiture.

According to Boyer, officers found a piece of a crack pipe in one of the subject’s shirt pockets and another complete pipe in the backseat of the car, directly where two of the passengers had been seated. The items field-tested positive for cocaine, he said.

The driver of the car, Barry Williams, 39, of Palestine, was issued a warning for a moving vehicle violation and released at the scene, while Rhodes, Cook and Davis were transported to the Anderson County Jail, Boyer said.

Officers Matthew Bond, John Herod and Richard Johnson assisted Dean.

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