Hobart man charged with six misdemeanors from incident
Joe Washington, a 40-year-old Hobart man, was arrested after a police pursuit that began in Custer County in the early hours of Jan. 22, 2020, and charged with six separate misdemeanors.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Washita County Sheriff’s Deputy Curtis Weatherly, he was dispatched to the area in and around Corn to assist with a pursuit which had originated in Custer County. While monitoring the radio traffic in order to get ahead of the pursuit, Custer County units discontinued the chase after having lost sight of the suspect vehicle. As he was leaving the area, Weatherly spotted a vehicle in the area traveling with its marker lights going on and off periodically. The vehicle matched the description given by Custer County officers.
Weatherly activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle, to no avail. Weatherly’s report indicates he pursued the vehicle at speeds between 40 and 60 miles per hour for roughly 15 minutes before the vehicle stalled and came to a rolling stop just east of the intersection of CR2280 and CR1230.
Once the vehicle came to a stop, Weatherly reported hearing the driver attempt to restart the vehicle but was unable to do so. Weatherly then approached the vehicle and ordered the driver to exit. When the driver refused to do so and locked the door, Weatherly used his baton to break out the driver’s door window, unlocked the door, and pulled Washington from the truck.
An inventory of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a “green leafy substance” which later tested positive for marijuana and a glass pipe with a white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine. Weatherly attempted to have Washington complete the field sobriety examination, but was unable to do so “because of his shivering and shaking.”
Washington was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs, driving with a suspended/cancelled/revoked license, eluding or attempting to elude a police officer, two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.