Name:
Skinner, Stephen Jarrod
Date of Booking:
03/21/2023
Reason(s) For Booking:
Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On this date, March 21, 2023, at approximately 1120 hours I was in the BP convenience store located at 731 Hwy 211 NW. I was alerted by the manager, [WITNESS #1], that the customer at Pump 2 just exited the restroom after being in there for an extended period of time. She checked the trash can after he walked out and located a used hypodermic needle as well as bloody tissue paper. [WITNESS #1] said this is not the first time the customer has been suspected of using narcotics in the store’s restroom. The customer was later identified as Stephen Skinner.
I walked outside and got the customer’s attention before he drove off. He was in a 1991 Ford flatbed truck bearing Georgia registration [REDACTED] with the engine running. Once he realized I was trying to speak with him, he complied and stepped out of his vehicle. It was immediately apparent Skinner was under the influence of an intoxicant. His pupils were pinpoint, he had difficulty focusing, he could not remain still, and he could not stand up straight.
I questioned Skinner about what he was doing in the bathroom in the store. When he started to speak, I noticed he had difficulty providing clear, concise answers. His rapid speech and unclear answers led me to believe he was nervous. Skinner was confronted with my observations. He denied being under the influence or doing anything suspicious in the bathroom. I asked for consent to search him and his vehicle. He agreed and allowed a male deputy to search his person while I searched his vehicle.
On the passenger’s seat of the single cab truck I located a small bag with a zipper. Inside of it, there was a metal Mayfield ice cream scooper. The bottom of if was black from heat being applied to it. Inside the scoop was residue from a suspected narcotic. From my experience, I know spoons are used to heat narcotics so they can be injected intravenously.
Skinner was asked about the ice cream scoop with residue. He acknowledged it contained residue from an illicit narcotic, but said it was old. He said it had been in his truck for weeks. He was asked to pull up his sleeves. Multiple red spots were located on the inside of his left elbow near veins consistent with recent needle injections.
Further conversation was had with the store employees. They wanted him served with a Notice of Prohibited Entry so he could not return. The Notice of Prohibited Entry was explained to Skinner. He stated he understood and signed the document. He was later given a copy after [WITNESS #1] signed it.
Skinner’s father, [REDACTED], arrived on scene. He expressed his son has a substance abuse problem he’s been battling for years. He was able to observe the same physical manifestations as I did and confirmed that is how he typically acts after ingesting narcotics. He desperately wanted help for his son because nothing the family has tried up to this point has worked.
Skinner was placed under arrest for Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects. He was handcuffed behind his back. The handcuffs were double locked and checked for fit. Another search of his person was conducted incident to arrest. No illegal items or weapons were located. He was secured in the rear seat of a patrol unit.
Once he was secure, his wife, [REDACTED], arrived. She said she was driving past the store and saw his truck. When she saw law enforcement standing near it, she feared he was in trouble and stopped. She was advised what happened and what Skinner was being charged with. She stated the residue in the ice cream scoop was likely fentanyl.
[REDACTED] is the registered owner of the truck Skinner was driving. He offered to drive it home and have [REDACTED] give him a ride back to his vehicle. The vehicle was turned over to him.
Skinner was transported to the Barrow County Detention Center and turned over to deputies without incident.
Before leaving, I went inside the bathroom at the BP and located the hypodermic needle in the trash can as well as the bloody tissue. A picture was taken and is attached to this report.
The metal ice cream scoop was transported to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office and secured into evidence. The Notice of Prohibited Entry was placed in the appropriate box and a picture of it is attached to this report.
A warrant for Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects will be obtained for Skinner being in possession of the metal ice cream scoop with what he admitted to be residue from an illicit narcotic.
[End of Narrative]