Kevin Kissel

Name:
Kissel, Kevin Critz

Date of Booking:
09/04/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
DRUGS NOT IN ORIGINAL CONTAINER – MISDEMEANOR

DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS

FAILURE TO DRIVE WITHIN SINGLE LANE

POSSESSION OF A SCHEDULE IV CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

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 09/04/2026 at approximately 0713, I, Deputy Cannon, was made aware by Butts County dispatch of a possible reckless driver in a white truck with a black rack in the bed of the truck in the area of Highway 16 and Halls Bridge who was failing to maintain a lane, and the vehicle was unable to maintain speed. While on routine patrol, I observed the vehicle traveling west on 3rd Street; it then turned right onto Bailey Street, then turned left onto Lyons Street at the stop sign. The vehicle traveled west on Lyons Street before turning right onto Covington Street, then left onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

While following the White Chevrolet Colorado, license plate [REDACTED], I observed the vehicle fail to maintain its lane when both driver-side tires completely crossed the double solid yellow line. I then continued to follow the vehicle and observed the driver fail to maintain lane once again when both driver-side tires crossed over the double solid yellow line. Deputy Allen then activated blue lights to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Mulberry Street. The driver then slow-rolled to the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Oak Street, where the driver turned right onto Oak Street and came to a stop.

Deputy Allen and I approached the vehicle to make contact with the driver, Kevin Kissel. I approached the passenger side, and Deputy Allen approached the driver’s side of the vehicle. Upon walking up to the front passenger window, I immediately observed the excessive amount of sweat shining on the face and neck of the driver. Deputy Allen asked the driver for his license, and the driver pulled out his wallet and shuffled through several cards and handed Deputy Allen a debit card. The driver then realized that he had not given Deputy Allen his driver’s license and instead gave him a debit card. The driver then put the debit card back in his wallet and gave Deputy Allen his driver’s license. Deputy Allen and I walked back towards the patrol car. I told Deputy Allen that I believed that the driver was possibly impaired. I then approached the vehicle again on the driver’s side and asked Mr. Kissel to step out of the vehicle and come back to the patrol car with me, which he complied and got out.

When Mr. Kissel had exited the car, Deputy Wallis had arrived on scene; Deputy Wallis and I then began telling Mr. Kissel that we had been notified of a vehicle that matched the description of Mr. Kissel’s colorado was driving recklessly by failing to maintain lane and failing to maintain speed. Mr. Kissel stated that he might’ve been speeding and was on his phone while driving and that he might have failed to maintain his lane a little. Upon questioning, I immediately noticed that Mr. Kissel had bloodshot eyes and pinpoint pupils. While questioning Mr. Kissel, I also observed slurred speech in his responses to myself and Deputy Wallis.

After a few brief questions, Deputy Wallis asked Mr. Kissler if he would be willing to participate in a standardized field sobriety test, and he refused but insisted that we administer a breath test for possible alcohol impairment. Deputy Allen then asked Mr. Kissler if he would give consent to us searching his vehicle, which he refused, but stated that we could run a dog around his truck so Deputy Wallis radioed that a nearby K9 unit was needed. Deputy Smith then arrived with his K9. After arriving, Deputy Smith started his K9 on the back panel of the passenger side of Mr. Kissel’s Chevrolet Colorado. When Deputy Smith and his K9 got to the rear passenger door of the vehicle, Deputy Smith advised that his dog had alerted to the odor of illegal narcotics.

Upon the alert o a possible presence of drugs in the vehicle from the K9’s air sniff, Deputy Allen and Deputy Smith began searching the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, Deputy Allen found a prescription pill bottle in the center console of the vehicle that contained 22 white rectangular pills that were marked with “xanax,” 7 blue rectangular pills, and 1 blue circular pill that had “A67” printed on it. After finding the prescription bottle with no label on it, Deputy Smith asked Mr. Kissel what the pills were, and he stated that he did not know. Deputy Smith and I continued to search the rest of the vehicle while Mr. Kissler was placed in custody.

After finding the pills, Mr. Kissler was asked where the pills were purchased, and he stated that he had purchased the pills online and that they were not xanax. Mr. Kissler was then read implied consent by Deputy Allen, which Mr. Kissler refused. Mr. Kissler then stated that he had bought the pills from a gas station within the county. Mr. Kissler was read his Miranda rights and was then placed in the back of Deputy Allen’s patrol car, and Mr. Kevin’s keys to his Colorado were given to his father [REDACTED]. Mr Kissler was transported to the Butts County Jail and handed over to the jail staff to be booked in.

29 pills were placed into evidence in the pill bottle; 1 pill was placed in a fentanyl/heroin testing kit, which was also placed into the same evidence bag.

[End of Narrative]