Matthew Stone

Name:
Stone, Matthew Wesley

Date of Booking:
08/09/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Dui- Driving Under The Influence Of Drugs

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 08/08/2026 at approximately 2300 hours, I, Officer Haven, was conducting a business check at Circle K, located at 41874 Highway 2. While there, I observed a white 2015 Nissan Rogue arrive and park at fuel pump #4. The vehicle was occupied by the driver, identified as Matthew Stone, and a passenger, identified as [WITNESS #1].

Upon exiting the vehicle and entering the store, Ms. [WITNESS #1] appeared unsteady on her feet. I observed her interacting with several individuals outside the store and displaying behavior consistent with possible impairment. I asked the individuals outside the store whether Ms. [WITNESS #1] had exited the driver’s or passenger’s side of the vehicle, and they advised that she had exited from the passenger seat.

I continued observing Ms. [WITNESS #1] inside the store. She wandered throughout the store, attempted to handle several doughnuts, and moved between different areas without an apparent purpose. While speaking with individuals outside the store, one citizen entered the store and later returned, advising me that Ms. [WITNESS #1] was attempting to make coffee without using a cup and had been pouring coffee directly from the dispenser onto the counter.

Shortly afterward, the store clerk exited and stated he believed both Ms. [WITNESS #1] and Mr. Stone were impaired. The clerk advised that the pair regularly visited the store on weekends and appeared to be under the influence on prior occasions. The clerk also stated that during a previous weekend they had allegedly been observed passed out inside their vehicle at the fuel pumps.

Based on my observations and the information provided, I relocated my patrol vehicle to the nearby Food Lion parking lot and coordinated with Officer Ellis, who positioned himself on the opposite side of the business. Our intention was to observe the occupants and determine whether the driver displayed signs of impairment upon leaving.

While under observation, Mr. Stone and Ms. [WITNESS #1] entered and exited the store multiple times over approximately thirty minutes. They also opened all doors and the rear hatch of their vehicle and began removing a significant amount of trash from inside the vehicle.

After approximately thirty minutes, Mr. Stone entered the driver’s seat and Ms. [WITNESS #1] entered the passenger seat. The vehicle left Circle K and traveled toward the Food Lion shopping center, which was closed at that hour. The vehicle then drove behind the building and subsequently entered the parking lot of Wendy’s, another closed business. The vehicle circled the building and proceeded toward the exit.

As I turned to position my patrol vehicle behind the Nissan, the driver entered the center turn lane and continued traveling in the center turn lane for approximately 300 feet before entering the next parking lot entrance, an improper use of the center turn lane. Based on the traffic violation and the totality of my observations, I activated my emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle continued into the O’Reilly Auto Parts parking lot before ultimately stopping in the Taco Bell parking lot.

I made contact with the occupants. During the encounter, Ms. [WITNESS #1] repeatedly interrupted the conversation and attempted to answer questions directed toward Mr. Stone. When asked where they were going, both stated they were traveling home and confirmed the address listed on their driver’s licenses was accurate.

Ms. [WITNESS #1] spoke rapidly and continuously, making portions of her speech difficult to understand. Mr. Stone spoke slowly and in a low tone, and his responses appeared delayed. I observed that Mr. Stone’s pupils were constricted despite the nighttime lighting conditions. I also observed a noticeable tremor while he spoke with me.

I requested Mr. Stone’s driver’s license and proof of insurance. He was unable to provide proof of insurance. When asked where they had come from, both stated they had been at Circle K. I then asked why they had driven behind Wendy’s. They stated that they had intended to get food but did not realize the restaurant was closed. I noted that the building lights were off and the parking lot was empty.

I asked why they had remained at Circle K for such a lengthy period. Ms. [WITNESS #1] stated that while making coffee, her cup leaked through a hole in the bottom and she had been attempting to clean up the resulting mess. When advised that the clerk had reported she was pouring coffee directly onto the counter, Ms. [WITNESS #1] denied doing so.

While discussing the incident, Mr. Stone appeared confused and had difficulty recalling events. He also avoided eye contact while answering questions. I then asked Mr. Stone to exit the vehicle.

Once outside the vehicle, I asked Mr. Stone whether he had consumed or taken any substances that day. He initially denied taking anything. I noted that Mr. Stone was wearing a shirt displaying a large marijuana leaf. During further conversation, he advised that Ms. [WITNESS #1] suffered from several mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder and ADHD.

I asked Mr. Stone when he had last used THC products. He stated that he used THC products nearly every day and believed he had last used marijuana earlier that morning or afternoon. I then asked whether he would consent to standardized field sobriety evaluations, and he agreed.

The first evaluation administered was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. I verified equal tracking and equal pupil size and confirmed Mr. Stone was wearing soft contact lenses and had suffered no recent head injuries. During the HGN evaluation, I observed no clues of impairment.

I next administered the Walk-and-Turn test. I explained and demonstrated the test and confirmed that Mr. Stone understood the instructions. During the test, Mr. Stone raised his arms for balance, stopped while walking, turned improperly, took an incorrect number of steps, and stepped off line.

I then administered the One-Leg Stand test. After being instructed and demonstrated the test, Mr. Stone attempted the evaluation but immediately placed his foot down. He failed to raise his foot approximately six inches as instructed. When reminded to look at his raised foot while counting aloud, he repeatedly put his foot down, raised his arms for balance, swayed, and hopped.

I next administered the Lack of Convergence test. I explained the instructions and confirmed Mr. Stone understood them. During the evaluation, both eyes moved inward toward the bridge of his nose but failed to maintain convergence and immediately drifted outward. Mr. Stone stated that he felt his eyes cross; however, they did not fully converge.

I then administered the Modified Romberg test. After receiving instructions, Mr. Stone estimated thirty seconds had passed when approximately fifty-four seconds had elapsed. During the test, I observed body sway and eyelid tremors. When asked how he measured the passage of time, he stated that he counted “1000-1, 1000-2,” and so forth.

Finally, I administered the Finger-to-Nose test. The command sequence provided was Left, Right, Left, Right, Right, Left. During the evaluation, Mr. Stone failed to touch the tip of his nose on any pass and used the incorrect hand during one sequence.

After completing the evaluations, I again asked Mr. Stone when he had last smoked marijuana. He stated it had been earlier that afternoon and estimated that he had smoked one marijuana cigarette. He described the product as “low THC.” Mr. Stone also admitted to taking methadone at approximately 0600 hours that day. When I discussed his Modified Romberg results, he indicated he was unsure how he had estimated thirty seconds when approximately fifty-four seconds had elapsed.

Based on my training and experience, my observations during the traffic stop, Mr. Stone’s physical indicators, his admissions to recent marijuana use and methadone consumption, and his performance on the field sobriety evaluations, I determined that Mr. Stone was under the influence of drugs to the extent that it was less safe for him to operate a motor vehicle.

Mr. Stone was placed under arrest. I handcuffed him behind his back, checked the handcuffs for proper fit, and double locked them. I searched him incident to arrest and located no weapons or contraband. Prior to placing him in my patrol vehicle, I searched the rear compartment and found no weapons or contraband.

I read Georgia Implied Consent to Mr. Stone and requested a blood sample. Mr. Stone consented to the blood test.

While I was reading Implied Consent, Ms. [WITNESS #1] exited the Nissan and began yelling. I instructed her to return to the vehicle and advised her that I would speak with her shortly. She continued yelling in the parking lot. I advised her that if she continued creating a disturbance and failed to comply with my instructions, she could also face arrest. She then remained at the vehicle.

After securing Mr. Stone, I advised Ms. [WITNESS #1] that I believed she was impaired and would not be releasing the vehicle to her. I asked whether she could arrange for a sober driver to retrieve both her and the vehicle. She advised that [REDACTED] was already en route and wished to speak with me.

[REDACTED] arrived on scene and stated that his son did not drink alcohol. I advised him that the arrest was related to suspected drug impairment rather than alcohol impairment. He further stated that his son did not use drugs. I informed him that Mr. Stone had admitted to using marijuana and methadone and that the matter would ultimately be addressed through the court process. [REDACTED] agreed to take possession of the vehicle, and it was released to him.

I transported Mr. Stone to the Varnell Police Department, where Lt. Small conducted a blood draw without incident.

The evidence kit was secured in Locker #8 for submission to the Georgia Crime Lab.

I then transported Mr. Stone to the Whitfield County Jail, where he was turned over to jail staff without incident. Mr. Stone’s identification card and Ms. [WITNESS #1]’s identification card were placed with Mr. Stone’s property.

Mr. Stone was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (Less Safe). He was issued a verbal warning for Improper Use of a Center Turn Lane.

After clearing the jail, I returned to Circle K and spoke further with the clerk. The clerk stated that individuals outside the store had alerted Mr. Stone that law enforcement was waiting nearby. The clerk further advised that Mr. Stone stated that if he went to jail, he would return and fight those individuals. The clerk also stated that Mr. Stone and Ms. [WITNESS #1] subsequently emptied numerous items from their vehicle into the trash receptacle located near pump #4.

I inspected the trash receptacle and located several empty CBD gummy packages. The clerk stated those packages had been among the first items discarded before additional trash was placed on top of them. I advised the clerk to contact 911 if Mr. Stone returned and caused any disturbances.

[End of Narrative]