Police Reports 4-20-23: drunken driver taken to jail

A Hulbert man was arrested for DUI after police found him asleep behind the wheel.

On April 11, Tahlequah Police Officer Austin Hughart was dispatched to the intersection of North Muskogee Avenue and West Downing Street in regard to a man who was passed out behind the wheel of an F-150 truck. Hughart found the truck stopped at a green light, and Conner Collins asleep. The officer said he had to knock on the windows several times to get Collins to awake. The truck began to roll forward into the intersection and came to a stop once Hughart told Collins to stop. Collins claimed he consumed “half a cup” of alcohol. He was arrested after a field sobriety test and transported to jail. Officers found empty beer cans, an opened beer can, and a 15-pack of beer that was opened. Collins was booked for driving under the influence, transporting an open container, and improper stopping in the roadway.

Officer Zach Adams responded to the parking of Walmart April 11 in reference to a man who appeared passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle. David Strickland was found asleep in a Ford F-350 truck. He awoke and complied when told to exit the vehicle. The man appeared to be under the influence and Adams could see a smoking device and several pieces of aluminum foil with burnt residue in the driver’s seat. Strickland said the residue was fentanyl, and told the officer there was fentanyl in his center console. Adams searched the vehicle and found a scale, baggies of a white-powder residue, a baggie with a brown substance, and a syringe. Strickland was arrested and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center. He was booked for public intoxication and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Adams said the baggie of the brown substance weighed 2.9 grams while the baggies of the white substance weighed .07 grams.

On April 11, Officer Jess McClure was dispatched to Wilson Avenue due to a disturbance between two men. McClure arrived and could see one of the men holding a fold-up chair above his head, as if he was going to hit the other man. Taylor Grant Burnett had visible injuries but denied medical attention. Burnett said he and Curtis Darnell Alan Braxton were riding around earlier in the day when Braxton accused him of cheating. Burnett said he, Braxton, and a woman were all in a relationship. Burnett admitted to “slicing” Braxton with a razor blade after Braxton busted out a window to a residence. Both men became aggressive with one another while speaking with officers and had to be separated. They were transported to jail and officers located marijuana and a metal cylinder in a bag that purportedly belonged to Braxton. He was booked for assault and battery, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and public intoxication. Burnett, a tribal member, was booked for domestic assault and battery.

Officer Ohavyah Soto was called to Walmart April 10 due to a woman who allegedly left the store without paying for merchandise. Employees said Kayla Adair took food items and jewelry before leaving the store. She was escorted to the Asset Protection office and then transported to jail for petit larceny and trespassing.