A routine traffic stop in North Nashville, where both occupants of a vehicle denied having drugs and refused a strip search, resulted in DCSO Booking officers finding their buttocks stuffed with heroin and cocaine. Ladarrius Page & Ronnie Sims were arrested.
According to Metro Police, Ladarrius Page, 28, was driving a maroon vehicle on Cockrill Street just after 7:30 p.m., with a passenger, 28-year-old Ronnie Sims. They pulled out in front of patrol vehicle on Cockrill Street and made a right turn onto 17th Avenue North without using a turn signal, so they were stopped for the traffic violation.
The driver, Page, agreed to step out of the vehicle after his license returned as suspended, and told officers “there is nothing in my car”, when asked about illegal items on his person or in the vehicle, and gave consent to search the vehicle, adding “I don’t do drugs”.
Police then conducted a search of the vehicle, locating a black digital scale in the center console, with cocaine residue ‘all over’ the scale, per an arrest warrant.
Ladarrius Page and Ronnie Sims were both searched incident to arrest, and officers found multiple rubber gloves on Sims, which they say are indicative of weighing and packaging narcotics. Sims refused to spread his legs during his body search, and clenched his buttocks, so officers could not search. Officers told him he would be transported to a private restroom and be strip searched by officers, however Sims advised he would not allow officers to perform a strip search. The pair denied having any contraband, and were advised if anything was found on them once at booking, additional felony charges would be applied.
Once at booking, DCSO officers conducted more thorough searches of both defendants, locating two folded lottery papers and a folded dollar bill inside the buttocks of Ladarrius Page, containing a total of 3.2 grams of heroin, and bag of crack cocaine weighing 5.1 grams. Once Ronnie Sims finally agreed to spread his legs and unclench his buttocks at booking, officers located three baggies and one piece of paper concealed in his buttocks, containing a total of 15 grams of a substance that tested positive for a cocaine base.
Page is held in lieu of a $41,500 bond, and Sims is held in lieu of a $46,500 bond.
