34-year-old Nicholas Essex is free on a $7,000 bond after Metro Police say he ate heroin as they approached his vehicle Monday. No drugs were actually located.
Metro Police were conducting undercover surveillance as the Powell Avenue Wal-Mart on Monday at 11:30 a.m., when they observed Nicholas Essex arrive in a tan Grand Marquis sedan and park near the outer portion of the parking lot. Approximately ten minutes later, a black Chevy Impala arrived and parked a short distance away, and a passenger from that vehicle got into Essex’s vehicle.
Police approached the vehicle to make ‘consensual contact’ with Essex at the driver’s side window, and noticed a partially folded paper in his lap, which Essex’s eyes maintained focus on. When Essex looked up to noticed the officer approaching the window, he put the folded paper in his mouth, and swallowed. When questions about his actions, police say Essex admitted to swallowing heroin, which was inside the paper. A search of the vehicle also resulted in a paper bag which contained ‘chore boy’ and an inner rod of an ink pen, considered drug paraphernalia.
Essex was transported General Hospital for medical clearance, then transported to booking, where he was charged with paraphernalia and tampering with evidence. This was his first ever arrest, and no actual drugs were located. Essex is free on a $7,000 bond.
