McNeal
An Indianapolis man was arrested on drug charges following a pursuit in White River Township Monday morning.
Eric D. McNeal, 42, of Indianapolis, was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of ecstasy, and resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, all Level 6 felonies; He was also arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, operating a vehicle while intoxicated with endangerment, and possession of marijuana and, all misdemeanors.
The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office will decide what, if any, charges to file.
Greenwood police were sitting in a parking lot near the intersection of U.S. 31 and Meadow Drive around 3:20 a.m. Monday when they saw a car drive by without the correct lighting. Police then attempted to pull over the car near U.S. 31 and County Line Road before the car sped up and turned west onto County Line Road, according to a Greenwood Police Department report.
Police pursued the car through the city and into White River Township, where the car turned south onto State Road 37 from County Line Road. The car went south on the northbound lanes, disregarding a red stoplight on SR 37, before turning onto a dirt access road, driving into a field near the intersection of Bluff Road and Steven Drive, before turning north onto Bluff Road. The car was eventually stopped near the 700 block of North Bluff Road, the report says.
The driver, later identified as McNeal, got out of the car and was taken into police custody. McNeal told the police he did not realize the police were behind him because he was on the phone with his girlfriend. Police say a smell of alcohol was coming from his person, and say his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. His speech was also slurred, the report says.
When police approached McNeal’s vehicle, they smelled a marijuana odor, the report says.
Police searched the car and found a small black plastic container that contained suspected narcotics. Officers later determined there were 24.5 grams of heroin and five grams of ecstasy in the container. They also found 3.5 grams of marijuana and 7.5 grams of a white powder later determined to be cocaine, according to the report.
McNeal told police he did not know what the narcotics were, nor that they were in his car. When police asked him if he had consumed alcohol, he said he had a couple of drinks, the report said.
Police gave McNeal a portable breath test which showed he had a preliminary blood alcohol level of 0.098, over the legal limit, the report says.
McNeal also consented to a blood draw to test his blood. On the way to take the blood test at a local hospital, he named for police the drugs that were found in his car, contradicting his earlier statement, according to the report.
McNeal was taken to the Johnson County jail on a $7,800 bond.
