A traffic stop on a speeding vehicle ended with multiple felony charges late Thursday after the driver was allegedly found to be in possession of a gun and drugs, some of which he tried to destroy.
Patrick Tyler Creasy, 33, who lists a Catherine Heights Loop address, was taken into custody shortly before 11 p.m. and charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, possession of meth with purpose to deliver and possession of suboxone with purpose to deliver, each punishable by up to 10 years, tampering with physical evidence, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Creasy was being held on a zero bond and was set to appear Friday in Garland County District Court. He was previously arrested on April 18, 2020, on multiple felony charges including simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm and later released on a $25,000 bond. He is set to stand trial on the charges on Sept. 8 in Garland County Circuit Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit on Thursday's arrest, Hot Springs Police Sgt. Joey Williams saw a white Chevy Avalanche northbound in the 3000 block of Central Avenue traveling at a high rate of speed. After the Avalanche passed another car in the outside lane, veered into the turn lane and passed a second car without signaling, Williams pulled it over at the parking lot for Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, 2705 Central.
A dispatcher advised that the license plate returned to a different vehicle. As Williams approached the driver, identified as Creasy, it was discovered he had no paperwork or insurance for the vehicle.
Williams noted Creasy and his male passenger, 28, both appeared nervous, avoiding eye contact, and the passenger was visibly shaking. He asked Creasy if there was a gun in the car and he reportedly confirmed he had one next to his leg between his seat and the center console. Williams retrieved the gun, a loaded Ruger .22-caliber pistol.
Since Creasy had the previous arrest for drugs, Williams called for K-9 Officer Jonathan Smith and his K-9 partner, Bear, to conduct a sniff of the vehicle and Bear allegedly alerted quickly on the driver's side area.
During a search of the vehicle, officers reportedly found a small rubber pipe with marijuana residue and a used syringe so Creasy was taken into custody for having drug paraphernalia.
Creasy was asked to remove his boots and as he was removing his right boot a small plastic baggie fell out.
"Creasy then immediately stepped on the baggie with his right foot and began to grind the baggie into the ground in an attempt to destroy it," Williams said. Officers stopped him and retrieved the bag, which contained 0.9 gram of what later tested positive for meth.
In Creasy's left pocket, officers allegedly found seven packets, a total of 70-milligrams, of suboxone. They also found a broken .22-caliber round and an intact .22-caliber round in his pockets.