Triple arrest from traffic stop

Published 7:00 am Thursday, February 27, 2014

A Picayune Police Department traffic stop for careless driving led to a triple arrest for drunk driving said Jeremy Magri, assistant to the chief.

On Feb. 20, at approximately 8:47 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop at U.S. Hwy 11 and Stemwood Drive for careless driving, Magri said.

When officers spoke with the driver, identified as 31-year-old Robert Breland of 43 Haywood Brown Rd., Poplarville, they immediately smelled an odor of an intoxicating beverage emitting from his person, Magri said.

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Officers observed his eyes to be bloodshot and glassy, so they had Breland exit the vehicle and he submitted to a standardized field sobriety test. As a result of the test, Breland was arrested for DUI first offense and was placed in a patrol car, Magri said.

At this time, officers observed another vehicle pull up to the traffic stop location, Magri said. The driver, identified as 41-year-old Barbara Kennedy, of 21 Milcreek Dr., exited the vehicle and approached the officers, wanting to know what was going on with her boyfriend, Magri said.

While officers were speaking with Kennedy, they could smell a strong odor of intoxicating beverage coming from her person and observed her eyes to be blood shot and glassy, Magri said. As a result of her test she was also arrested for DUI first offense.

At this time another vehicle pulled up and the driver was identified as 55-year-old Ruby Harman, of 207 Richardson/Ozona Rd., Magri said. Harman exited her vehicle and approached officers, before saying she had received a phone call from Kennedy that they needed someone to drive one of the vehicles, Magri said.

While officers were speaking with Harman they could smell a strong odor of intoxicating beverage coming from her person, as well, Magri said.  They also observed her eyes to be blood shot and glassy. At that time she submitted to a standardized field sobriety test, Magri said.

As a result of the test, Harman was arrested for DUI first offense and was placed in a patrol car, Magri said.

All three susupects were transported to the Criminal Justice Center where Breland was charged with DUI First offense/ Refused test, Kennedy and Harman were charged with DUI First Offense, Magri said.