On April 12, the St. Mary’s County Emergency Communications Center dispatched a lookout for a gray Hyundai with Maryland registration being operated in a reckless manner. Corporal Carberry spotted the vehicle on Three Notch Road in the area of New Market Turner Road in Mechanicsville. Carberry observed the driver, later identified as Paul Garlin Thompson, 23 of Port Tobacco, commit a traffic law violation prior to turning into a gas station. Carberry contacted Thompson. As Carberry was speaking with Thompson he noticed Thompson displayed signs of intoxication. Thompson was administered a standardized field sobriety test.
As a result of the test Thompson was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol. Further investigation revealed Thompson was transporting a .380 caliber handgun in the glove box of his vehicle.
The handgun was unloaded but a fully loaded magazine clip was located in the center console of the vehicle in close proximity to the handgun. Thompson did not have a permit to carry or transport a concealed handgun. He was charged additionally with illegally transporting a handgun in a vehicle traveling on public roads.
