On May 30 at approximately 7:07 p.m., Trooper R. Garrett was monitoring traffic heading east on Route 228, west of Maryland Route 229, in Waldorf for occupants not restrained by seatbelts.
Garrett observed a gray Mercury Grand Marquis with two occupants who were not restrained by seat belts. He activated his emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop. Garrett approached the vehicle and advised the driver, as well as the now belted passenger, of the reason for the stop Garrett immediately detected a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle.
The driver was identified as Alvin Wendell Thompson, 46, of Waldorf and was asked to turn off the engine and place his hands on the steering wheel as Garrett waited for backup. Thompson arbitrarily advised Garrett that he had just smoked a small amount of marijuana, then handed Garrett a small piece of aluminum foil from the center ashtray, which contained trace amounts of partially burnt marijuana. Thompson also claimed ownership of the marijuana, and advised a small amount could also be located in a black leather bag in the rear seat.
A search of Thompson, incident to arrest also revealed two additional baggies containing suspected marijuana. Thompson was transported to the Charles County Detention Center for processing and charged with possession of mairjuana and drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with a traffic citation for failure to wear a seat belt.
This activity report was provided by a Southern Maryland law enforcement agency as a public service to the community. It is not a complete account of events, and all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.