Bond was set Friday afternoon at $20,000 for two Abingdon men who were arrested that day on unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 Felony.
23-year-old Dylan M. Watkins, and 19-year-old Devan L. Brooks made video appearances in Knox County Circuit Court with Judge Raymond A. Cavanaugh on the drug charge. Judge Cavanaugh set bail and appointed the public defender to represent them both in their cases.
According to reports, officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of Pine and East Brooks Streets at around 12:28 that morning. The driver, Watkins, allegedly was not making proper stops and which prompted the officers to perform the traffic stop.
Reports indicate that Watkins was argumentative and began yelling at police, calling the stop illegal. The indication is that officers were only going to give a written warning initially. Watkins was asked to exit the vehicle to talk and calm down. When he allegedly refused to stop yelling, he was relocated to the back seat of a squad car.
A K9 unit performed a free air sniff test, alerting to the rear of the vehicle. According to the report, Brooks admitted to officers that he had needles, cannabis, and a pipe in the vehicle. He also allegedly admitted to police to having meth hidden in his sock.
A search of the vehicle turned up numerous drug pipes, ziplock baggies with meth residue, 15 hypodermic needles, and a makeshift meth pipe made out of an old pill bottle.
During his detention hearing, Brooks told Judge Cavanaugh that he had tried to get into a rehabilitation clinic but had been unsuccessful.
Watkins questioned why he was being charged as Brooks had admitted to possessing the items and he had not.
The State’s recommendation for bail for Brooks was $10,000 and $50,000 for Watkins, but Cavanaugh chose to give them the same $20,000 amount instead.
Bond rehearings were scheduled for August 26th and a preliminary hearing for October 9th.
