Warrant for felony assault in Texas and had 24 grams of Ecstasy at work
DELMAR – While conducting an unrelated death investigation at the Delmar Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 2:25 a.m., Bethlehem police interviewed a staff member at the nursing home and a DMV check showed he had an outstanding warrant from Texas.
The check was part of a State incident report that required information about John Brunson, 58, because he was interviewed as part of the death investigation. He was wanted by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for an assault charge and was extraditable.
Brunson worked nights at the facility at 125 Rockefeller Road and officers confirmed he was at work, then detained him on the warrant without incident.
When officers were conducting an inventory of his backpack and checking for weapons, they found a clear plastic bag containing 24.08 grams of green and blue pills. When tested, the pills came back positive for MDMA also known as Ecstasy.
Brunson was processed on the warrant and charged with criminal possession of a hallucinogenic substance, a felony. He was arraigned by Bethlehem Judge Ryan Donovan and sent to the Albany County jail to be held without bail pending the extradition.
Refusing to leave and warrant
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police responded to the Mt Moriah Christian Academy on Route 9W on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 1:34 p.m. for a suspicious male with a large backpack who was refusing to leave the property.
Upon arrival, the officer identified a person who was walking southbound on Route 9W as Brian Lebron, 51, who is homeless, from a prior investigation. The officer interviewed Lebron in regards to his disruptive behavior at the School.
According to reports, the man said he intended to sleep in the vestibule of the school for a few hours due to not having housing.
During the investigation, police determined that Labron had an outstanding warrant from the City of Amsterdam.
He was detained and transported to meet officers from that department at a Thruway exit.
No stop, no license, but had crack and a warrant
GLENMONT – On Thursday, Jan. 4 at 12:04 a.m., Bethlehem police observed a vehicle pass a stop sign at the corner of Corning Hill Road and Route 144 and performed a traffic stop.
While interviewing the driver, Darrell Johnson, 61, of Albany, the officer observed that Johnson had droopy, bloodshot and watery eyes. The officer asked him if he had consumed any alcohol and he said he did not. The officer asked him to remove his baseball hat and observed a sock tucked in the band.
The officer asked him about the sock and Johnson said he used the sock to wash his forehead and the small chunks of white material inside the sock was soap.
According to reports, Johnson tossed the material onto the street and the officer told him to put the other piece on the ground.
A later test showed the substance positive for a cocaine base.
Johnson was given field sobriety tests and passed them, but a DMV check showed he did not have a valid license and also had an outstanding warrant from the City of Albany.
The substance was later identified as 2.9 grams of crack cocaine. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and ticketed for driving without a license and failing to stop at a stop sign. Johnson was transported to Albany police South Station for the warrant.
No registration, but charged with DWI
SLINGERLANDS – Bethlehem police observed a white 2012 Mercedes Benz traveling on Schoolhouse Road on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 1:41 a.m. and found that it had an expired inspection.
While interviewing the driver, a 24-year-old Delmar man, officers observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle and he had droopy and watery eyes.
The man was given and failed field sobriety tests and refused to take a test for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device. He was taken into custody.
At the police station, the man initially refused to take a breath test, but did eventually provide a breath sample that returned a .13 percent BAC.
He was charged with DWI and ticketed for not having an inspection.
The man was given a bill of particulars and released with an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on January 16.
Leaving the scene and aggravated DWI
DELMAR – On Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2:49 a.m., Bethlehem police received a call from a driver who’s trailer was hit by a white Jeep in the parking lot of CVS on Delaware Avenue. The caller said they believed that the driver was intoxicated after a confrontation with him.
The Jeep headed down Elsmere Avenue and police located it after a DMV check of the license at the Delmar home of a 39-year-old man.
According to police, when officers arrived at the residence the man was leaning into the Jeep and the ignition was on.
When speaking with him, officers observed the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage from his breath and that he had bloodshot, droopy and watery eyes and detained for suspicion of DWI and due to snow there was no safe place to administer field sobriety tests.
At the police station, the man was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
He provided a breath sample that returned a .19 percent BAC and was charged with aggravated DWI. He was also ticketed for leaving the scene of an auto accident.
The man was given an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on January 16.
This story was featured on page 16 of the January 17th , 2024 print edition of the Spotlight