Johnson County detains 14-year-old on gun, drug charges
GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — A 14-year-old boy was detained on drug and firearm allegations after a traffic stop early Monday involving the teen and four other juveniles in White River Township, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office reports.
A red 1998 Chevrolet Tracker was stopped about 12:25 a.m. near the intersection of Bluff Acres Drive and Mullinix Road, an officer’s redacted report said. The officer said he had observed the car moving in reverse on the nearby intersection of State Road 37 at Smith Valley Road.
The girl driving the car told the officer she thought she was driving into the divided highway’s grassy median, and that was the reason she went into reverse. She said she was returning two of the four boys in the car — a 14-year-old, a 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds — to their home after a visit to Garfield Park in Indianapolis.
The officer and others who arrived at the scene smelled marijuana and proceeded to search the sport-utility vehicle.
During the search, officers said they found a black, loaded 9mm FNS-9 handgun, an Airsoft pistol, a marijuana-smoking device and a small plastic bag of what one of the teens said was marijuana.
The juvenile’s parents were called to the scene and allowed to talk with their children before the police questioning, the report said. Each parent consented to allow police to talk to their child, the report said.
Sheriff Doug Cox said in an email, “A 14 year old male went to the Johnson County Juvenile Detention Center for being in the possession of a firearm, being in possession of a firearm with obliterated identifying marks on handgun, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia.”
