Posted 1/29/2013 3:08 PM by MDGREGORY
On Monday, January 28th at 10:45 p.m., Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Sergeant Dave Ellis stopped a 1998 Ford Mustang in the area of Freya and Olive after he observed the driver accelerate rapidly, fishtail and start sliding sideways on Freya.
He contacted the driver, 40-year-old Steven R. Root, who admitted he was driving too fast for the conditions and he did not have a valid driver’s license. Sergeant Ellis checked Root’s driving status and found his Washington driving privileges were indeed suspended
and placed him in custody.
A tow truck was requested to impound the vehicle since there was no known licensed driver to take possession and Root was unwilling to identify the male passenger in the vehicle to see if he possessed a valid driver’s license. Around the time the tow service
arrived, Sergeant Ellis was contacted by a female who identified herself as Root’s wife and identified the male passenger as Michael Williams.
Sergeant Ellis positively identified Williams as 21-yeal-old Michael R. Williams and found he had two confirmed Spokane County warrants for Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Driving While License Suspended 3rd Degree. Williams was re-contacted and searched
after his arrest by Deputy Chad Eaton who had arrived at the location to assist. During the search, Deputy Eaton located a clear baggie containing several smaller baggies commonly used to transport and distribute illegal drugs in Williams’ pants pocket.
Deputy Getchell conducted a search of the vehicle and located a clear plastic baggie containing a tan crystal- like substance between the passenger’s seat and the center console. The substance was tested and showed a presumptive positive reading for methamphetamine.
Root and Williams were both transported to the Spokane County Jail. Root was booked for a misdemeanor charge of Driving While License Suspended 3rd. Williams was booked for a new felony charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance along with his warrants.