Police say a Madisonville man was in stable condition at an area hospital Friday afternoon after he swallowed a bag of illegal narcotics during a traffic stop.
Madisonville Police report detectives with the Madisonville/Hopkins County VICE/Narcotics Unit stopped a vehicle after the driver, 65-year old Joe Browder, disregarded a stop sign on South Kentucky Avenue shortly before 3:00 p.m. While speaking with Browder, detectives reportedly saw an open alcoholic beverage on the floorboard of the vehicle.
When Browder was asked to get out of the vehicle for field sobriety tests, detectives said they noticed a large bag of suspected illegal narcotics in the right cheek of his mouth and told him to spit it out, but he began chewing the bag.
According to detectives, as they were arresting Browder he continued to chew and swallowed the substance that was later determined to be 1/2 ounce of illicit drugs. Detectives then called Medical Center EMS to the scene due to the large amount of drugs Browder ingested. Detectives said Browder was taken to Baptist Health Deaconess Hospital where he was admitted and is listed in stable condition.
Browder is charged with possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a vehicle, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence, resisting arrest, and disregarding a stop sign.
