A Cedartown man remained in jail on multiple drug charges and warrants after he was found sleeping in a vehicle in the ditch on Shiloh Road in front of Shiloh Baptist Church.
Michael Wayne Dawson, 43 of 338 Stubb Street, Cedartown, remained in the Polk County Jail with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after reports came in of him sleeping inside of a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee parked in front of the church around 4:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Police reported they received calls about Dawson in the Jeep, with a witness unsure if he was asleep or dead inside the SUV. When police arrived, they found Dawson in the driver’s seat, asleep, with the motor running and the vehicle in drive.
The responding officer couldn’t get Dawson to wake up at first after he got in and shut off the Jeep, then used a knuckle rub on his sternum to get him to respond.
“Mr. Dawson awoke but was very disoriented,” the report stated. “Mr. Dawson had slurred speech and was unable to say exactly where he was or how he arrived.”
Police did ask him if he wanted to go to the hospital, which he refused. They then sought more information about him, and when he failed to produce a license but gave his date and name of birth to police, dispatchers from 911 reported back that he was being sought for active warrants for his arrest.
Dawson was taken into custody without further incident, and when police searched his vehicle they found several items to explain his stupor within the vehicle.
Officers discovered two syringes within the vehicle, two joints, a bag of a “substance believed to be marijuana,” along with another bag of “a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetmine,” a pill and a small plastic straw.
Later when Dawson was searched at the jail, staff there also found he had another pill in his sweat pants pocket that police didn’t find when searching him initially during his arrest.
Ultimately, Dawson was charged with felonies for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, methamphetamine possession with intent and theft by receiving stolen property.
Misdemeanor charges included theft by shoplifting, obstruction of law enforcement officers, criminal trespass, simple battery, possession and use of drug related objects and marijuana possession of less than an ounce.
Bond had yet to be set by the time of posting.
