A Carrollton, Mo., police officer has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Marshall
police said they received a tip that Robert W. Bakert, 34, of Marshall,
had been suspected of using methamphetamine while working for the
Carollton Police Department.
"(It was) inconceivable at first,"
said Carrollton Police Chief Donny King, on how he reacted to news of
Bakert's arrest. "You have a hard time imagining anybody that picks this
for a career getting involved in that, and then there's the shock."
According
to court documents, an officer pulled Bakert over for a traffic
violation early Tuesday and searched his vehicle. The officer said
Bakert was wearing his police uniform and had his service firearm on a
belt in the passenger's side floorboard.
The documents said a K-9
officer was brought to sniff Bakert's vehicle and led officers to a
glass smoking pipe that was under a floor mat. Police also said they
found a plastic bag with white residue, two near-empty containers of
"Pump-It" stimulant in the car.
In the trunk, police said they
found an evidence bag containing three spoons covered in a white powdery
residue. The evidence bag had been cut open.
Investigators later
said the stimulant containers tested positive for the presence of
methamphetamine and the spoons tested positive for cocaine.
According
to court documents, Bakert said he had not used methamphetamine since
December 2010, but said he would not provide a urine sample for drug
testing. He initially said the spoons had been intended for use in a
display at the Carrollton Police Department, but later said he had
planned to dispose of them, but they must have fallen out of a bag and
into his trunk.
If convicted, the charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison or up to $5,000 in fines.Bakert
graduated from the police academy six months ago and has been working
for Carrollton ever since. A hearing is scheduled next Monday to
determine whether Bakert should be fired.
"He was a friendly guy and did good work," King said. "(There was) no indication anything like this was going on."
