Menu
Malden woman, Bernie man jailed on drug charges
BERNIE, Mo. — A Malden woman and Bernie man were arrested on drug possession charges after a police officer found them asleep in a grocery store parking lot Sunday in Bernie.
Chasity Zimmerman, 35, of Malden and Micah Shane Weaver, 37, of Bernie are each charged through Stoddard County with one count of felony possession of a controlled substance, according to online court records.
According to the probable cause statement, officer Eddie Mays with the Bernie Police Department responded on Sunday to the Bernie Town and Country Supermarket in reference to a suspicious vehicle parked by the front door of the store. Upon arrival, he observed a male who was later identified as Weaver sitting in the driver’s seat and a female who was later identified as Zimmerman in the passenger side front seat of the vehicle. They both appeared to be sleeping, Mays said. After repeated attempts to wake them both, Weaver woke up and appeared disoriented and unaware of the officer’s presence. Zimmerman did not respond.
Mays asked Weaver for identification. Weaver couldn’t find his wallet and asked the officer if he could exit the vehicle to find it. Mays said he could and asked if there were any weapons or illegal substances in the vehicle. Weaver told him there were two pistols under the driver’s seat and several knives in the vehicle, according to the probable cause statement.
Mays said he asked Weaver to step to the rear of the vehicle and he complied. Mays said he told Weaver he wasn’t under arrest, but he was detaining him by placing him in hand restraints for safety of them both.
Mays then asked if Zimmerman was in some kind of medical distress due to her unresponsiveness. Weaver said she wasn’t; she was just hard to wake up. Weaver said he and his girlfriend, Zimmerman, came to the store to get a soda from the machines at the front of the store, but when Weaver pulled up, Zimmerman was asleep and then he dozed off himself.
After receiving permission from Weaver, Mays retrieved the two guns. One was loaded; one was not so Mays secured them by unloading the gun and placing both in the trunk of his patrol vehicle.
May then approached the passenger side of the Weaver’s vehicle. Upon looking through the half-lowered window of the door, Mays said he observed a small, square clear plastic container containing a white crystal-like substance laying in plain view on Zimmerman’s lap. At that point, the officer opened the door and took possession of the container and its contents. He then repeatedly tried to wake Zimmerman by verbal requests and shaking her. There was no response. After numerous attempts to wake her with no response, Mays requested EMS to the location.
While waiting for EMS, Mays conducted a field test on the white crystal substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine. Mays then advised Weaver of the results and secured him in the rear passenger seat of his patrol vehicle.
EMS arrived, and Zimmerman was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Mays was then granted permission by Weaver to search his vehicle. During the search, Mays located a metal container with a clear lid and observed a very small amount of a green leafy material along with the as male metal grinder in the container, the probable cause statement said. He also located a multi-colored pipe that contained ad ark leafy residue.
Bond was set at $7,500 cash only. They were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday before Judge Joe Z. Satterfield in Stoddard County.