Hohenwald Police Department officers were able to seize over approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine and several pressed pills containing Fentanyl last week.

HPD Officers performed a routine traffic stop last Tuesday afternoon which resulted in the confiscation of pressed pills.

"Pressed pills are a major problem in our community," said Hohenwald Police Chief Kip Kelsey. "Pressed pills contain Fentanyl."

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid pain reliever that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The pressed pills are manufactured by taking pills, Fentanyl powder and a pill press, and once it has been pressed together it becomes nearly impossible to tell the difference.

On Wednesday, April 6, the Hohenwald Police Department received a tip on the whereabouts of a wanted fugitive, Oop Carroll, who had been on the run for quite some time according to Chief Kelsey.

HPD Officers were able to locate Carroll and made a routine traffic stop due to expired tags. A female passenger was in possession of approximately 4 grams of methamphetamine and several pressed pills which are believed to contain Fentanyl. Carroll and the passenger were both taken into custody.

The next day, HPD Officers responded to a possible DOA, or a dead on arrival, call. The male subject was not able to be resuscitated and his cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.

During the investigation, officers found information on his cell phone that led them to obtain a search warrant for 207 Commanche Drive. Later that night the search warrant was executed and HPD Officers seized approximately 21.3 grams of methamphetamine, a little over an ounce of marijuana, a firearm and three unidentified types of pills which are awaiting lab results. Officers took James Burns Jr. into custody.

Friday night an officer was on routine patrol when he came across a car whose alarm was going off. The officer found Branton Sharp asleep in the driver's seat with paraphernalia laying in the passenger seat in plain view. After investigating, the paraphernalia was a large amount of pressed pills containing Fentanyl. Sharp was taken into custody for possession and was also charged with a DUI, according to the Chief of Police.

"I am very proud of this department and what we are accomplishing as a team," Chief Kelsey said. "We're also very thankful for the continued support of our community. It's quite often that we are able to gain information from anonymous tips that we are able to act on and see results from."

Pressed pills

In the past three years, the Hohenwald Police Department has been able to make approximately 500 drug-related arrests.

"Addiction does not discriminate," said the Chief of Police. "Once they get their first high, they're hungry for their next. And a lot of times they don't know what they're putting in their body. These pressed pills are nearly impossible to tell apart from any other prescription drug."