BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County Sheriff's Office says that it handled two separate incidents involving suspects on methamphetamine last weekend.
According to KCSO, this weekend a deputy tried to stop a bicyclist for violations in the area of Lake Isabella Blvd and Elizabeth Norris. The rider, 30-year-old Jody Dearman, told the deputy he was on probation and had a knife in his pocket. KCSO says that when the deputy tried to remove the knife from Dearman’s pocket, he began to fight with the deputy and kept putting his hand in his pocket. KCSO says the deputy was "able to take Dearman to the ground", and found him in possession of a methamphetamine smoking pipe. Neither the deputy or the suspect were hurt.
Additionally, on Feb. 24 deputies from the Tehachapi Substation arrested 35-year-old Edward Parker on Sierra Vista Drive for "kicking a deputy in the face, felon in possession of ammunition and drugs". Parker was taken to the hospital for being "extremely high on methamphetamine".
According to the Kern Behavioral Health Services, in 2017, meth was the number one drug in Kern County.