WL man faces drug, gun charges after police called to local park

A 29-year-old local man faces three criminal charges after police responded to a call of an occupied vehicle in Happy Hollow Park after it was closed for the night.

In the early morning hours Wednesday, police made contact with four people in the vehicle. As a result of the investigation, Dakota Lee Fields, of 506 Trace 5, West Lafayette, was charged with one felony, unlawful carrying of a handgun, and two misdemeanors, possession of paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, according to documents filed by the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office on July 17.

Fields was sitting in the back behind the driver’s seat of the vehicle. A West Lafayette police officer first talked to the person in the driver’s seat who has not been charged. The officer noted that the person in the driver’s seat “responses to be delayed, his speech slurred and eyes appeared to be bloodshot,” according to the probable cause affidavit. Furthermore, he “admitted he had just smoked marijuana but there was no additional marijuana in the vehicle.”

Thereafter, Fields “admitted (to the officer) he had marijuana in the vehicle,” the court document said. “Fields indicated his marijuana was in his bag located on the backseat floor where he had been seated.”

A police dog alerted officers of the presence of a narcotic in the vehicle.

During a search one of the vehicle’s police reportedly found a switchblade knife and a “clear baggie containing 4.39 grams of a green plant-like substance consistent with the appearance of marijuana.”

As the police continued their investigation, they reported finding a handgun with three magazines located under the driver’s seat. Fields’ bag was searched, too, where they found 14 grams of what appeared to marijuana.

“While (police) were searching the vehicle, one of the occupants indicated to (the officer)

the handgun located under the driver’s seat was his and had just been given to him by a friend,” the affidavit said. “Fields told (police) he had a tan handgun in his bag along with the marijuana he had mentioned earlier. (A third occupant) admitted to the officer she had a baggie of marijuana in her purse that she had found on the ground near a gas station. Fields also told the officer that he had a bag in the vehicle containing a handgun and marijuana.”

According to previous court records, Fields was convicted of possession of a synthetic drug in February 2018. And in November 2016, Fields was also convicted of possession of paraphernalia.”

Fields was taken to the Tippecanoe County Jail shortly after 2 a.m. on July 17 and was released on $500 cash bond eight hours later.

Fields is the only one of the four occupants facing charges at this time.