FRIDAY — AUGUST 28, 2020
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
11
Arrests Made Commission Honors Stiefel for Marijuana, for 90th Birthday Firearms in FP
By Southern Torch Staff
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — According to Fort Payne Police Chief Randy Bynum: On Tuesday, August 8, at approximately 9:30 pm Chief Randy Bynum stated Fort Payne Officers were dispatched to 207 Watkins Ave NE Apt 192 for a welfare check on children that reside at that residence. Bynum stated as officers approached the apartment, they detected a strong odor of marijuana in the area. Officers made contact with a resident, while some officers were at the front door, a subject was attempting to exit the back door carrying a backpack. The male subject attempting to exit the back was identified as Drake Lamar Kirkland, age 27 of Fort Payne. Chief Bynum stated due to the overwhelming odor of marijuana officers detained Kirkland, Tyron Antwone Tripp, age 20 of Gadsden, and Shauni Shae Wells, age 20 of Fort Payne. Investigators with the Fort Payne Police Department were contacted and arrived on the scene. Once inside
the apartment officers and investigators found numerous loaded firearms, a large quantity of marijuana, two sets of scales, plastic baggies, and a large amount of currency. Also, in this residence were two small children. DHR was contacted for the children’s safety. The subjects were each charged with the following: • Shauni Shae Wells: Possession of Marijuana 1ST, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Chemical Endangerment of a Child with bond totally $100,500.00 • Tyron Antwone Tripp: Possession of Marijuana 1ST, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Chemical Endangerment of a Child with bond totally $100,500.00 • Drake Lamar Kirkland: Possession of Marijuana 1ST, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Chemical Endangerment of a Child with bond totally $100,500.00 Subjects were transported to Fort Payne Police Department without incident and later transferred to the DeKalb County Detention Center.
On Tuesday, DeKalb County Commission President Ricky Harcrow and District 4 Commissioner Lester Black honored Mary Ruth Stiefel with a proclamation for her 90th birthday. She is pictured with her daughters, Sarah Kirby and Joyce Morton. (Marla Jones | Southern Torch)
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the mayor. Lingerfelt did not return any of the calls requesting comment. Our questions were: • When did you decide to hire a private investigator to investigate the Police Department? • What has the investigator found? • What was the cost of the private investigator? • Why do you prefer to communicate to out of town media over local
media when you make your announcements? Southern Torch has not been contacted by any officials from Rainsville inquiring about the video or the circumstances in which it was presented. Had the inquiry been made, we would have happily explained to Lingerfelt that it was anonymously delivered. Lingerfelt rarely returns our requests for comment. Southern Torch has also reached out to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office and they have assured us that the video did not originate
there. As part of the press, one of the constitutionally guaranteed rights we hold dearly is our First Amendment right of freedom of the press. It is a right that we do not take lightly. We exercise it with caution. Our office receives
numerous calls, texts, emails, and messages of information. Most of the time, we cannot fully corroborate the facts nor properly source the information. When we can, we go forward with the story. Southern Torch will
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