Officers go to Bakersfield home to arrest woman with warrant, leave with a sweep of four others in custody

Officers from the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office went to a residence on Highway 101 north of Bakersfield June 16 with hopes of arresting one woman, Katherine Brotherton, on an active warrant issued due to her failure to report to her probation and parole officer. However, the visit was more productive than they thought it would be and five people left the house in handcuffs that day. 

 

A quick arrest of Brotherton

According to a post on the Ozark County Sheriff’s Facebook page, Deputy Stephen Ator and Sgt. Justin Brown arrived at the residence around 1:41 p.m. that afternoon. They saw Brotherton, the woman they’d came there to arrest, flee the house from the front. They caught up with her and placed her under arrest. 

“She stated that there were other individuals inside the residence, which deputies learned may also have outstanding warrants as well,” the probable cause statement says. 

With Brotherton in handcuffs, Ator and Brown knocked on the house’s front door, but no one responded, the post said. 

 

Two detained, one man flees, officers find paraphernalia 

Deputies began looking around the perimeter of the home, and a man and woman were found near the back of the home. They were both detained. 

While the officers were in the rear of the home, they witnessed another man run into the woods. The man, later identified as Charles “Levi” Barrett, had an active warrant issued in a Howell County case for violating a full ex-parte order of protection. 

Ator and Brown went inside and began searching the residence for the other wanted individuals they suspected to be at the home. 

During the search, they found drug paraphernalia throughout the home in plain view. The deputies stopped the search for a few minutes and applied for a search warrant. 

 

Crossley found hiding in wellhouse, arrested

They then began securing the residence and outbuildings. 

While securing the outbuildings on the property, a man was located hiding in the wellhouse. He was identified as Colby Crossley and found to have two active warrants for his arrest issued by West Plains Police Department for traffic offenses. 

 

K9 Rye finds subject who fled - and another

The help of OCSD K9 Rye and her handler Deputy Alan Daffron was requested to help locate the man who had fled the home, and the officer and dog soon arrived on scene soon afterward.

The dog began trailing the fleeing subject and she and Daffron found him and another man lying in the weeds next to a barn on the property. The pair were identified as Eric Vandiver and William Henson. 

Henson arrested, drugs found on Vandiver

Henson was found to have an active felony warrant issued from the Howell County Sheriff’s Department for a drug-related charge, and Vandiver was found to have an active warrant for his arrest issued from Benton County, Arkansas, for a theft charge and a drug charge. 

A search of the area where Vandiver was hiding was conducted by Ator, Daffron and K9 Rye. A plastic baggie containing approximately 15 grams of a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine and another  small silver container that contained approximately 1.5 grams of a similar substance were found. Both substances field-tested positive for methamphetamine.  They have been sent to the Missouri State crime lab for further testing. 

 

Search of home turns up scales, paraphernalia

All subjects were transported to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office where they were processed. 

A search warrant for the residence was granted and conducted. 

During the search, several methamphetamine paraphernalia items were located as well as a set of digital scales. Upon completion of the search, all evidence was transported to the Sheriff’s Office.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423