In a late-night operation that turned up more than just paperwork problems, Salt Lake City Police Department officers from the Pioneer Patrol Division nabbed two men for drug and weapons charges following a traffic stop gone deeper. As reported by SLCPD, the incident began when a car was spotted driving without headlights at approximately 2:14 a.m. yesterday, near the intersection of 800 West and North Temple.
The routine traffic stop swiftly escalated after the driver, identified as 59-year-old Darnell Cockle, was found to possess a suspended license, This escalation ensued due to a drug-sniffing K9 alerting officers to the likelihood of narcotics in the vehicle, a discovery which ultimately led to a broader intervention involving a vehicle search that would unearth illegal substances and weaponry.
Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered an assortment of narcotics including 4.8 grams of what is believed to be methamphetamine, 7 grams of suspect crack cocaine, and a possible fentanyl pill, alongside a collection of weapons comprising a machete and a handgun. Following these findings, Darnell Cockle was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on multiple charges, including possession of controlled substances and various traffic violations…