Shaky Hands and Itchy Leg Rouse Cop’s Suspicions

Poker players are apparently not the only ones who have a tell.

A South Carolina man’s shaky hands and itchy leg proved to be a signal he had something to hide from the officer who stopped him on I-85 near the Spout Springs Road overpass in northeast Gwinnett County.

Joseph Solomon, 25, of South Carolina, was driving a 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass northbound on I-85 on June 1 when a Gwinnett County police officer noticed the vehicle’s middle brake light was inoperative. The vehicle’s tag was also covered with a tinted tag cover – another violation of Georgia traffic law.

After being pulled over, Solomon was unable to produce his driver’s license or photo identification. The officer asked Solomon to accompany him to his patrol car so that he could issue the applicable traffic citations. The passenger and owner of the vehicle, Chadwick Roper, 25, also of South Carolina, remained in the vehicle.

The officer noticed Solomon seemed “overly nervous” during their encounter. In his report, the officer wrote Solomon’s hands were shaking and that Solomon kept scratching his leg. The officer began questioning Solomon regarding where he had been and what he had been doing. Solomon had difficulty providing clear answers to the officer’s questions.

“I found this highly suspicious and noticed during these questions Solomon scratched his leg more often,” the officer wrote in the arrest report.

Dispatch notified the officer that Solomon’s license was suspended. The officer returned to the vehicle to advise Roper that he would have to drive. When speaking with Roper, the officer asked where he and Solomon had been. Roper’s answers differed from the ones Solomon had provided and the officer noticed Roper became increasingly nervous during the conversation.

The officer returned to Solomon and asked for permission to search him. Solomon consented. During the search, the officer discovered a single pill in Solomon’s pocket. The officer then requested permission from Roper to search the vehicle. Under the passenger seat, the officer found a magnetic key holder box containing 12 pills that were later determined to be methadone.

Solomon subsequently admitted that he and Roper had purchased the pills from an individual in Atlanta whose name they claimed not to be able to recall. Solomon also admitted having some more pills in his underwear. In total, the officer recovered 17 pills.

Both men were placed under arrest. Solomon was charged with driving with a suspended license and possession of a controlled substance. He remains incarcerated at the Gwinnett County Jail. Bond has been set at $7,000.  Roper was charged with possession of a controlled substance and was released June 6 on a $5,700 bond.

Other recent incidents investigated by the Gwinnett County Police Department include: 

May 29

• Public drunkenness in the 2400 block of Hamilton Mill Parkway.
• Amphetamine possession in the 1800 block of Alcovy Road.

May 30

• Burglary in the 1800 block of Green Alder Drive.
• Burglary in the 3400 block of Fence Road.

May 31

• Financial transaction card fraud in the 2600 block of Freemans Walk Path.

June 1

• Entering auto in the 2000 block of Stancil Point Drive.

June 2

• Second-degree forgery in the 4300 block of Braselton Highway.
• Underage possession of alcohol in the 4600 block of Wheeler Creek Drive.
• Motor vehicle theft in the 2600 block of Carolina Drive.
• Motor vehicle theft in the 900 block of Harbins Road.
• Theft by taking in the 300 block of Harbins Road.

June 3

• Financial transaction card fraud in the 1700 block of Huntington Hill Trace.
• Theft by shoplifting in the 2200 block of Hamilton Creek Parkway.
• Aggravated assault in the 1900 block of Patrick Road.

June 4

• Burglary in the 1000 block of Rock Elm Drive.
• Aggravated battery in the 4700 block of Lily Stem Drive.
• Battery in the 2100 block of Enclave Mill Drive.
• Theft by deception in the 1700 block of Katrina Jo Ann Circle.
• Simple battery in the 2000 block of Lee Patrick Drive.

June 5

• Marijuana possession near Daniel Park Run and Daniel Park Drive.

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