Crime & Safety

Woman Questions Officer's Intentions During Arrest

Suspect charged with methamphetamine possession asks officer if he intends to rape her.

A Lawrenceville woman had more worries on her mind than a trip to jail after being arrested for methamphetamine possession in Dacula.

On Jan. 23, a Gwinnett County Police officer pulled over a vehicle on Alcovy Road after noticing the windshield had a large spider-web crack in it. After obtaining identification from the driver and passenger, the officer returned to his patrol car and noticed the passenger, 36-year-old Rachel Dooley of Lawrenceville, and the driver “moving through the vehicle furtively.” The officer noted Dooley was making most of the movements.

After a backup officer arrived, the officer requested and received permission to search the vehicle. During the search, the officer found a multi-colored purse behind the seat where Dooley had been seated. The officer opened the purse and found a clear baggy which contained what appeared to be methamphetamine. The officer also found a case in the purse that held another baggy, which also appeared to be filled with methamphetamine.

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The officer left the purse in the vehicle and walked over to where the backup officer was standing with the driver. The officer then placed the driver in handcuffs prompting the driver to ask what the officer had found in the vehicle. At that point, Dooley allegedly said the officer had probably found the methamphetamine in her purse. She also reportedly added, “The meth is mine. It’s not his.” Dooley was also handcuffed and placed in the backup officer’s patrol car.

After retrieving the methamphetamine, the officer went to the patrol car where Dooley was seated. In his report, the officer wrote that when he opened the door of the patrol car to speak with Dooley, she “asked me, ‘Are you going to rape me?’ I assured her that I was not.”

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After the officer read Dooley the Miranda warning, Dooley asked for an attorney. As the officer began to close the door, Dooley once again admitted the methamphetamine belonged to her and not the driver.

Based on Dooley’s admission and the fact the methamphetamine was found in Dooley’s purse, the driver was released after being cited for the cracked windshield. Dooley was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail and charged with possession of methamphetamine. She was released from jail on Jan. 24 on a $5,700 bond.


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