A truck accident on Sunday evening leads to the arrest of a repeat offender.
Around 8:20 p.m., PPD attempted a Special Traffic Enforcement Program stop on a red GMC Sierra. Before the stop was initiated, the officer observed the pickup strike a power box and a mailbox near the intersection of North 26th Street and Northern Boulevard.
The driver, 38-year-old Justin Cooper, initially claimed that a medical issue caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, however, inconsistencies in his statements prompted officers to expand the search. An open-air sniff around Cooper's vehicle led to the discovery of illegal substances, including marijuana, methamphetamine, and prescription pills. Cooper admitted to recent drug use and was taken into custody without further incident. He was booked into PPD as part of a DUI investigation.
Cooper was identified as a registered violent and drug offender stemming from a conviction on a 2010 voluntary manslaughter and manufacturing of methamphetamine case. He was again convicted in April 2024 for the distribution of narcotics. PPD is seeking charges for Driving under the Influence, failure to maintain Insurance, Possession of Narcotics, Marijuana, a Controlled substance, and Paraphernalia, and Distribution of a Controlled Substance.
This is an ongoing investigation. If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email tips@parsonspdks.gov.
