Thief River Falls: Meth, DWI Charges After Stop

Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man is facing drug and DWI charges after a traffic stop in the area, according to a criminal complaint.

Traffic stop details

According to the complaint, the stop happened on Dec. 12 at about 10:07 p.m. Police said the vehicle was stopped near Highway 59 and 140th Street Northeast.

Charges filed

Christopher Marvin Pickens, 49, of Thief River Falls, was arrested and later charged, according to court records.

Pickens is charged with a fifth-degree felony controlled substance crime. The charge is listed as a prior conviction enhancement.

He is also charged with gross misdemeanor third-degree DWI. The complaint lists the DWI as involving a controlled substance.

These charges are allegations. Pickens is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

What police say they found

The complaint says an officer observed signs of impairment. Police report the officer asked Pickens when he last used methamphetamine.

Pickens reportedly said he used it earlier that morning.

The complaint says Pickens failed some field sobriety tests.

Police also claim Pickens had drug items on him. The complaint lists a glass pipe and two baggies. The baggies contained a white substance, according to the report.

One baggie was reported to weigh 2.07 grams. Police said the items had a presumptive positive test result for methamphetamine.

Urine test and prior convictions

The complaint says Pickens later attempted to provide a urine sample at the Law Enforcement Center. After trying to provide the sample, Pickens reportedly questioned why testing was needed. The complaint says he stated he knew it was “just going to come back hot.”

Police said he completed the test. The sample was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing, according to the complaint.

The complaint also states Pickens has prior controlled substance convictions. The years listed were 2015 and 2016.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.