ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 5:52 A.M. A CALL WAS RECEIVED BY DEPUTY MARK BENISH OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ABOUT A VEHICLE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE OF THE INTERSTATE SOUTH OF NEWPORT NEAR THE SIXTY (60) MILE MARKER. A SHORT TIME LATER, CHIEF DEPUTY CHARLES VAUGHN ADVISED DISPATCH THAT HE WOULD BE OUT WITH THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE SEVENTY-NINE (79) AND THE EIGHTY (80) MILE MARKER WHICH IS THE JONESBORO EXIT ON THE INTERSTATE.
A SHORT TIME LATER, BENISH ARRIVED AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER, WHO WAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING CHARLES MICHAEL AUTRY OF PALESTINE, ARKANSAS. BENISH DETERMINED THAT AUTRY APPEARED TO BE INCOHERENT ABOUT WHERE HE WAS AND WHY HE WAS TRAVELING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. BENISH ALSO OBSERVED THAT AUTRY'S SPEECH WAS SLURRED AND THAT HE WAS SWAYING IN HIS BALANCE.
BENISH ALSO CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE AND LOCATED A GREEN COLORED PILL BOTTLE THAT CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY NINE (9) XANAX BARS. AS A RESULT OF BENISH'S OBSERVATIONS, AUTRY WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED AND TRANSPORTED TO THE JACKSON COUNTY DETENTION CENTER.
AFTER ARRIVING AT THE JAIL, AUTRY WAS OFFERED A URINE TEST. AFTER THE TEST WAS COMPLETED, THE JAIL STAFF BEGAN BOOKING AUTRY INTO THE JAIL. WHILE BOOKING HIM INTO THE JAIL, THE STAFF DISCOVERED A BAG CONTAINING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA AND A PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE CONTAINING MARIJUANA ON AUTRY'S PERSON. AUTRY WAS THEN HELD ON CHARGES OF FURNISHING PROHIBITED ARTICLES, POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - XANAX AND DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED - DRUGS.
ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2008, AUTRY APPEARED IN NEWPORT DISTRICT COURT ON THE CHARGES. HIS BOND WAS SET AT $ 5,000.00 AND HE WAS ORDERED TO APPEAR IN JACKSON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.