CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A routine traffic stop Thursday evening led to a drug investigation after officers uncovered a syringe filled with an unknown substance inside a vehicle on East Main Street.
According to a police report filed by Officer Kyle Curry, the incident began around 7:30 p.m. on August 20, 2026, when an officer patrolling South Douglas Avenue observed a vehicle fail to stop at a red light at the intersection of South Douglas and East Main Street.
After initiating a traffic stop near Hildegarten Street, the officer identified the driver as Shaina Stephenson, accompanied by a passenger, Devin Whiting. A law enforcement database check revealed that Stephenson was driving with a suspended license.
While the officer was issuing a traffic ticket, a K-9 unit from the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived to conduct a sweep around the exterior of the vehicle. The police dog alerted positive for the presence of narcotics, prompting officers to remove both occupants from the car and read them their Miranda rights.
During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a syringe containing a brown liquid inside the driver’s side door pocket. When questioned about the syringe, Stephenson told police she did not know what was inside it.
Stephenson was issued a summons for possession of drug abuse instruments alongside a citation for driving under a suspended license. She was released at the scene after being assigned a court date for August 28, 2026, at Chillicothe Municipal Court.
The vehicle was impounded by Penwell’s Towing, and the evidence was secured by police.
