NEWS RELEASE
SAFETY AND SECURITY PRIORITY AT NEW COURTHOUSE
Durham, N.C., March 6, 2013—Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Durham County Courthouse are sending a message: the safety and security of those in the courthouse is top priority. During the first 14 days of operation in the new courthouse, from Feb. 11 to Feb. 28, deputies made two felony arrests, took 59 people into custody on outstanding warrants, issued two traffic-related citations, and charged two people with misdemeanor drug possession.
The first felony arrest occurred Feb. 19 when deputies patrolling the 6-level parking deck discovered a suspicious vehicle that smelled of marijuana parked on the 3rd level. Upon closer inspection of the car, deputies observed a plastic baggie that appeared to contain drugs in the footwell area. The investigation continued and deputies soon located the vehicle’s driver, Antonio Lee Keith, 31, of 5 Meadowcrest Dr in Durham.
A search of Keith and his vehicle led to the discovery of 1.2 grams of crack cocaine, 0.5 grams of marijuana, plastic baggies, and $300 cash. Keith was subsequently arrested and charged with possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II substance (cocaine); possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule VI substance (marijuana); and possession of drug paraphernalia. He later posted a $3,500 bond and was released hours after his arrest.
Only one week later, court security deputies made a second felony arrest Feb. 27. A man approached a deputy at 9 a.m. and told the deputy that he had accidentally left an iPad and a smartphone on a bench in the hallway of the fourth floor of the courthouse, and that the items were now missing.
Deputies reviewed security camera footage of the area where the items were left, and watched as a man found the iPad and smartphone, picked them up, and walked off. A description of the man was given out to the more than two-dozen deputies working in the courthouse and the man was quickly located in a courtroom on the 5th floor.
The man in question was identified as Christopher Dane Kimball, 29, of 1624 Country Ln in Creedmoor, and deputies found him to be in possession of the stolen iPad and smartphone. He was then arrested and charged with felony larceny. Kimball posted a $2,000 bond and was released hours after his arrest. The stolen items were later returned to the owner.
In addition to the two felony arrests, deputies also arrested 59 wanted persons in the courthouse between Feb. 11 and Feb. 28. That number accounted for 28 percent of all arrests made agency-wide by sheriff’s deputies during the same period.
“The safety and security of visitors and courthouse employees is paramount,” Sheriff Mike Andrews said. “The new courthouse is about three times bigger than the old one, not including the parking deck, and the deputies assigned to its security are doing an outstanding job. The men and women working the front door, patrolling the parking deck, and protecting courtrooms take their job and responsibilities seriously; so let it be known that criminal activity in and around the courthouse will not be tolerated,” he added.
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