Latest news with #AustinBranham
Toronto Sun
07-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Ohio woman busted for drug possession as pet raccoon holds meth pipe
A police officer who arrested an Ohio woman for drug offences got a unexpected surprise after finding a pet raccoon holding a meth pipe inside a vehicle this week. Photo by Springfield Township (Ohio) Police Department / Facebook Chewy the raccoon was just an innocent bystander. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Police in Ohio said an officer encountered a strange scene this week when a raccoon was found inside a vehicle holding a meth pipe. According to the Springfield Township Police Department, Officer Austin Branham conducted a traffic stop Monday evening, near Akron, after identifying a vehicle whose owner had an active warrant and a suspended driver's licence. During the investigation, the officer detained the driver, 55-year-old Victoria Vidal, of Akron, without incident. RECOMMENDED VIDEO However, police said the routine traffic stop took an unusual turn. 'As Officer Branham returned to the vehicle, he observed a raccoon named 'Chewy' sitting in the driver's seat with a meth pipe in its mouth,' police said on Facebook. 'Chewy had somehow gotten hold of a glass methamphetamine pipe, leading officers to further inspect the vehicle.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The cop searched the vehicle and found a bulk amount of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and three used glass meth pipes. Vidal was charged with possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and was cited for driving under suspension. She was also turned over to Cuyahoga Falls Police on the active warrant. Police said Vidal could face additional charges related to crack cocaine possession following lab test results. A cop who arrested an Ohio woman for drug offences got a unexpected surprise after finding a pet raccoon holding a meth pipe inside a vehicle. Photo by Springfield Township (Ohio) Police Department / Facebook Cops also released images and bodycam footage of the pet raccoon holding a meth pipe. 'Thankfully, Chewy the raccoon was unharmed, and notification was made to the proper authorities to determine that she has the proper paperwork and documentation to own the raccoon,' police said. 'While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first! No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident.' It is illegal to keep wildlife without a permit and keep wild animals as pets in Ohio, reports NBC affiliate WCMH. However, raccoons, foxes, deer, moose, caribou, zebras, llamas, alpacas, emu, elk and tarantulas are generally permitted as exotic pets. Read More Television MLB Toronto Maple Leafs Canada World
CTV News
07-05-2025
- CTV News
Raccoon found playing with ‘meth pipe' at traffic stop: Ohio police
A bizarre traffic stop in Ohio led to offices finding a raccoon in the driver's seat with a meth pipe. A bizarre traffic stop in Ohio led to offices finding a raccoon in the driver's seat with a meth pipe. An Ohio traffic stop took a turn for the strange this week when a pet raccoon was found playing with an alleged 'meth pipe' inside the vehicle, police say. In body-camera footage published by Storyful on Wednesday, Springfield, Ohio, police officer Austin Branham is seen conducting a search of a vehicle when he suddenly breaks into breathless laughter. Inside the car, a live raccoon is sitting calmly by the steering wheel, fussing with an object in its hands. Branham turns to another officer standing a few feet away, incredulous. 'Come here,' he is heard saying. 'The raccoon has her meth pipe.' Branham stops a bystander from reaching into the driver's-side window, then plucks out what appears to be a slender, glass object with a rounded end. Seconds later, the raccoon produces a second, similar object, and puts the opening to its mouth. 'He's trying to smoke it!' Branham cries out. According to a social media post from the Springfield Township Police Department, a search of the vehicle uncovered a 'bulk amount of Methamphetamine,' 'crack cocaine' and 'three used glass meth pipes.' The driver, identified by police as a 55-year-old woman, was charged with multiple drug-related charges, as well as cited for driving under a suspended licence. At time of this writing, she has not been convicted on any of the charges. Individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Police say they also followed up with 'the proper authorities' to verify whether the accused had the appropriate paperwork to own the raccoon, named 'Chewy.' 'While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first!' the post reads. 'No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident.' You can watch the body-camera footage in the video player at the top of this article.
Metro
07-05-2025
- Metro
Pet raccoon caught doing meth in the driver's seat of a car
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the moment a police officer found a pet raccoon called Chewy doing meth in the driver's seat of a car. Bodycam footage from officer Austin Branham shows him stopping a car in Springfield, Ohio, on Monday. The driver, Victoria Vidal, 55, was detained because she had an active warrant and suspended driver's licence. But things took an unusual turn when the officer returned to the car after she was detained. 'Oh, hey, come here, the raccoon has her meth pipe,' the officer can be heard saying. He then chuckles and exclaims: 'He's playing with the meth pipe, right now.' The officer then laughs harder and shouts: 'He's trying to smoke it.' He then reaches into the car and pulls the meth pipe away from Chewy before he says excitedly: 'The raccoon was playing with her meth pipe. 'Alright, enough fun and games,' he then tells Chewy. Officers at the scene investigated the car more after being left baffled as to how the raccoon managed to get a meth pipe in his mouth. They also found a bulk amount of meth, crack cocaine and three used glass meth pipes. Ms Vidal was charged with possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and was cited for driving under suspension. She was also turned over to Cuyahoga Falls Police for her active warrant. More Trending The additional charges related to crack cocaine possession will be presented at Grand Jury pending lab results. Springfield Township Police Department posted on Facebook: 'Thankfully, Chewy the raccoon was unharmed, and notification was made to the proper authorities to determine that she has the proper paperwork and documentation to own the raccoon. 'While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first! No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident. 'As always, we remain committed to keeping our community safe — no matter what surprises may come our way.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Woman's dismembered body found on beach after telling friends she was going to party MORE: 'Loverboy' criminal who romanced two prison workers caught after week on the run MORE: First picture of 'super nice' and 'helpful' man stabbed to death in his flat
