On Monday, April 14, 2025, around 11:30 p.m., Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies were patrolling the area of South Street and Jefferson Street when they saw a suspicious vehicle parked on the side of a local business. Deputies attempted to make contact with the driver but found him to be sleeping behind the wheel with the car running. In the vehicle, deputies saw a glass smoking pipe and a large knife sheath.
When deputies woke up the driver, later identified as Caleb Johnson Kessler, he began making erratic movements and reaching for the gear shifter. Kessler was instructed to exit the vehicle, but he refused. When deputies attempted to remove him from the vehicle, he began pulling away, but deputies eventually got him out of the vehicle.
Due to the drug paraphernalia being in plain view, a search of the vehicle was conducted. During the search, deputies located a glass smoking pipe with methamphetamine residue, several plastic baggies containing both methamphetamine and fentanyl, and two glass smoking pipes containing a small amount of marijuana.
Kessler was arrested and is being charged with Resisting an Officer Without Violence, Two Counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine and Fentanyl), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
