MERIDIAN — Two men and a woman have been booked into the Ada County Jail on charges relating to what police described as a drug-related pistol-whipping attack.
Shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday, Meridian Police officers were dispatched to the St. Luke’s Medical Center on Eagle Road on a report of a battery.
According to a news release from the Meridian Police Department, a 45-year-old African-American man told hospital staff he had just been “pistol-whipped” by three suspects –- who were in the hospital’s parking lot.
“The victim stated he had sold Justin Smith fake heroin and that Smith, Tommy Eyton and Jasmine Warren took him in their truck to find some actual heroin,” the release said. “Eventually, Smith became frustrated and pistol whipped (the victim at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of Luxury Lane in Meridian), opening a laceration in his head requiring medical treatment.”
The victim eventually separated from the group and his girlfriend drove him to the hospital, police said, where the other three showed up looking for the him.
Officers made contact with Smith, 31, of Boise, who they said originally used his brother’s identity to conceal the fact that there was a warrant out for his arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Officers said they found Smith with Eyton, 26, of Boise, and Warren, 21, of Horseshoe Bend, who were in a white Dodge 3500, with an attached utility trailer.
Based on a police K-9 alerting on the vehicle, officers searched the truck and said they found a container with buprenorphine (a Schedule III controlled dubstance) and alprazolam (a Schedule IV controlled substance) underneath Eyton’s truck seat. They said they also discovered a container with about .95 grams of suspected heroin in the truck. “Both Eyton and Warren admitted to using heroin (that day),” according to the MPD release.
Investigators said they also found scales, packaging materials and a small amount of drug paraphernalia in the truck, and a .22 caliber pistol in a toolbox in the utility trailer which they believe was used in the beating.
“This is unusual. We don’t often see something like this where suspects pursue the victim over, in this case, what they felt was an (alleged) drug deal compensation payment that was not satisfied,” said MPD Patrol Lt. Jeff Brown.
Smith was booked on felony charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled substance, plus misdemeanors of false personation and possessing drug paraphernalia. Eyton was booked on three felonies of drug possession with intent to deliver, felony aggravated battery, and two drug possession misdemeanors. Warren was booked on felony drug possession with intent to deliver, felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
