Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Last night, Elijah McKenna Eyerly, 29, and Paulina Sophia Oswald, 27, were taken into custody on drug-related charges after allegedly refusing to exit their vehicle. To gain entry, deputies had to break a window and unlock the door. A K-9 unit was used to remove Oswald, while Eyerly was forcibly removed after reportedly kicking the K-9.
An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop around 9:46 p.m. on August 23, on the 5100 block of SW 13th Street due to a car’s faulty headlight. When the car stopped, the deputy repeatedly asked the occupants to exit the vehicle. However, he reported not receiving any response from the driver, Oswald, or the passenger, Eyerly, seated in the front.
The deputy approached the car on the passenger side to communicate with Eyerly, who reportedly became combative and refused to leave the vehicle. Moving to the driver’s side, the deputy encountered Oswald, who also reportedly declined to exit the car.
Despite issuing “numerous” commands, the occupants allegedly disregarded orders, leading the deputy to declare them under arrest. However, they still reportedly did not comply with requests to exit.
Another deputy arrived at the scene, and after further commands were ignored, they broke the back window on the driver’s side to unlock the door. Once opened, commands continued, but both individuals allegedly remained defiant.
Deputies started removing Oswald from the car, and she reportedly moved over to sit in Eyerly’s lap.
After issuing several more commands without compliance, deputies utilized a K-9 to extract Oswald. During this process, Eyerly allegedly kicked the K-9 in the head multiple times, prompting deputies to forcefully remove him from the car, subdue him on the ground, and secure him with handcuffs.
An inventory search of the vehicle reportedly produced a container of about 0.1 grams of methamphetamine, several small baggies containing a white powdery residue in Oswald’s book bag, and a baggie containing about 9 grams of cocaine and empty baggies under Eyerly’s seat.
Post Miranda, both defendants reportedly declined to speak with the deputies.
Eyerly has been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a mosque, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, battery on a police K-9, and resisting an officer without violence. He has no local criminal history. Judge Gloria Walker set bail at $65,000.
Oswald has been charged with methamphetamine possession, cocaine possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a vehicle for the purpose of selling drugs, and resisting an officer without violence. She has no local criminal history, and her bail will be set on Monday.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
