FHP: Florida man hands trooper weed pipe during traffic stop

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Clay County man was arrested Thursday afternoon after he tried to hand a trooper a glass pipe during a traffic stop, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said Karl Scott Parsons of Orange Park was pulled over after he was spotted going more than 30 mph over the 55-mph speed limit shortly before 4 p.m. on Interstate 10 near Lane Avenue.

"This guy was going well over the limit, so it made himself a target," said Gil Smith, News4Jax crime and safety analyst. "He should have known that he would be pulled over."

Parsons, 28, acknowledged having smoked marijuana before leaving home and then offered the trooper a multicolored glass pipe, according to a copy of his arrest report.

The report states Parsons told the trooper to look in a bag inside the car.

Nearly five ounces of jarred marijuana were found tucked inside the backpack on the back seat, and a digital scale was found on the floorboard, according to the report. Troopers also found edibles.

"Mr. Parsons may have told the trooper to look inside the bag where the marijuana was, thinking that, 'Well, maybe he won’t look, or if he does look, maybe I’ll get a little bit of leniency,' because he had volunteered to turn over the evidence," Smith said.

But, Smith said, it doesn't work like that.

“They are highly trained how to notice when people are carrying marijuana and carrying illegal drugs," he said. "They look for certain signs."

Parsons said he had only recently purchased the pot and admitted he was "stupid" for going so fast with marijuana in the car, the report said.

Parsons was booked into the Duval County jail on felony marijuana possession charges and a misdemeanor offense of possessing paraphernalia. He was released on bond Friday.


About the Authors:

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.