Drug overdose lands two behind bars

Two Pensacola men are behind bars and another is in a local hospital after an EMS call.

Washington County EMS responded to a call regarding an unresponsive person at the intersection of Highway 77 and Peel Road on January 20.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on scene just as EMS was loading the patient into the ambulance. While on scene, one of the deputies assisted EMS and witnessed the unconscious patient gasping for air.

Another deputy made contact with the registered owner of the vehicle, 27-year-old Brad Lee Clausing, of Pensacola. Clausing was detained and a search of his person found a handgun and a pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes. Passenger, 27-year-old Lawrence Steven Colston, of Pensacola, was also detained and searched. The search found Colston in possession of glass smoking pipes, a plastic bag containing methamphetamine and a plastic bag containing a purple substance that later field tested positive for Fentanyl.

WCSO deployed a K-9 unit to perform a perimeter search of the vehicle which resulted in positive alerts for the presence of narcotics.

A search of the vehicle uncovered another Marlboro Red cigarette pack, this one containing marijuana, a green plastic bag containing methamphetamine, a digital scale and a black backpack with methamphetamine residue.

Colston later admitted he had entered the woodline earlier in an attempt to discard additional items. Deputies found a plastic bag with powdery residue that tested positive for cocaine, a pill bottle with a mixture of prescription medications inside and a large bag containing methamphetamines. The pill bottle was issued to Lawrence Colston.

Clausing is charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamines.

Colston is charged with possession of methamphetamines, possession of Fentanyl, possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a new legend drug and tampering with evidence.

The patient was transported to a local hospital and expected to make a full recovery.

This is an ongoing investigation with additional arrests and charges pending.