Cornell Powell, 60, Indianapolis
HANCOCK COUNTY — An Indianapolis man is facing a felony gun charge after officials say he should not have had the weapon stemming from an incident Sept. 29.
Cornell Powell, 60, 3800 block of Strathmore Drive, has been charged with a Level 4 felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and a Class A Misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person.
Powell’s case was opened in Hancock County Circuit Court in early October where Judge Scott Sirk issued a $25,000 cash bond and appointed the Hancock County Public Defender to the case. Powell is due back in court for a pretrial conference in late December.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a deputy with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department responded a call about a wrong-way driver traveling westbound in the eastbound lane near Grandison Road and US 40 Charlottesville.
The deputy made a traffic stop on a vehicle and observed multiple open containers on the passenger side seat, passengers floor board and one open beer can in the driver side cup holder. The deputy asked the driver, Powell to get out of the vehicle and noticed the smell of alcohol coming from his breath, the report stated.
The open containers observed on the front passenger seat consisted of 1 empty pint of Jose Cuervo, 1 full pint of Jose Cuervo, multiple opened Mickeys beer cans and an open Natural Lite beer can in the driver side cup holder. Powell refused to do a sobriety test, the affidavit said.
While speaking with the Powell the deputy located one Pink Whitney Vodka shooter bottle in the front left chest pocket of his shirt. Powell the report noted requested to use his inhaler prior to transportation. Another deputy did an inventory of the vehicle and located a firearm in the center console next to an inhaler that was similar to the one officials allowed Cornell to use previously, the report stated.
A look at Cornell’s records show he was arrested and charged with murder in in Marion County in 1999 but the charge was dismissed in 2000. However, he was found guilty of robbery stemming from the same incident.
