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Weapons, drugs found during early morning traffic stop

Commerce Police and Texas Department of Public Safety officers responded to a report of a shooting on Park Street Tuesday morning.
Commerce Police Department
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Commerce Police Department

An early morning traffic stop has led to the arrest of two Commerce residents for having illegal materials in their vehicle.

Around 4 o'clock Monday morning, Commerce Police pulled over a vehicle in the area of Mangum and Culver streets for a license plate violation.

According to a press release, once the officer reached the driver's side window he immediately noticed that the driver, Bart Weston Deaton,  had slurred speech and disorientation.

After consent to search the vehicle was given, police found a small package with three prescription pills in it and a handgun.

Deaton, who has prior felony convictions, was arrested for the illegal pills and because he is not allowed to possess a handgun.

The passenger, Rachel Inez Venable, was arrested for the possession of plastic "knuckles", which is an illegal weapon.

While searching the vehicle, officers also found 25 grams of marijuana, and 1.6 grams of methamphetamine and other narcotics.  Because of the location of the traffic stop, less than 1000 feet from Commerce Middle School, the drug charges have been enhanced.

Deaton is being held on $50,000 bond at Hunt County Jail, and Venable has posted $2,000 bond and has been released pending trial.

Daniel was born and raised in Commerce, TX, and has been a life-long listener of 88.9 KETR. After listening to ‘The Art of Sound’ with Mark Chapman as a child, he enjoyed the thought of being able to broadcast across NE Texas. He is now a Radio/Television student at Texas A&M University-Commerce and hopes to continue his work in radio after he graduates. He has been heard in the past as the host of ‘All Things Considered’, ‘Movie Picks with Alice Reese’ and ‘The Morning Bell’.