WASHINGTON – A Temple Hills, Md., man was arrested Thursday after Department of Defense police officers at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling found illegal drugs in his vehicle.
The man, identified as Richard N. Littleford, was taken into custody at 10:27 a.m., then transported to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District station for processing into the court system.
At approximately 10:18 a.m., Littleford, driving a motor vehicle, approached JBAB’s south access gate. DOD Police Cpl. Larry G. Moore observed Littleford’s eyes were red and glossy and his speech slow and slurred.
“I was suspicious, but did not know exactly what was wrong with the driver,” Moore said.
While other police officers continued their duties at the gate, ensuring the flow of traffic and maintaining proper security for the military base, Moore detained the driver and requested another police officer, assigned to vehicular patrol duties, to respond to assist.
DOD Police Cpl. Anthony Oquendo and Sgt. Hugh Johnson quickly responded as backup. The officers conducted a series of three standardized tests to determine the sobriety of the driver.
“He failed all three,” Oquendo stated.
Maintaining a keen observance of the driver’s movements, to ensure his safety and minimize the risk of injury from falling, that he posed to himself as well as ensuring their own safety, the police officers observed Littleford reaching for something in the glove box of the vehicle’s passenger compartment.
The officers discovered a plastic bag, containing a green, leafy substance, according to JBAB DOD Police Lt. Stanley R. Nichols, day shift watch commander who was on-duty at the time.
A JBAB DOD Police investigator responded to the scene and conducted a field chemical test to determine what the substance was, Nichols said.
“It tested positive for marijuana and amphetamines,” Oquendo stated.
Littleford was arraigned Friday afternoon in the District of Columbia Superior Court and is presumed innocent, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
Reflecting on the law enforcement action, Moore said, “I’m happy to have done what we did, otherwise, the individual could have done a lot of damage to the base or somebody on the base.”
DOD police officers and military security at JBAB routinely conduct law enforcement actions, including those that result in individuals being charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license or registration and having their vehicle towed, driving while distracted (texting or cellphone use while driving), speeding or unsafe driving and various other motor vehicle violations and illegal acts.
JBAB’s DOD police officers and military security forces maintain high vigilance and utilize additional security measures, tools and layers, to ensure the safety and security of the base, its residents, workers and guests, to ensure the national security, homeland defense, homeland security, presidential and ceremonial support and other missions conducted by numerous DOD and federal agencies continue unimpeded.
“Our police officers are hard-working, professional, well-trained and enthusiastic people, who make a positive difference and are proud to be at the front lines, protecting the base, its people and the national security,” Nichols concluded.