A 49-year-old Seattle man arrested in Napavine last week for unlawful possession of a firearm and a controlled substance had seven warrants out for his arrest when he was taken into custody June 12.
“I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone have that many warrants at one time,” Lewis County Superior Court Judge Joely Yeager stated during the preliminary appearance of Paul D. Courtney on Thursday.
Yeager ultimately set Courtney’s bail at $100,000, citing her concerns about his ability to appear in court and his criminal history.
On June 12, a Napavine police officer conducted a traffic stop due to the driver having a suspended license. The vehicle was occupied by three other passengers.
The officer obtained the IDs of the driver and passengers, one of whom was Courtney, who it was determined had several warrants for his arrest, including a felony warrant out of Pierce County.
During a search as Courtney was being arrested, the officer found a “multi-colored puck that contained a white powdery substance,” according to the affidavit of probable cause. The officer also found two “tooter straws” commonly used to ingest fentanyl. Courtney allegedly admitted to smoking fentanyl earlier in the day.
“A drug K-9 hit on multiple locations around the car,” court documents state. “A search warrant was eventually granted for the vehicle. During the search, narcotics and a Ruger Security 9 mm caliber firearm were located in the vehicle. The firearm returned as stolen when run through the database. Courtney made several comments prior to the location of the firearm that the firearm wasn't his and he would not be blamed. After the firearm was located, Courtney claimed he was having medical issues. Medics arrived to evaluate him … Courtney was advised of his Miranda rights and eventually admitted that he had been in possession of the firearm for the past month and a half. He further explained that he purchased the firearm off the ‘streets.’ He said it was likely to be stolen.”
In addition to the seven active arrest warrants, Courtney also has at least seven criminal convictions out of Alabama.
Courtney is next due in court on June 26 for arraignment.
