Michael Schackart, 55, is charged in La Porte Circuit Court with possession of methamphetamine and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
According to court documents, the La Porte man was stopped late in the night on January 9 for having a false license plate and driving left of center. After he pulled into the gas station convenience store, the officer noticed signs of drug impairment like slurred speech, stuttering at times and dilated eyes, police said.
Schackart kept asking if he could go inside to use the bathroom and cash what he described as winning lottery tickets. However, the officer told him to remain and he complied with his orders.
Police said the officer also spotted inside his vehicle about a dozen or more social security and debit cards belonging to other people. According to court documents, he began stuttering even worse when asked about the cards and claimed he was having an anxiety attack.
Suspecting he had drugs, police said the officer shook his pants and falling out of his pant leg was a bag of methamphetamine.
The officer was trying to place Schackart into his police vehicle when he began shaking seemingly uncontrollably and claimed to be having a stroke. He was taken to the hospital then to the La Porte County Jail after receiving medical clearance several hours later.
