Nags Head school resource officer arrests parent in pick-up line on drug charges including possession of cocaine and methamphetamine
- Corinne Saunders
- 18 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A Nags Head Police Department vehicle (Photo courtesy Town of Nags Head)
By Corinne Saunders
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NAGS HEAD — The school resource officer at Nags Head Elementary School arrested a parent in the school pick-up line on Thursday on four drug charges, including felony possession of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Kimberly Lynne Nichole Dowling, 29, of Kill Devil Hills, is charged with two felony counts of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance—one for cocaine and one for methamphetamine—according to the magistrate’s order, dated Thursday.
She is also charged with one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana paraphernalia and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Kimberly Dowling (photo courtesy Town of Nags Head)
Dowling was issued a $5,000 secured bond and was released Thursday evening after posting bond, according to online court records. She was assigned a public defender on Friday morning during her first appearance in Dare County District Court.
A Friday press release from the Town of Nags Head announced the arrest, with follow-up information sharing the suspect’s name, photo and charging categories.
The school resource officer, D. Gnafakis, is a Nags Head Police Department employee who is assigned to Nags Head Elementary School during the school year, the town’s release said.
Gnafakis was on duty in the school’s parking lot during parent pick-up on Thursday afternoon “when she observed an active narcotics violation,” and she charged a parent who was in the pick-up line with multiple narcotics violations, according to the release.
“While it is not our policy to publicize every narcotics arrest, we are notifying the community in this case to assure residents that there was never an active threat to the school or anyone on its grounds,” the release said.
“School resource officers play a vital role in keeping schools safe,” the release continued. “In addition to building positive relationships with students and providing education on important safety topics, they respond quickly to emergencies, prevent crime and support safety planning. Officer Gnafakis exemplified these duties yesterday by identifying and addressing the narcotics violation.”
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