Social Worker Arrested for Cocaine

December 28, 2011 permalink

Oklahoma Child Welfare Specialist Terry Pursell has been arrested after a policeman found him with crack cocaine pipe in his pocket and six crack rocks in the ashtray of his Mercedes.

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DHS Employee Accused Of Crack Cocaine Possession

Terry Lee Pursell, 57, Arrested On Christmas Day

POSTED: 4:11 pm CST December 28, 2011, UPDATED: 4:27 pm CST December 28, 2011

Terry Pursell

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An employee with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services stands accused of crack cocaine possession, police said.

Terry Lee Pursell, 57, was arrested on Christmas Day after an Oklahoma City police officer saw him and his 1997 Mercedes parked in a Braum's parking lot. The officer reported it to be strange considering it was closed for the holiday.

When the officer approached Pursell's vehicle, he drove away and was immediately pulled over, police said.

The officer reported that Pursell was extremely disheveled, had glassy eyes, was sweating profusely and had slurred speech. Pursell said that he was on doctor-prescribed medication, according to the police report.

What police found, however, was a crack cocaine pipe in his pocket and six crack rocks in Pursell's ashtray, investigators said.

When asked for a driver's license, Pursell handed over his DHS badge instead, according to investigators. Police said he talked about his job often and asked an officer if his arrest would make the news.

After being placed under arrest, Pursell suffered a medical episode that required him to be taken to a local hospital.

KOCO Eyewitness News 5 confirmed that Pursell is a Child Welfare Specialist II with the department and has been with the DHS since 2003. A Child Welfare Specialist II can perform a number of duties including visiting homes, visiting foster children in foster homes and investigating child abuse complaints.

Pursell is still employed with DHS. If he's convicted of a felony, he would lose his job.

If convicted of a misdemeanor, Pursell could still lose his job based on a number of factors, including the conviction and his past job performance.

Source: KOCO-TV