LUVERNE -- What started as a routine traffic stop Saturday night in Luverne turned into much more when an observant Rock County deputy noted the driver's suspicious behavior.
The Sioux Falls, S.D. man gave a false name and birthdate, but was eventually identified as Byron James Fischer, who was charged Monday with a variety of counts, including possession of methamphetamine, possession of a pistol after being convicted of a felony and test refusal.
Fischer is currently being held in the Nobles County Jail, with bail set at $10,000.
The complaint states a deputy spotted a vehicle Saturday as it left a residence in Luverne and ran a stop sign, then sped down an alley at a high rate of speed. The deputy stopped the vehicle, noted a lone occupant and observed what he considered furtive movements as he approached the vehicle.
The deputy allegedly saw an open case of beer in the back seat of the car. The driver identified himself as Shaun Dale Fischer and gave a birth year of 1977. He said he must have left his ID in the trunk in a bag, and proceeded to look through several bags of clothing. The deputy noted the man was shaking and sweating profusely.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fischer's attempts to find ID were unsuccessful, and when the deputy tried to verify the information through dispatch, it came back not on file. Fischer allegedly stated it should be on file in South Dakota, because he had registered there when he got back from military service from Korea.
While talking to Fischer, the deputy noticed the man kept his eyes averted and was turning pale. The deputy requested assistance from a drug recognition expert (DRE), who arrived and performed field sobriety tests on Fischer.
At the end of the testing, the DRE concluded Fischer was impaired by a controlled substance.
The deputy conducted a search on the vehicle and found a glass pipe with residue and a baggie of meth, along with a South Dakota Department of Corrections ID with the name Byron James Fischer and a matching photo. Fischer confirmed that was his real name, the complaint states.
The deputy ran the correct identity and found active warrants from Minnehaha and Pipestone County.
At the law enforcement center, Fischer refused to provide a blood sample. A search of his driving record showed a prior driving while impaired conviction.
An inventory search of the vehicle at the law enforcement center revealed a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun in a black briefcase. The handgun was loaded, with a round in the chamber and 10 in the magazine. Also located was a double-edged fixed-blade knife, a digital scale, a small amount of marijuana, seven cell phones and numerous torches.
Fischer's criminal history allegedly shows multiple convictions for drug and alcohol offenses in South Dakota and revoked driving privileges.
