JACKSON – A former officer at the Northampton County Detention Center has found himself on the wrong side of the law.

Tuesday afternoon, Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith reported the arrest of Douglas Davarne Squire, 51 of Roanoke Rapids.

Squire, who was listed in a press release as a former Detention Officer for the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, was charged with felony possession of controlled substances on jail premises.

He was served with an arrest warrant on Monday and taken before a local Magistrate where he was placed under a $5,000 unsecured bond pending an Oct. 11 court date.

Sheriff Smith said this type of behavior is unacceptable.

“I hold my officers and personnel to the highest standard of professionalism,” Smith stated, adding that he remains committed to the task of removing all illegal drugs in Northampton County.

Leading up to the Oct. 1 arrest, the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department and the North Carolina Department of Corrections, conducted a routine search of the Northampton County Detention Center on Aug. 30. At that time, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department K9 alerted on a specific lunchbox that was located inside one of the offices used by the Detention Officers at the jail.

That lunchbox belonged to Squire, according to the press release.

After further investigation, NCSO Lieutenant Mike Sledge found a Schedule II substance, described as painkillers, inside the lunchbox and obtained warrants on Squire.

Sledge said Squire’s employment as a Northampton Detention Officer was terminated on Aug. 30. He further stated that Squire was, “a veteran Detention Officer” prior to this incident.

Sheriff Smith thanked the Roanoke Rapids Police Department and the North Carolina Department of Corrections for their assistance in this case.