Iowa Woman Went To Police Station And Asked For A Coronavirus Test On Her Meth

A woman from Iowa is now facing charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance after she went to the police station and asked for a coronavirus test on her bag of methamphetamines.

Shawn Salmon, 53, of Sioux City, Iowa, drove her Chevy Silverado truck to the Sioux City Police Department and requested the police to check her meth purchase for the dreaded virus. She was carrying 14.4-grams of the illegal substance, along with some cannabis and a number of drug paraphernalia.

The police said that Salmon appeared to have erratic behavior and exhibited "signs of impairment” and paranoia, per the court documents. She was also sweating profusely but consented to have her car searched.

According to reports, Salmon also agreed to take a drug test before she was sent to jail. She was booked for felonies of failure to affix a drug tax stamp, controlled substance violation and first-offense of possession of marijuana.

The Sioux City Police Department, however, made no further comments on her case but Salmon reportedly made bond.

In February, various police departments posted a satirical Public Service Announcement (PSA) on Facebook to warn buyers of illegal street drugs that their substance might be contaminated with coronavirus. The tongue-in-cheek warning urged the people to bring their meth, heroin, cocaine and other street drugs to be “tested for free” at any police department. Or, if they are worried about risking contracting the virus, they may also ask the police to visit their house for the test.

The police PSA received both negative and positive feedback from the public. While some appreciated the humor, others said that the message was done in bad taste as people around the world have been panicking and dying from the virus.

Some police accounts on Facebook were prompted to remove their posts following the backlash. Reports revealed that police precincts in Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Texas, and Wisconsin shared the message. It's unclear, however, if the Sioux City Police Department ran the PSA on their community pages.