Mom: No big deal if boyfriend smokes pot around toddler

CRESTVIEW - A woman who thought it was not "a big problem" for her boyfriend to smoke pot in the presence of their 16-month-old child has been charged with felony child neglect, and the boyfriend, who had to be Tased into submission, faces multiple charges.

Crestview Police conducted a search of a Brentwood Lane residence where they found 20-year-old Autumn Marie Carney holding her child. Also present were two brothers, one of whom was the child's father.

As police announced their presence and entered the residence they saw the baby's father, Christopher Bannon, trying to escape through the back door. They brought him down with a Taser.

He was seen throwing items into the back yard. Those items included a glass marijuana smoking device and a bag containing 8 grams of pot. Also discovered near the back door was 1 gram of pot and a marijuana seed-crusher.

During questioning Bannon admitted throwing the items into the back yard, and that 30 minutes before police arrived he and his brother had been smoking pot in the back yard. He also said he had smoked pot in the presence of his child numerous times but didn't think it was a big deal because "it was only marijuana."

He was found to be holding $1,083 and said he'd recently quit his job as a pizza deliveryman and was currently unemployed.

Carney said, "Chris only smokes weed in the house every once in a while, around the baby. He just smokes a little bit and I didn't think it was a big problem." She said it had been four days since he'd smoked in the house.

The officer wrote in the arrest report the house smelled of pot smoke.

Carney was charged with child neglect and possession of marijuana. Bannon was charged with child neglect, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, resisting arrest without violence and tampering with evidence.

They will see a judge on July 21.