Police: 10 arrested in Tennessee for selling balloons filled with laughing gas

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Police in Tennessee arrested 10 people accused of buying or selling balloons filled with laughing gas for the purpose of getting intoxicated, authorities said.

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According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, nine of the suspects were from out of state, WKRN-TV reported. The sellers were selling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, which in turn was being inhaled by the buyers, according to the television station.

According to a police report, officers discovered Rhonda Cain and Raasheem Queen in downtown Nashville at about 11:30 p.m. EDT on Friday filling up balloons from a canister labeled “nitrous oxide,” WSMV-TV reported.

Nitrous oxide is commonly used during dental and medical procedures as a sedative for patients, WZTV reported.

According to WKRN, the 10 suspects arrested on charges of felony sale or delivery of inhaling fumes were:

• Marquael Clingner, 23, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania;
• Matthew Landan, 51, of Louisville, Kentucky;
• Mervin Brown, 56, of Columbia, South Carolina;
• Raasheem Queen, 22, of Queens, New York;
• Rhonda Cain, 35, of Columbia, South Carolina;
• Marcellous Gibson, 57, of Locust Grove, Georgia;
• Ronald Knott, 21, of Runnemede, New Jersey;
• William K. Wright, 25, of Philadelphia;
• Roy Hastings, 31, of Philadelphia;
• Justin Wiseman, 35, of Ashland City, Tennessee.

Both Cain and Queen were selling the balloons to other people in exchange for money, the police report stated.

Police arrested Clingner, who was allegedly walking around the downtown area with several inflated balloons, according to WSMV. Police said Clingner was handing balloons to another person and released untied balloons when officers approached.

Clingner later allegedly admitted to police that the balloons were filled with nitrous oxide and that he was planning on ingesting them, the television station reported.

Brown allegedly bought some balloons from Clingner and told police he was planning to inhale them to get high, according to the police report.

According to police, five more people were charged with misdemeanors for possessing or consuming nitrous oxide balloons, WKRN reported.

Police also seized about 20 cylindrical canisters and three vehicles as evidence, according to the television station.