Man Facing Drug Charges After Police Pursuit

A 21-year-old North Carolina man is facing a raft of charges including seven counts of drug trafficking after allegedly attempting to flee from police on the afternoon of Oct. 26. The Raleigh resident is being held without bond at the Wake County Detention Center. His bond was originally set at $1.02 million, but a judge ordered him remanded after learning that he had violated the conditions of his parole.

According to a police report, the pursuit began when a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to pull over a Cadillac sedan for erratic driving on the westbound lanes of Interstate 40. Instead of pulling over, the Cadillac is said to have continued onto Interstate 440 at a high rate of speed. The trooper called off the pursuit in the vicinity of New Bern Avenue because of heavy traffic in the area.

The pursuit began again about 15 minutes later when a Wake County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed the car in northeast Raleigh. Reports reveal that it came to an end when the Cadillac jumped a curb and came to a stop near the intersection of Sumner and Capital Boulevards. Police say that they found more than a pound of cocaine in the man’s car. He was taken into custody at the scene and subsequently charged with four counts of trafficking cocaine, three counts of trafficking methamphetamine and attempting to elude police. He was also cited for reckless driving.

Experienced criminal defense attorneys could urge clients to avoid the impulse to flee from law enforcement even if their situations seem dire. It is rarely successful and could make it more difficult for defense attorneys to negotiate a favorable plea agreement. Attempting to flee also provides police officers with the probable cause they need to conduct a warrantless search.

Source: CBS News 17, “Raleigh man charged with drug trafficking after leading authorities on pursuit”, Staff report, Oct. 26, 2018