According to reports from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, a 32-year-old Santa Rosa Beach man was taken into custody on April 27 following a vehicle stop and subsequent foot chase. The man reportedly ran away after his vehicle was stopped by deputies.
Law enforcement authorities report that another motorist called to report a person driving recklessly. Police located the man and pulled him over. He then ran away and was chased across six lanes of U.S. Highway 98. After catching him, officers then searched his car. Inside, they allegedly found heroin, pills, cocaine, marijuana and a firearm.
The man was previously charged in 2013 with possessing a weapon as a felon. In 2014, he was reportedly charged with violating his parole. In this case, he is facing numerous charges, including resisting arrest, trafficking in heroin, possessing pills without a prescription, possessing marijuana, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it, possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing a concealed weapon and possessing drug paraphernalia.
Drug trafficking charges tare treated much more harshly than simple drug possession offenses. When people who are charged with drug crimes and who also have previous felony convictions or are charged with committing the offenses while possessing weapons, they may face decades in prison. People who are facing charges might want to get help from experienced criminal defense attorneys who may be able to identify potential problems with the way in which the investigation was conducted. This may help them to build strong defense cases and to potentially negotiate reduced sentences or pleas to lesser charges.
Source: NWF Daily News, “Man faces charges after traffic stop and foot chase“, April 28, 2018
