By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
A Montgomery man was arrested here on felony drug possession charges after he led an Atmore Police Department narcotics investigator on a chase that ended with the discovery of an unspecified amount of synthetic marijuana (Spice) inside his vehicle.
APD Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that the incident began around 3:50 p.m. on July 26, when four males and a female became involved in “a heated argument at a local motel.”
When the group noticed the investigator in the area, the five got into a vehicle and left the hotel. The driver, later identified as 32-year-old Byron Jarrett, reportedly made several turns in an attempt to shake the pursuing drug agent, then stopped the vehicle suddenly. Two of the occupants jumped out, and Jarrett sped away.
The investigator was eventually able to stop the vehicle and detected “a strong odor of marijuana” as he approached the vehicle. He discovered several torn plastic baggies and a brown plant-like material (which turned out to be Spice) on the floorboard.
Jarrett was charged with possession of a controlled substance and tampering with evidence.
Another traffic stop, less than three hours later, resulted in the arrest of an Atmore man on felony marijuana possession charges.
Reports show that a patrol officer pulled over a motorist around 6:20 p.m. for an unspecified reason and was given consent to search the vehicle.
The officer discovered several marijuana roaches in the center console, as well as two plastic baggies, each of which contained a small amount of a green, leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana, and a digital scale.
The driver, Allen Ikner, 24, was charged with one count each of first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.