The passenger faces several charges.
An Alexander man was arrested on substance and weapon charges after fleeing police recently. The Alexander Police Department provided a statement detailing the events of the incident:
On Friday, February 3, 2023, Alexander K9 Officer Lavrinc saw a vehicle traveling south on Highway 111. The officer noted the lights were not functioning on this vehicle’s license plate and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle stopped next to a home at Meadows Edge Drive.
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The officer reported smelling marijuana upon contact with the occupants in the vehicle. The driver informed the officer that his license was suspended. The passenger said he only had a permit. Both provided information to identify themselves. After Dispatch gave information about criminal history of the passenger, the officer requested a backup unit from Shannon Hills Police Department.
The officer requested the driver step out of the vehicle due to the odor of marijuana. The driver stated that there was no marijuana in the vehicle. The passenger was then requested to exit the vehicle. As the passenger exited, he turned and fled on foot westward on Meadows Edge Drive. The officer pursued the passenger on foot and attempted to deploy his taser, but was unsuccessful.
At this point, other officers joined the scene. They lost sight of the fleeing passenger and returned to the vehicle. Saline County Sheriff’s Deputies and Bryant Police officers came to the scene to assist in searching the area for the passenger. The driver remained on the scene and was placed into custody pending the search of the vehicle. Officers located a pistol under the driver’s seat, with a round in the chamber and containing an extended magazine.
Bryant PD tracked the pursuit to the suspect’s residence. Officers located a bag of marijuana during the pursuit of the fleeing passenger. The driver was issued a citation for driving on a suspended license as well as the light out at the license plate light. Shannon Hills PD stood by with the driver and vehicle until a licensed driver could arrive on scene.
The Alexander officer, Lavrinc, joined Bryant PD at the passenger’s home. His mother gave consent to search the residence for him, and showed officers to the suspect’s bedroom where a box matching the firearm’s serial number from the vehicle was located. Officer Lavrinc radioed Shannon Hills PD back at the vehicle stop to bring the pistol to the residence for it to be secured as evidence. However, the suspect was not located on scene.
Officer Lavrinc was then notified that a resident of Fern Valley Drive observed a male matching the suspect’s description walking past her residence and that he had been circling the area. Officers contacted the suspect’s mother again, and she was able to pull up her son’s location on a phone app. The suspect was now showing to be in the area of Buckthorn and Sage Grass. Officers searched the area, located the suspect and took him into custody.
An officer read the suspect his Miranda rights. The suspect, Christian Strong, age 19, admitted to throwing the recovered marijuana and to owning the pistol. The suspect was taken into custody, transported to the Saline County Detention Center (SCDC) and charged with the following:
- Fleeing (A/M)
- Possession of a Controlled Substance Sch VI Less Than 4oz (A/Misdemeanor)
- Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons (B/Felony)
Strong was booked at the SCDC and was given a bail amount of $5,000. He made bail and was released. The Alexander Police Department thanked Shannon Hills and Bryant PD, and Saline County Sheriff’s Deputies for their assistance on this call.
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