Morgantown Police arrested a man on drug charges Wednesday morning after conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle that had a busted-out rear driver’s side window. The vehicle was also seen driving left of the center line.
According to the police report, after stopping the Honda Odyssey on College Avenue, officers found two occupants in the vehicle, an unidentified driver and a passenger later identified as Daiquan Draimelle Barbee, 30, of Morgantown.
While speaking with the driver, MPD Officer Breakiron reported smelling marijuana emitting from the vehicle.
Once back-up officers arrived, the driver and Barbee were asked to get out of the Honda for a subsequent search. While searching the vehicle, Breakiron stated a black backpack was found on the floorboard next to where Barbee had been sitting.
Inside the backpack, officers allegedly found approximately 30.8 grams of marijuana in a plastic baggie, as well as six individual bags each containing around 3.5 grams of marijuana.
While Breakiron continued to search the vehicle, Barbee took off running from the backup officer who then began a pursuit, before losing sight of the suspect.
According to the criminal complaint, officers found Barbee around 30 minutes later, lying on the hillside between Falling Run Road and College Avenue.
Knowing he had been spotted, Barbee took off once again, but was apprehended a short time later on Stewart Street, where he was taken into custody.
Once in custody, police say they found two more 3.5-gram baggies of marijuana in his pockets, as well as money and a small digital scale.
Barbee is currently being held at North Central Regional Jail on $25,000 bond.
In a separate incident Thursday morning, MPD officers patrolling the Dallas Street area came in contact with a man, later identified as Malik Messiah Washington, 25, of Owing Mills, Md., who was pounding on the door of his girlfriend’s residence and refusing to leave.
According to the criminal complaint, the officers told Washington to leave the area and not come back.
Officers continued patrolling the downtown area and saw Washington walking back to Dallas Street and found him back at the residence.
MPD Officer Brun reported that Washington yelled and screamed at the officers as they advised him again to leave the area.
While talking with Washington, the officers say he was stumbling around, slurring his speech and continued to yell “f*** you” at Officer Scott when they attempted to get him away from the property.
After attempting to go back to the residence a third time, officers told Washington he was under arrest and attempted to handcuff him.
The complaint states Washington then pulled away and ran from Spruce Street, down Forest Avenue to the Chestnut Street area. Officers were able to catch up to him and he was placed under arrest.
After Washington was in custody, police allegedly found a bag of marijuana weighing 4.7 grams and a bag containing 3.2 grams of a white powdery substance.
According to the officer’s report, “upon pulling the bag of white powdery substance out of his pocket, Washington stated, ‘Oh, that’s cocaine.’”
Washington was arrested and is facing multiple misdemeanor charges, including public intoxication, disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer, fleeing from an officer and two counts possession of a controlled substance.
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