A Gainesville man managed to slip away from law enforcement during a traffic stop on April 26, after being told he was about to be arrested.
He now faces multiple charges.
Keshon McCrae Wright, 20, faces charges of possession of a firearm while committing crimes, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and obstruction of law enforcement.
According to reports, Morgan County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bo Kelly pulled over a silver Hyundai on Athens Highway near the landfill for faulty taillights, and when he made contact with the driver, Kelly smelled marijuana.
When Madison Police Officer Justin Ives arrived on scene, Kelly asked the driver to get out of the car and asked him about the odor. The driver confirmed there was a small amount of marijuana in the car. The passenger, later identified as Wright, at first disputed the driver’s admission to having marijuana in the car, but later handed Kelly a marijuana bud wrapped in a plastic bag.
During a search of the vehicle, Kelly found a plastic bag full of THC vapes in unopened packaging.
When Kelly told Wright he was being arrested, he pulled away to flee. Kelly said he held on to Wright’s sweatshirt until it tore away, and Wright fled into the woods.
During the altercation, Ives used a Taser, but it had no effect.
A complete search of the vehicle revealed a Glock .40 caliber handgun in the glove compartment in front of where Wright was sitting. A backpack that had been between Wright’s legs while he was sitting in the passenger seat was found to contain a single .40 caliber round.
The driver was allowed to drive home with his hazard lights on.
Kelly also learned that Wright had an arrest warrant out of Hall County and appeared to have a TPO filed against him, which specifically prohibited the possession of weapons.
Kelly also contacted Wright’s mother and urged her to contact Wright and advise him to turn himself in.