Combined police forces arrested Riverview resident Donald Smith, 27, March 19 on two third-degree felony charges for alleged possession of a controlled substance and fleeing from police during an attempted traffic stop.
Smith also was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for alleged possession of drug paraphernalia and a second-degree misdemeanor for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash.
Two Holmes Beach police officers located a vehicle traveling south on Gulf Drive after it was pinged by the city’s license plate recognition system. The reason for the alert was redacted in the police report.
The officers activated sirens and attempted to catch up to the motorist to conduct a traffic stop, but they lost sight around the 1200 block of Gulf and abandoned the pursuit.
The Bradenton Beach Police Department later contacted the HBPD to report the vehicle was involved in a collision with a parked vehicle at Smuggler’s Cove Resort, 1501 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach.
Holmes Beach police responded and contacted BBPD officers, who said the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. They also detained a woman who was in the vehicle’s passenger seat and identified Smith as the driver.
Police searched the vehicle and found bags containing 5.4 grams of white powder, later identified as cocaine, and 141.2 grams of marijuana, as well as two scales and an open bottle of liquor.
An officer also contacted the vehicle’s owners to report the incident and damages.
The HBPD contacted the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for an air unit to support their search for Smith near Avenue B.
The MCSO saw a man jump into a canal and hide under a dock.
Police located Smith and ordered him to out of the water.
He complied and later admitted to owning the marijuana found in the vehicle.
Police arrested Smith and transported him to the Manatee County jail, where he was released March 20 after posting $3,620 bond.
If convicted, punishments for a third-degree felony charge include five years in prison, five years of probation and a $5,000 fine.
Punishments for a first-degree misdemeanor include up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, while a charge of second-degree misdemeanor includes up to 60 days in jail, six months of probation and a $500 fine.
An arraignment was not scheduled as of March 24, according to the Manatee County Clerk of Court.