Comanche PD makes major marijuana bust

A traffic stop by the Comanche Police Department at Jackson Park suddenly turned into a high-speed chase when a passenger in the stopped car jumped behind the wheel and took off south on Highway 81 last Thursday around 7 p.m.

What followed was a chaotic scene that included swerving, near collisions, a near catastrophe and a foot chase.

According to the police report, four men aged 18 to 20 years old are facing multiple charges including driving without a valid driver’s license, trafficking in illegal drugs and endangering others while eluding/attempting to elude a police officer.

Three of the suspects - Chadmaurion Heath, 20; Amarion Deunte Knight, 20; and Curtis James Williams Jr., 18  have listed addresses out of Greenville, Texas. The fourth suspect, Kameron Jones, 18, has no listed address.

The events unfolded when Assistant Police Chief Terri Bruce received a call about a reckless driver going southbound on Highway 81 from Refinery Road. The reporting person said the person driving the vehicle had been driving recklessly since Pumpkin Center.

Bruce saw the described silver Chevy Tahoe with Texas plates going southbound by City Hall and also noticed that it had a broken tailight and an object hanging down from the bottom of the vehicle.

Bruce initiated a stop at Jackson Park where she was joined by Chief Cory Faulk. The driver, Chadmaurion Heath, had only an ID card and did not have a driver’s license.

Faulk said he could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle. Bruce said she then smelled it as well and asked the driver whether there was anything illegal in the car such as marijuana. Heath allegedly said there was no marijuana in the vehicle. 

The officers detained Heath, Williams and Jones but before they could get Knight out of the vehicle, he managed to get from the backseat to the front seat and headed southbound on Highway 81 at a high rate of speed. 

According to the police report, Faulk stayed with the other three suspects while Bruce took off after Knight in Faulk’s patrol car.

Faulk called the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department for backup to assist with detaining the suspects.

 Knight was allegedly swerving in and out of traffic and was losing control of the vehicle at times. Jefferson County was then notified and assistance was requested.

Two Jefferson County deputies responded northbound and one had to swerve off the road to avoid being hit by the suspect vehicle.

In Waurika, two police officers were attempting to lay down stop sticks near the intersection of highways 81 and 70. Knight saw the officers laying out the stop sticks and abruptly turned to the right, crossing through the grass to the parking lot of Casey’s gas station. Upon entering the parking lot, the vehicle spun out in front of a parked semi truck, coming to a stop sideways just before hitting the gas pumps and causing two people using the pumps to flee to safety.

According to the police report, a foot chase involving Bruce and a Jefferson County deputy then ensued with Knight allegedly scaling a barbed wire fence to another property where he was caught and detained by another deputy who had entered the property on the opposite side.

Four large trash bags were allegedly found in the trunk of the vehicle during the ensuing search which had what was later tested to be marijuana. Several cellphones and a back pack with several dollar bills, two laptops were also found. A box of ammunition and a loaded Glock magazine were allegedly located in the middle console. Another box of ammuniton was allegedly found in the glove box.

The total weight of the marijuana was 34 pounds sealed in 34 individual packages. The marijuana has an estimated street value of $50,000.

Jones and Williams are facing charges of trafficking in illegal drugs. Heath is facing charges of trafficking in illegal drugs and driving without a valid driver’s license. Knight is facing charges of trafficking in illegal drugs and endangering others while eluding/attempting to elude a police officer.

All four suspects were booked into the Stephens County jail.