A simple citation for possession of marijuana turned into a lot more over the weekend after a suspect punched a police officer and tried to escape on foot before being tackled.
Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore said officers observed James Parker, 29, 218 Martin Luther King Drive, rolling a blunt in his car in the parking lot of the Chevron gas station on Main Street at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
The officer radioed for backup, and when a second officer arrived, they attempted to speak with Parker and issue a citation for misdemeanor possession.
“They tried to talk to him, but he wanted to fight,” Moore said. “He struck one of the officers in the face with a fist and tried to run, but they were able to tackle him and get him handcuffed.”
In the course of the scuffle, one of the officers suffered a minor injury. He was treated at Greenwood Leflore Hospital and released.
In the course of the scuffle, what would’ve originally been a misdemeanor citation quickly grew into more charges, including assaulting a police officer, a felony.
As of this morning, Parker remained in custody at the Leflore County Jail, charged with possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer. Bond had not yet been set.
Moore said Parker had likely been facing nothing more than a fine if he had cooperated with police. Instead, he’s now facing possible jail time.
“You can’t fix stupid,” Moore said.
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
