When a man was stopped by Gainesville Police after a chase Saturday, he allegedly tried to eat a small plastic bag of cocaine.
Javontea Black, 22, was charged with grand theft auto, possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, not having a valid driver’s license, aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer.
The officers knew Black was traveling from Alachua to Gainesville with an active warrant from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Alachua Police was able to tell GPD that Black was driving a silver Honda with a black hood, according to the report.
The warrant from ACSO was for battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and elderly abuse. It was issued April 18 with a $105,000 bond, according to the report.
He is also facing charges from APD for a crime he committed Saturday for grand theft of a firearm and two counts of possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted Florida felon for a $100,000 bond, according to the Alachua County Clerk of Court website.
On Saturday around 10:40 p.m., GPD officers ran the license plate of a silver Honda Civic on Northwest 13th Street, according to the report. When the plate was ran, officers saw it was reported stolen July 2 out of Hillsborough County.
The officers signaled Black to stop as he turned on Northwest 23rd Terrace, according to the report. When he continued driving and ran a stop sign at Northwest 62nd Avenue, the officers activated their emergency lights and sirens and followed the car.
Black refused to stop and made multiple turns before he attempted to drive between two buildings, hitting a mailbox that caused about $100 in damage, according to the report.
When the car came to a stop, the back and front seat passengers ran from the car, according to the report. Black tried to leave through the front passenger window, but he was taken into custody.
During the search, a GPD officer found a small plastic case in Black’s pants pocket which had drugs, according to the report. Black had also spit out a small plastic bag containing powder cocaine.
Black suddenly said the cocaine was thrown into his lap by one of the passengers in the car and he tried to eat it when the officers were behind him, according to the report.
Black remains in Alachua County Jail in lieu of a $305,000 bail.
Follow Devoun Cetoute on Twitter @devoun_cetoute and contact him at dcetoute@alligator.org.