Cocaine, car chase net Nelson 22 years

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

NELSON

A man who led police on a high-speed pursuit after they witnessed him selling cocaine in front of a market in 2002, was given 22 years in prison for his crime Wednesday.

The defendant, Adrian Nelson, was issued the long jail term following his conviction earlier this year on charges of possession of more than .5 grams of cocaine with intent to sell, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license. The lion’s share of the sentence, 18 years, came as a result of the large amount cocaine found in Nelson’s possession, cocaine police believe he had been selling on the street.

Nelson was arrested in the fall of 2002 after a police officer witnessed the suspect making a drug deal with another man inside his vehicle as it was parked outside Mark’s Market off Bybee Branch. When the man exited the vehicle, the officer, who had been given tips of drug dealing the area, attempted to pull over the drug trafficker.

At that point, Nelson led police on a high-speed chase through the heavily populated, residential neighborhood. The chase ended when Nelson struck another car and was pinned in from behind by a patrol car. The officer and Nelson fought in a nearby briar patch, leaving both with numerous cuts.

A subsequent search of Nelson’s vehicle netted over a half-gram of cocaine, an amount which draws stiffer penalties under state law than what regular possession would bring.

When he does get out of the penitentiary, Nelson will not only have to pay a $2,000 drug fine, but he will also be banned from driving for two years because of the moving violations he committed while trying to evade arrest.