TYLER, TX (KLTV) -
An East Texas man led deputies on a foot chase on Tuesday afternoon, after officials say he was caught with drugs and weapons in his
vehicle.
It happened in Smith County near County Road 46 and 47,
that's just east of Tyler.
"I saw a few cop cars out here and the constables
car and was just curious," said Traci Smith, a local neighbor.
Smith got scared when police cars, and a canine patrol
car pulled up near her home.
"They told me there was a suspect running around and
they are looking for him. He is white with shorts and a tank top on, and he had
a big knife on him," said Smith.
That suspect was 18-year-old Dewayne Paul Geraldon.
Lieutenant Tony Dana with the Smith County Sheriff's
Department says Geraldon has a past record with unlawful weapons.
Dana says Geraldon failed to stop at a stop sign, and got
pulled over.
"If the individual is acting nervous, they'll ask for
consent to search the vehicle and once that consent is given, often times
that's when we'll find the narcotics," said Dana.
Sure enough, officials found drug paraphernalia, a butcher knife,
and brass knuckles in Geraldon's car.
"When the deputy approached the individual and
indicated that he was going to arrest him, he took off and ran on foot,"
said Dana.
That forced officials to call for back up.
"Anytime you find weapons in the vehicle, there's
always a possibility that they have a weapon on them," said Dana.
After including a dog in the search, the deputies were
able to flush Geraldon out of the woods, a half mile away from the original
location.
Geraldon is now in the Smith County Jail.
Geraldon is charged with possession of controlled
substance, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and evading arrest. His bond
has not been set.
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Dewayne Paul Geraldon. (Source: Smith County Jail)
