Man alleged to have tried to swallow bag of drugs before arrest

A Philadelphia man was arrested on drug charges after he allegedly attempted to swallow a small baggie of meth.

The man, Jerry Clemons, 59, 11503 Road 157, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia, contempt of court, disorderly conduct, and tampering with evidence,  according to Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark.

Clark said deputies first encountered Clemons during a traffic stop on April 30 at about 11:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the BP at West Myrtle and Beacon. Clemons was the passenger in a gray Maxima.

The deputy reportedly made the stop after seeing the vehicle, which had an expired tag, cut through the nearby parking lot of Main Street Junction. 

Officers discovered Clemons had an outstanding warrant for contempt of court. A search of Clemons found a torch and a small bag of drugs in his front left pants pocket. 

Clark said the torch and drugs were then placed on the hood of the car and Clemons was placed in handcuffs with his hands in front of him. While the deputy was talking to the driver, Clark said the deputy noticed Clemons had grabbed the small bag of drugs and was attempting to swallow it. 

The deputy was then able to get the drugs from Clemons and prevent him from swallowing the bag. Clemons was then handcuffed with his hands behind his back.

Clark said Clemons said the driver had “no knowledge” of the drugs he was carrying.

Clark said the female driver was cited for having an expired tag and no driver’s license and was released.