A Keokuk man is facing charges after police say he fled from officers during a traffic stop and had methamphetamine and marijuana in his vehicle.
In a Tuesday media release the Lee County Narcotics Task Force said 31 year old Dennis Hitsman Jr. was arrested June 18th in the 3400 block of Main Street in Keokuk.
He faces charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Hitsman also was wanted on four felony and misdemeanor warrants.
According to arrest affidavits filed in Lee County District Court:
At 11:17 p.m. June 17, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a black 1999 Isuzu Rodeo near the intersection of North 18th Street and Blondeau Street. The driver and lone occupant, later identified as Hitsman, would not stop the vehicle and kept driving eastbound, reaching speeds of over 50 mph in a 25-mph zone.
The vehicle was subsequently impounded by the Keokuk Police Department. Officers searched the vehicle and found a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine and an orange-colored pill bottle with marijuana inside. They also found a broken glass pipe that had marijuana residue, two used hypodermic needles, and a working scale with crystalline and green plant material residue, according to the affidavit.
The task force said in the media release that Hitsman was taken into custody following a second traffic stop. He also is facing an additional charge of eluding court records show.