By Ray King
A traffic stop by police Friday resulted in the arrest of two men on drug and weapons charges.
Chaderious Avery, 24, and Martell Martin, 22, were taken into custody after Pine Bluff Police Detective Charles Clark and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Courtney Kelly stopped a dark colored 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe containing the men because the vehicle ran a stop sign at 19th Avenue and Arlington Street.
During a court hearing Monday, Deputy Prosecutor Caleb Conrad said the vehicle pulled into a driveway at 1712 Arlington and the passenger, later identified as Martin exited the vehicle and was ordered to the ground by Kelly several times before he complied. Clark ordered Avery to the ground and he was handcuffed, and Clark reported the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Martin had a handgun with an extended magazine in his waistband.
Conrad then described what happened next.
A check of the vehicle’s identification number reported that it had not been stolen and the license plate on the vehicle did not return to it. The vehicle was towed and will be held until proof of ownership is established.
Conrad said the total weight of the marijuana was 60 grams.
Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth set a $25,000 bond for Martin on probable cause of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms. A $50,000 bond was set for Avery on probable cause of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms and being a felon in possession of a firearm because of a 2017 conviction for first-degree battery for which he was sentenced to prison and is on parole. The Department of Community Corrections has placed a hold on Avery pending a hearing.
