By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
A Garden City man arrested in Hays faces drug distribution charges following an early morning traffic stop late last month.
At around 1:20 a.m. June 24, Cpl. Dakota Reese initiated a traffic stop in the 500 block of West Seventh, according to Hays Police Department Chief Don Scheibler.
The vehicle stopped a block to the east, and the driver exited the vehicle.
As Reese ordered the driver back into the vehicle, he fled on foot.
A pursuit began, and the suspect was detained without incident a short time later.
During a subsequent vehicle search, approximately one pound of marijuana was discovered along with 85 grams of cocaine. Edibles containing THC were also located, Scheibler said.
The suspect, later identified as Matthew J. Douglas, 31, Garden City, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, drug possession with the intent to distribute, interference with law enforcement, no drug tax stamp, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container of alcohol.
"I appreciate Cpl. Reese's proactive work out there initiating the traffic stop and running this guy down, and getting him into custody, resulting in a seizure of a significant amount of cocaine that would have been sold in our community," Scheibler said. "Cpl. Reese continues to be a leader in the Patrol Division."
Douglas has convictions for drug and traffic infractions dating back to crimes committed in 2018, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.
In February of 2019, he was convicted of driving while suspended and drug possession in Thomas County, stemming from an arrest on July 19 of that year.
He was convicted of drug possession with the intent to distribute in Ellis County in March 2019 from an August 2018 arrest and with DUI from a separate incident in June of that year.
Douglas was also convicted of DUI in Trego County in June 2020 after an arrest in November 2019.