GIFFORD — A 35-year-old man was arrested after deputies found a variety of drugs and a firearm in a vehicle he was riding in as a passenger, Indian River County deputies said. The incident took place south of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church and Gifford Middle School.
Darren Lamar Rodgers, of the 3900 block of Lincoln Drive, Vero Beach, was charged with possession of meth, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana more than 20 grams, resisting arrest without violence, tamper with or destroy evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Darren Rodgers
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $67,000 bond.
Deputies did a traffic stop on a vehicle with a dark tint about 10 p.m. Tuesday in the 4400 block of 28th Court, Gifford. While speaking with the driver, deputies smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
The driver was told to get out of the vehicle so deputies could search it. One of the deputies ordered the passenger, later identified as Rodgers, to also get out.
When one of the deputies searched the driver, the deputy overheard the second deputy telling Rodgers multiple times to remove his hands from his pockets so he could search him, deputies said.
When Rodgers didn’t comply, the deputy “took him to the ground.” The first deputy went over to help the second deputy gain control of Rodgers.
The first deputy then gave Rodgers multiple verbal commands for him to take his hands from his waistband and put them behind his back. When the man didn’t comply again, the first deputy knee spiked Rodgers on his torso multiple times and then shocked Rodgers with a taser on his torso and again to his back, deputies said.
Rodgers then complied and placed his hands behind his back.
Deputies found multiple clear plastic bags and baggies under the vehicle that contained about 25 grams of marijuana, deputies said. Also in the bags were about nine and a half grams of meth and about five grams of cocaine.
Deputies also found a semi-automatic pistol under the seat where Rodgers was sitting. Rodgers told deputies the pistol and marijuana belonged to him.
A small hand rolled joint was also found in the driver’s side door pocket. Deputies reviewed the dash cam footage and saw that Rodgers had threw the plastic bags with the drugs under the vehicle during the struggle, deputies said.
Also, during the altercation, the driver is seen going back to the vehicle driver side door pocket, removing an item and handing it to someone in the crowd nearby.
Rodgers is a convicted felon was last convicted of possession of cocaine in 1999, according to authorities. He was arrested and taken to the county jail for booking.
Details on if the driver was arrested were not immediately available.