VERO BEACH — A 43-year-old man thought to have a firearm was shocked with a stun gun after he led police on a small foot chase. Officers later found small bags of cocaine that the man threw while running.
Byron Reynard Harvey, of the 4800 block of 38th Circle, Gifford, was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest without violence. He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $12,000 bond.
Police went to the scene about 4 a.m. Sunday at the Howard Johnson Inn, 1725 U.S. 1, in response to a man who possibly had a firearm. A hotel patron had called police and told them a man who had what appeared to be a handgun was banging on his room door.
Upon arrival, police noticed the man, later identified as Harvey, walking away from the hotel room, officers said. Police recognized Harvey from past encounters with law enforcement.
One of the officers spoke with Harvey and began to pat him down. Harvey then fled on foot northbound along U.S. 1.
One of the officers grabbed Harvey by his shirt. But, Harvey slipped out of the shirt and began to run westbound on 18th Street, police said.
The officers shocked Harvey with their tasers and then placed him in handcuffs. One of the officers recovered a small tackle box divider that Harvey tossed while fleeing.
Inside the divider, officers found numerous small plastic bags that contained an off-white rock-like substance. The substance later tested positive for cocaine, police said.
Emergency medical service officials removed the taser probes and treated Harvey for minor scrapes. Officers searched Harvey for the firearm, but no weapon was found.
Harvey, who was uncooperative and yelling racial slurs, was detained and taken to the county jail. Once at the jail, an officer searched Harvey’s right front pocket and found a burned glass pipe that is used to smoke marijuana.
Harvey has an arraignment at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 28 in court, according to court documents.