Newport, Ark. —

According to a press release from the Newport Police Department, on July 19, 2012, at about 10:58 AM, Newport Police Department Patrolman Weston Gates was on patrol in the area of State Street and Malcolm Avenue in Newport, Jackson County, Arkansas. Ptl. Gates observed a red Chrysler PT Cruiser turn onto Malcolm Avenue and he observed that the driver was not wearing his seat belt. Ptl. Gates initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle stopped on Poplar Street between Malcolm Avenue and Dill Street.
Ptl. Gates made contact with the driver who was identified as Rober Lee Rucker, a 19 year old black male from Newport. Rucker stated that his driving privileges are suspended and this was confirmed by a query through the Arkansas Crime Information Center database. During this time Captain Larry Dulaney of the Newport Police Department arrived on the scene. While Ptl. Gates and Capt. Dulaney were at Ptl. Gates’ patrol car speaking, Capt. Dulaney observed Rucker making movements in the vehicle and approached the car to see what he was doing. As Capt. Dulaney approached the driver’s side window he saw Rucker remove a large plastic bag containing smaller bags of marijuana from the crotch area of his pants and attempt to place it in the glove box.
Capt. Dulaney and Ptl. Gates were able to gain control of Rucker and he was removed from his vehicle. During the struggle with Rucker he had thrown the bag of marijuana onto the passenger side floorboard where it was recovered. Officers then conducted a search of the vehicle and located additional evidence which consisted of a partially burned marijuana cigarette and two plastic baggies, one of which contained marijuana residue.
It was determined that the plastic bag of marijuana contained twenty-six smaller bags of marijuana with an average weight of about 1.8 grams per bag. A field test was conducted on a small sample of the marijuana and it tested positive.
Rucker was arrested and transported to the Jackson County Detention Center. He is expected to appear in Newport District Court on Friday July 20 and is expected to be charged with the offense of Possession of a Schedule VI Controlled Substance with the Purpose to Deliver, to-wit: