The Fayetteville Police Department arrested a Rochester, New York man on the morning of Friday, February 26, after a routine traffic stop led to a high speed pursuit, resulting in an overturned vehicle. Joshua Eugene Parker, 19, has been charged with one-count of having an obstructed driver’s view, driving while suspended, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, simple possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and battery of an officer.
Shortly before 4:00 a.m. on the date in question, officers were on routine patrol along the northbound side of US Route 19 when they observed a silver sedan with items hanging from the rearview mirror. Officers then proceeded to perform a traffic stop of the sedan in the area of Town Center Road in Fayetteville.
According to the criminal complaint, upon engaging with the driver, later identified as Joshua Eugene Parker, officers detected “a raw odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle”.
Officers requested Parker’s driver’s license, to which Parker allegedly responded that he did not know where it was. The complaint states that officers then opened the driver’s door and ordered Parker to exit the vehicle due to his “moving around awkwardly in the seat and feeling around on the floorboard”. Approximately 30-seconds later, Parker allegedly placed the vehicle into drive and proceeded to quickly drive away, striking the officer with the sedan’s open driver’s door in the process.
Officers reportedly gave chase, pursuing Parker’s vehicle further north on US Route 19. According to the criminal complaint, the pursuit went for approximately 13-miles before Parker lost control of his vehicle just beyond the Hughes Bridge, where it overturned in a creek. Parker reportedly exited the vehicle through the back window, and was immediately taken into custody.
At the time of his arrest, Parker reportedly had $3,242 in cash, and a bag with approximately 1.5 grams of a “green leafy substance consistent with marijuana” on his person.
Officers also reportedly located a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun on the ground behind the overturned vehicle, as well as multiple rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and 6.71 additional grams of the green leafy substance within the vehicle.
Joshua Eugene Parker is currently being held in Southern Regional Jail on a $20,000 cash-bond or surety.
