Sloppy weed-handling brings chase and charges

The Tim Horton’s outlet on Dundas Street West where police say an officer saw a man drop his stash of marijuana.
Photo by Erin Stewart

By Erin Stewart

BELLEVILLE – A 19-year-old man who police say dropped his marijuana stash in view of an officer at a Belleville Tim Horton’s is facing several charges.

The officer was in the Dundas Street West Tim Horton’s drive-through Sunday when he saw a young man drop his stash, pick it up and run off. The officer chased the man on foot but failed to catch him right away. An hour and a half later, however, other officers caught the alleged sloppy weed-handler near Bridge Street West and Moodie Street.

“You don’t see that a lot,” Staff-Sgt. Al Portt said of the incident.

The police laid charges of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of breach of recognizance. The man has also been charged, as a result of two more ongoing police investigations, with theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000, failure to remain at the scene of an accident, two counts of possession of stolen property and another county of breach of recognizance.

The man was being held in custody until his bail hearing Monday.