A Leesburg man was arrested for the second time in a month on charges of resisting arrest and drug possession.
Jason Jermaine Simpson, 35, of 1104 E. Dixie Ave. Unit A, was charged Tuesday with resisting arrest with violence, possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug equipment. Simpson has a half-dozen prior arrests in Lake County, the most recent on Feb. 11 for resisting without violence and unlawful possession of a controlled medication.
Simpson was riding a bicycle at around 10 a.m. when a Leesburg Police officer stopped him for not crossing South 14th Street at a properly marked pedestrian crosswalk. While Simpson was looking for his ID card, the officer noticed the smell of fresh and unburnt marijuana, according to the police report.
A records search did not turn up any active wants or warrants, but it showed Simpson was on inmate release for possession of narcotics. Before telling Simpson he could leave, the officer asked if he had anything illegal in his possession. Simpson said no, and the officer told him if he did and it was something small, he could “work with that,” the report said.
Simpson then reached into his jacket pocket and said, “It’s not fresh, but I found this in the parking lot over there,” referring to the Lee Motel. He then removed a small silver pipe with residue in the bowl. The odor of marijuana could still be smelled in the bowl. The officer told Simpson he was going to search him and Simpson said, “I have the right to refuse.” The officer reiterated he was going to search Simpson because of the paraphernalia, according to the report.
During the search, the officer retrieved a black hard case from Simpson’s jacket pocket. The case contained a small plastic bag with a crystal substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine. The officer tried to place Simpson in handcuffs, but he resisted, turning around and trying to grab the officer around the neck. The officer redirected Simpson’s arm and took him to the ground. He was able to use his radio just long enough to call for backup, the report said.
Simpson continued to resist but the officer was able to hold him down until backup arrived to help place him in handcuffs. A further search of Simpson’s person yielded two plastic straws that had been cut to about 3 inches in length and a lottery ticket that contained a white powder substance that later tested positive for cocaine, according to the report.
Simpson was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was being held Friday on $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on April 5.
