A Leesburg man who had to be tased after a foot chase was arrested on multiple drug charges and a huge cache of drugs and nearly $1,500 in cash were recovered during a bust that started out as a routine traffic stop last week.
Jabron Donte Jackson, 30, of 2000 Park Circle #39, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance (MDMA) without a prescription, possession of drug equipment, resisting an officer without violence, and driving with a suspended license (habitual offender). Jackson is no stranger to local law enforcement, with a half-dozen prior arrests, according to Lake County Jail records.
At around 10:42 a.m. Friday, a Leesburg Police officer observed a white Buick traveling northeast on Braebury Drive turning left onto Crest Avenue. The driver – later identified as Jackson – was not wearing a seat belt and the license tag was expired. The officer turned around to initiate a traffic stop as the vehicle started turning into a driveway on Crest Avenue, according to the police report.
The officer activated the patrol car’s emergency lights to indicate a stop was being conducted. Jackson got out of the Buick and started walking towards the residence. The officer ordered Jackson several times to stop walking away but he kept going, saying he needed to tell something to his friend inside the house, the report said.
The officer ordered Jackson to the ground, but he refused to comply. The officer tried to grab his arms to detain him, but Jackson started pushing and pulling to get away. After a brief struggle, Jackson broke free from the officer and started running southwest on Crest Avenue, according to the report.
The officer chased Jackson and warned him he was going to be tased if he didn’t stop. Jackson kept running and jumped a fence into the back yard of a residence on Woodlyn Drive. The officer went around the residence to intercept Jackson on the other side, but he didn’t emerge. the report said.
The officer then observed Jackson standing in the northeast corner of the back yard, near a tree, trying to find a way over a wood fence. The officer approached Jackson with his taser drawn and ordered him to stop. Jackson then started breaking the wood fence to get away. Due to Jackson actively trying to resist and possibly trying to arm himself with a piece of wood, the officer deployed the taser, according to the report.
Jackson did not go all the way to the ground after being tased and continued resisting. The officer warned Jackson he was about to be tased again, but another officer arrived on the scene and helped subdue him, the report said.
While Jackson was being chased and apprehended, other officers stayed with the vehicle and a K-9 unit was brought in to conduct a free air sniff. “Banner” gave a positive alert for narcotics and the vehicle was searched on the scene, according to the report.
During the search, officers found a black backpack ono the front passenger seat that was open. The backpack contained a large number of THC candy packs ranging between 400 and 600 mg, and there was medical cannabis in small plastic baggies both in the backpack and all over the front seat, the report said.
There was also a small compartment to the left of the steering wheel that was left open, and it contained a small baggie filled with a white cake-like substance that later tested positive for crack cocaine (9.9 grams bagged weight). Officers also found an open container of “Remy Martin” champagne on the front passenger seat near the center console, according to the report.
A further search of the backpack turned up a box of clear sandwich-style baggies, a black digital scale, a large plastic food saver bag containing 55.8 grams of marijuana, and a large stack of empty medical marijuana packages. There was also a clear plastic bag containing a purple and white rock-like substance that tested positive for MDMA (14.1 grams bagged weight), the report said.
Jackson had $1,495 in small denominations in his pocket, which is consistent with distributing and selling narcotics. A computer search of his driving history showed he had 10 current suspensions, according to the report.
The bust ended up netting 34 bags of THC edibles weighing 1,266.7 grams (2.79 pounds), 45 bags of cannabis flower weighing 309.8 grams, and 55.8 grams of marijuana. Asked if he had a medical marijuana card, Jackson said he did not, the report said.
After being read his Miranda warning, Jackson said the backpack and all the narcotics belonged to him. He said the white substance was cocaine and the purple rock substance was “Molly,” which is the street name for MDMA. Jackson said the cocaine and MDMA were for his personal use and he sold the edible marijuana locally, according to the report.
Jackson was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released later in the day on $12,500 bond. He will answer to the charges in Lake County Court on April 12.
