Suspect with marijuana hidden in his mouth tased while trying to run from traffic stop

A Wildwood man was arrested with marijuana after hiding it in his mouth and being tased when he tried to run with it.

An officer on patrol observed an SUV with a poorly lit license plate passing the cross street of Myer Avenue at 1:25 a.m. Friday, July 3, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. He subsequently stopped the driver and a 46-year-old passenger, Dexter Jerome Mitchell, at County Road 468 and Jones Drive in Leesburg.

As he walked up to the driver’s window, the officer saw Mitchell open his door and drop something on the ground. The driver handed over his license before the officer walked to the other side of the vehicle and saw two bags next to the passenger-side door. One bag appeared to have a green, leafy residue and a marijuana cigarette, the report said.

The officer told Mitchell to pick up the bags he had thrown out and asked why he had done that. Mitchell explained that he had just gotten out of prison, was scared to go back and would pick them up. He did not have a medical marijuana card and was arrested in the past for marijuana, the report said.

When more officers arrived on scene, both occupants were asked to exit the vehicle so it could be searched. This yielded nothing, and their attention shifted back to Mitchell, who appeared to have something in his mouth. He was asked to open his mouth, and he instead began to run from law enforcement, the report said.

An officer then pointed his taser at Mitchell and shot six probes. Mitchell tripped and fell, allowing an officer to handcuff him. Before falling, he had moved the object in his mouth into his pocket. Officers discovered it was a small bag with 2.8 grams of marijuana, the report said.

Due to the taser, Mitchell was seen by Lake County Fire Rescue and later taken to Leesburg Regional Hospital by ambulance. The driver was issued a written warning for defective equipment in the meantime, the report said.

Mitchell was ultimately arrested on charges of tampering with evidence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting without violence. He was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $5,500 bond.

He was also arrested in July 2021 as a suspected drug dealer during a traffic stop.