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By Joe Johnson
Athens-Clarke County police this week reportedly arrested a wanted felon who was in possession of drugs and two loaded guns.
According to police, officers initiated a traffic stop at about midnight Tuesday on a Ford Mustang in the area of Waddell and South Rocksprings streets. During the stop, officers recognized Arnold Michael Douglas, 30, of Rocksprings Court in the front passenger seat.
Arnold had felony probation violation warrants at the time of this encounter police said, noting that officers instructed him to exit the vehicle but he did not follow commands and reached into his pockets and under his legs continually.
Arnold eventually exited the vehicle through the driver’s side door and attempted to run away, police said, but officers grabbed the suspect as he attempted to flee and engaged in a struggle with him.
During the course of the struggle, officers felt an object in his jacket pocket that appeared to be a handgun, according to police, and officers continued to struggle with Arnold and attempted to detain him in handcuffs but he continued to resist. Arnold was pepper sprayed at which point officers were able to place Arnold’s hands behind his back and handcuff him, police said.
Once he was detained, officers retrieved a black handgun from his left jacket pocket, according to police, who said that was the area where officers felt the object during the struggle.
Arnold, a convicted felon, then informed officers that he had another gun in his right pocket, police said, and officers retrieved that gun, the serial number on which had been defaced and was not readable.
Both guns were loaded and had rounds in the chamber during the struggle, police noted.
When searching Arnold, officers recovered quantities of marijuana, heroin, crack-cocaine, and methamphetamine.
He was charged with three felony probation violations and one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, trafficking in drugs, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm with an altered identification mark.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Arnold continued to be detained at the county jail without bail being set.