In Fall River, a routine traffic stop escalated into a drug bust as officers apprehended a 43-year-old man, Miguel Saavedra, on Tuesday. According to a social media post from the City of Fall River Police Department, Saavedra attempted to flee after being pulled over by Officers Brandon Antone and James Mello, which resulted in a short foot chase before he was caught.
Saavedra, who was found escaping the scene when officers initiated a motor vehicle stop, defied officers' verbal commands to return to his vehicle, prompting the pursuit. After the apprehension, the police officers conducted a search of Saavedra's vehicle, where they discovered illegal drugs and paraphernalia associated with drug distribution, the department detailed.
The substances retrieved from Saavedra's car included about 19.5 grams of what's believed to be crack cocaine and 81 blue glassine bags containing a substance suspected of being fentanyl. A digital scale and plastic sandwich bags, items often used in drug trafficking, were also among the findings in the search.
Consequently, Saavedra now faces multiple charges, including operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, in addition to other traffic-related infractions, trafficking cocaine, and possession with the intent to distribute a Class A Substance, presumably fentanyl. With the arrest, the department recognized Officers Antone and Mello, for removing the harmful substances, intended for distribution in the community with diligence, from the streets.
