A late-night traffic stop on Salisbury Street ended with a driver in handcuffs and a Raleigh police officer hurt after officers say the man hurled suspected cocaine out of his car window. Police say the officer, who was exposed to the drug while approaching the vehicle, was treated at the scene and sustained what they described as non-life-threatening injuries. Officers detained 46-year-old Dirushi M. Jones after the stop, which police say took place just before midnight on Tuesday.
Police account
According to WRAL, Raleigh police said Jones threw suspected cocaine out of the window as officers walked up to the car, prompting an immediate response and his arrest. WRAL reports that Jones was charged with multiple felonies, including assault on a law enforcement officer and possession with intent to sell or distribute cocaine. He also faces counts for altering or destroying evidence, resisting an officer with serious injury, and allegedly possessing drugs within 1,000 feet of school property, along with several misdemeanor motor-vehicle and open-container violations.
Officer treatment and regional context
Police say the officer was treated on scene and was not in life-threatening condition. Traffic stops that turn up significant narcotics have been a recurring theme in the region this winter. For instance, a December stop in nearby Salisbury uncovered suspected fentanyl and cocaine, as reported by WSOC. Local reporting on recent traffic-stop drug seizures highlights several similar busts across Wake and adjacent counties.
What happens next
Jones was booked on the listed counts, and the case will be handled by Wake County prosecutors, per WRAL. Police have asked anyone with information or video of the incident to contact investigators. The Raleigh Police Department's nonemergency line and media contact information are available on the city's police page at the Raleigh Police Department.
