What started as a routine stop-sign violation in southwest Atlanta on Feb. 26 turned into a full-blown gun and drug bust after officers searched a car and uncovered a loaded firearm and a stash of pills, according to police. The driver briefly tried to run but was quickly caught, and both people in the vehicle were taken into custody.
Officers say they pulled the vehicle over in the 700 block of Michael Langford Drive SW and, after the driver attempted to flee on foot, searched the car and found 224 grams of marijuana, eight bottles of promethazine, 87 oxycodone pills and a loaded Glock handgun. Police identified the driver as 28-year-old Tyquavius Lawrence and the passenger as 24-year-old Summer Butler. Atlanta police provided those details to local outlets, which were reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
According to charging information, Lawrence faces multiple counts, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of marijuana and two counts of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, in addition to vehicle and licensing violations. Butler was booked on drug possession and related counts, along with a charge of giving false information to a law enforcement officer. Fulton County jail records show both were released on bond Saturday, as reported by Patch.
Body-Cam Video Shows Quick Foot Chase
Atlanta police released an approximately two-minute clip from a body-worn camera that appears to show Lawrence stepping away from the vehicle, being warned not to run, then taking off before officers quickly surround and handcuff him. The passenger is also seen being placed in handcuffs in the footage. Local coverage shared screenshots and short segments from the department’s video as part of its reporting, and FOX 5 Atlanta detailed the body-camera release along with the department’s account of the stop.
Part Of A Broader Crackdown On Drugs And Guns
The bust mirrors other recent interdictions in metro Atlanta, where coordinated efforts by multiple agencies continue to turn up trafficking-level quantities of marijuana and controlled pills alongside firearms. In one operation last October, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported seizing more than 500 pounds of marijuana and multiple guns during Atlanta-area searches as part of a multi-agency investigation. The agency outlined that case in a Georgia Bureau of Investigation press release.
Prosecutors are expected to review the Feb. 26 traffic stop case and decide whether to pursue formal charges in Fulton County court. It is not yet clear what false information Butler is accused of providing, and court dates were not listed in public records at the time of reporting.
