A Columbus traffic stop turned into a full-on chase Tuesday morning, ending with a K‑9 takedown and deputies pulling roughly 20 pounds of marijuana out of a car’s trunk, according to local authorities. The pursuit began around 9:43 a.m. and wrapped up near the 2200 block of 23rd Street North, where the driver bailed out and tried to run before being caught with help from a K‑9 unit. No other drivers were hurt during the incident. Deputies later identified the suspect as 37‑year‑old Quinton Brewer of Columbus.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Wrong‑Way Chase
Deputies first tried to pull Brewer over on Cole Road at about 9:43 a.m., but instead of stopping, he took off, at times heading west in the eastbound lane and putting other motorists in a bad spot, according to a press release reported by the Commercial Dispatch. The chase rolled onto Highway 82, where investigators say Brewer’s vehicle hit a deputy’s patrol car while fleeing. He eventually abandoned the car near the 2200 block of 23rd Street North and tried his luck on foot before being caught.
Where 20 Pounds Lands In Statewide Weed Busts
Brewer’s alleged stash might not be record‑breaking, but it definitely is not small change in the eyes of state drug agents. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics’ 2023 Drug Threat Assessment reports that agents seized about 1,717 pounds of processed marijuana statewide in 2022, highlighting how highway stops routinely uncover multi‑pound loads moving across the state. The report also notes that seizures and enforcement ebb and flow year to year, and that activity often clusters on key routes such as Highway 82. Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
Search Warrants, Seizures And Charges
After Brewer was taken into custody, officers searched the vehicle and say they found about 20 pounds of marijuana in the trunk. Inside the car, they reported locating more marijuana along with a handgun, according to the press release. Deputies and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents then executed two search warrants, one at Brewer’s home and another at a separate location, where they say they recovered additional marijuana, methamphetamine and two more guns, as reported by the Commercial Dispatch. Brewer was booked into the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center on charges of fleeing and marijuana trafficking. Bond had not been set by press time.
What’s Next
From here, Brewer’s case moves into the Lowndes County court system, where prosecutors and a judge will determine the formal charges, potential bail and upcoming court dates. Investigators say their work is not finished and that the case remains open, with authorities declining for now to say whether anyone else might be swept up in the fallout from the search warrants.
