Safety Checkpoint stop leads to narcotics and firearm arrest

The Picayune Police Department made an arrest of a local man during a driver Safety Checkpoint at the intersection of N. Beech Street and Westchester Drive.

According to Assistant Chief Dusty Moeller, on May 4, 2020, at approximately 3:05 p.m, Detectives with the Narcotics Division and members of the Picayune Police Patrol Division came in contact with a vehicle driven by a local man, later identified as Deria Brown, age 28, of 715 South Haugh Ave, Apt. K-87, Picayune.

While speaking with Brown through the driver’s side window of the vehicle he was driving, Detectives smelled the aroma of Marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle. At this time, Detectives asked Brown to pull over to the right side off the road for further investigation. Brown pulled to the right side, but not fully out of the roadway, so Detectives asked him to pull further off the right in order to fully remove his vehicle from the roadway.

As Brown was pulling forward, Detectives observed Brown turn his body attempting to grab something from the back seat of the vehicle as they watched his actions looking through the rear window. Detectives asked Brown to step out, but he responded to their request and told the Detectives “I’ll be out in a minute.”

For officer safety reasons, the Detectives opened the driver’s side door, at which time they observed a pistol, later identified as a 40 caliber Springfield XD-40, in Brown’s front left pants pocket. Brown attempted to take the pistol from his pocket, but Detectives were able to subdue him before Brown was able to take if fully out of his pocket.

At this time, Moeller said that Brown was taken out of the vehicle and placed into handcuffs. Detectives searched the vehicle and located another firearm, a Diamondback AR-15, which they found on the rear floorboard of the vehicle. In the trunk of the vehicle, Detectives observed a glass jar which contained Marijuana.

Brown was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute While in Possession of a Firearm. Brown was transported to the Criminal Justice Center where he was booked and incarcerated according to Moeller.