By David Howell

Two men face felony charges, one for drugs and the second for fleeing from authorities, after a traffic stop Tuesday morning in Sardis.

Panola County Sheriff Otis Griffin explained that the traffic stop was anything but routine and actually stemmed from a month-long drug investigation by the Panola County Drug Task Force.

“We had a pre-arranged drug buy Tuesday morning, but our suspect became suspicious,” Griffin reported, explaining that it was a “drug bust gone bad.”

After failing to get the suspect in the pre-arranged area, deputies decided to go ahead and initiate the traffic stop.

“We believed our suspect had the drugs in his possession and we decided to take him down,” Griffin said.

Sheriff’s investigator Barry Thompson, who was tailing the suspect, stopped the vehicle on Myrtle Street.

Authorities quickly took Jeremy Kimp, the passenger in the vehicle, into custody. The second person in the vehicle was also captured, but only after an hour-long manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies.

Rashard Frank, the alleged driver of the vehicle, was charged with felony evasion, according to Griffin.

Ironically Frank picked the wrong day to elude authorizes as a swarm of officers established a perimeter around Myrtle Street where he had last been seen.

Their effort was assisted by numerous state troopers, who were already in the area as Justice Court was underway in Sardis Tuesday morning.

Sardis Police Chief Marcel Jojola also had his officers in action as were other deputies and members of the county’s task force.

“We  actually found Frank hiding in an unoccupied unit of the elderly apartments, not far from where the hunt began,” Griffin reported.

Kimp, also known as “Little Kimp,” has been charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute, according to Griffin. He is also wanted by law enforcement in DeSoto County and remains in the David M. Bryan Justice Complex.

Griffin said that Kimp’s charge stemmed from a bag of alleged crack cocaine was seized from the passenger area of the vehicle. Also taken from the vehicle was a handgun, which turned out to be stolen.

“The gun was reported stolen out of Grenada,” Griffin explained.

“We are out here every day working dope, whether you know it or not. A lot of times we can’t publicize what we are doing, especially with the Task Force,” Griffin explained.

“We had worked on this case for over a month, and already done some buy,” he said.

Griffin said the case remains under investigation.