SOUTH CAROLINA — A vehicle pursuit in North Charleston led to the arrest of a Charleston man and the discovery of a large quantity of narcotics Friday night, according to the North Charleston Police Department.
Officers said they were conducting proactive patrols around 8:20 p.m. in the Ashley Phosphate Road hotel area due to reports of heavy narcotics activity when they observed a suspicious vehicle enter and quickly exit a parking lot.
Police began following the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop after observing a traffic violation, but the driver failed to stop and continued onto Interstate 26 before exiting onto Aviation Avenue.
According to authorities, the suspect ran a red light and crashed through a chain-link fence before continuing into the back of a parking lot, where the vehicle struck another fence.
The driver exited the vehicle, and officers said he repeatedly reached toward a large fixed-blade knife on his hip as they ordered him to the ground. Police said the suspect complied after additional officers arrived and was taken into custody without further incident.
During a search, officers recovered approximately 85.45 grams of a crystalline substance that tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with 7.1 grams of a white powder substance that tested presumptively positive for MDMA and fentanyl. Additional quantities of suspected narcotics were also found in a lockbox inside the vehicle.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Jason Burggess Sudderth, faces multiple charges, including trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute MDMA, failure to stop for blue lights, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Sudderth was taken to the Al Cannon Detention Center.
The investigation remains ongoing.
