An Alabama man and his mother are both facing charges after the man fled a traffic stop, throwing a bag of marijuana from his vehicle and leading an officer on a three-mile pursuit. His mother allegedly interfered with officers attempting to take him into custody.
The Dothan Police Department said an officer observed a traffic violation on Honeysuckle Road near the Wells Fargo building on Oct. 12 at around 9 p.m. The officer activated his emergency lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the man did not pull over.
The vehicle continued to elude the officer for about three miles before stopping in a parking lot in the 1300 block of Fortner Street. Dothan police said the officer saw a small bag thrown from the vehicle as speeds reached 55 mph.
An officer quickly located the bag and determined it contained marijuana, according to police. The incident then took another turn when another vehicle arrived at the scene, and a woman allegedly began interfering with officers attempting to get the man out of the vehicle.
The Mother Arrives
Dothan police identified the woman as 49-year-old Daphney Arpreatrae McCray of Dothan. Police said McCray obstructed officers as they attempted to safely remove the driver from his vehicle and had to be restrained after allegedly resisting their efforts to detain her.
Once McCray was detained, police identified the driver as 27-year-old Jakorey Keshaun Corbitt of Dothan. He eventually exited the vehicle and was taken into custody. Police later revealed that McCray was Corbitt’s mother.
Police then searched Corbitt’s vehicle and reportedly found a Glock handgun, according to the department.
The Charges
Dothan police said Corbitt was charged with one felony count of attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, possession of marijuana in the second degree, and tampering with physical evidence.
McCray was charged with obstructing governmental operations and resisting arrest.
Corbitt was booked into the Houston County Jail, while McCray was booked into the Dothan City Jail, according to the Dothan Police Department.
What Does the Law Say?
On Oct. 1, Alabama increased the penalties for eluding law enforcement. WAFF reported that the offense was previously a misdemeanor but is now classified as a Class D felony. The law also establishes enhanced penalties when certain aggravating factors are present, including driving more than 20 mph over the speed limit and having a child in the vehicle.
Alabama law also generally classifies obstructing governmental operations as a Class A misdemeanor.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.