Jaunt draws double charges

By Barry Porterfield
Staff Writer

July 17, 2008 05:23 pm

— A quick decision to turn and run from a county deputy now has a Wynnewood man facing a couple of criminal charges, including one focused on drug possession.
The charges against Charles Deon Roller, 35, came Monday after he took Deputy Chani Lewis on a foot pursuit the previous night.
The incident took place after deputies received information that Roller was selling methamphetamine in the Wynnewood area.
In fact, one officer reported watching Roller make a transaction at a store there. He was reported to accept money from an unnamed woman as she was handed an item believed to be drugs in return.
A few minutes later a vehicle with Roller inside as a passenger left the area on U.S. Highway 77 before it was stopped by deputies near the state Highway 29 junction because Roller was not wearing a seat belt.
A filed affidavit shows one of those deputies, Lewis, reported Roller was fidgety and appeared to be in “fight or flight” mode.
After Roller got out of the vehicle he was standing near the front of the officers’ patrol car and being told he was going to be cited for the seat belt violation.
He next put down the crispito he was eating and took off running from the scene of the traffic stop as he kicked off his flip-flop shoes.
At one point Roller is reported to have reached into his front pockets and pulled out some small bags.
He ripped one open and threw others on the ground in what was believed to be an attempt to dump the illegal drugs inside the bags, Lewis reported in the affidavit.
After a run of about 200 yards the deputy caught up with Roller, who was then taken into custody with the assistance of Wynnewood police.
Reports show the substances still in the baggies thrown by Roller field tested positive for meth and were valued at hundreds of dollars.
Roller was eventually charged with a felony possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and a misdemeanor count of attempting to elude an officer.