Ponce DeLeon man arrested on drug charges after fleeing police on skateboard

A 21 year old man was arrested Saturday on drug charges after Officers with the DeFuniak Springs Police Department located the backpack he had been wearing and found that it contained drugs.

Officers initially responded to the area around the DeFuniak Springs McDonald’s at approximately 11:30 a.m. for a report that Jason James Sparks, of Ponce De Leon, was possibly suicidal. The caller described his clothing along with a backpack and skateboard he had with him. Officers located Sparks walking on U.S. Highway 331 S. holding a skateboard and carrying a backpack.

An Officer tried to speak with Sparks, but he eluded Police on his skateboard. One Officer pulled into the parking lot of Sunoco gas station and observed Sparks riding his skateboard from around a parked car without his backpack. An Officer approached Sparks and began questioning while another looked for the bag. The backpack was then located in a trash can behind the car where Sparks was last observed. Upon the discovery of the backpack, Sparks took off on foot running towards the wooded area. He was captured a short time later by Officers and taken into custody.

Sparks was found to have a small baggy of what field tested positive for methamphetamine in his pocket. The backpack was found to have multiple baggies of methamphetamine, methadone pills, scales, syringes, and other paraphernalia.

Sparks denied being suicidal and was arrested on charges of Trafficking of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance without a Prescription, Resisting an Officer without Violence and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Sparks is currently in the Walton County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

“Kudos to our Police Officers for getting this suspect off the street and keeping those dangerous drugs out of our community,” said Chief Mark Weeks.