Lake Wales Police responded to the area of Seminole Ave. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. last night after a resident called complaining about loud music in the Grove Manor housing complex. At around 10:20 pm,officers arrived and observed a minivan occupied by a man they identified as Gerald Parker sitting inside playing loud music. As they approached the vehicle, they saw a large amount of marijuana sitting on the center console and inside an open black bag that was laying on the passenger seat.
Parker quickly got out, walked to the front of the van and appeared extremely nervous. He continuously reached toward and inside his pockets, so officers patted him down for weapons. When officers attempted to detain Parker, he began struggling and resisting the officers by pushing K9 Officer Emmanuel Viera and pulling away from Officer Jerry McDowell. The struggle continued and officers eventually attempted to use a Taser as well as K9 Hunter to gain control of Parker.
Once officers eventually handcuffed Parker, they located a cannabis cigar “blunt” in his pocket. Inside the vehicle was additional drugs along with drug paraphernalia. Officers recovered a digital scale, a package of sandwich bags, a total of 88.7 grams of cannabis, 30 packages of cannabis candy, 12 grams of crack cocaine, 2 Oxycodone pills, 6.3 grams of powder cocaine, 1.4 grams of ecstasy pills, 29 alprazolam pills and 1.1 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
Parker was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to sell, possession of cannabis over 20 grams, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of methamphetamine, possession of MDMA/Ecstasy, possession of oxycodone without a prescription, possession of Alprazolam and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police also charged Parker with resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer and striking a police dog. Police also cited him for loud music.
