Last week the Picayune Police Department, in two separate incidents, arrested individuals for possession of controlled substances.

Picayune Police Department’s Maj. Chad Dorn said on August 6, officers were dispatched to the area of Sixth Avenue and Kirkwood Street in reference to a disturbance between three white males. 

Before the officers’ arrival, the three males had left the scene in a white Honda Civic. 

The Civic was traveling westbound when officers located the vehicle. 

“Officers observed the Civic stop in the middle of the road and something being thrown from the car.” Dorn said. 

The officers activated the blue lights to stop the car and when the vehicle didn’t stop, officers activated the siren but the car continued south on North Beach Street for a couple of blocks, Dorn said. 

The vehicle later stopped and officers noticed the three males moving around in the car, Dorn said.  

The officers approached the Civic and observed that neither the driver nor the front seat passenger was wearing their seatbelts, the major said. 

The driver was identified as 30-year-old John Colby St. Amand of 8 King Road, Carierre and the passenger was identified as 49-year-old Mark Beason Burke of 89 Doubloon Circle, Carierre, Dorn said. 

Armand was arrested for careless driving, failure to yield to blue lights and siren and seatbelt violation, the major said.  

“Officers had Burke step from the car, who was boisterous and argumentative as he was exiting,” Dorn said. 

As officers were patting Burke down, he kept moving his hands in attempts to reach for his pants pocket, Dorn said. 

During the pat down, officers recovered a used hypodermic needle in Burke’s pocket, the major said. 

Burke was placed in the backseat of the police car and the third passenger was released, Dorn said. 

“Officers observed Burke moving around in the backseat of patrol car, upon closer examination, Burke had pulled his pants down to his knees and had something clenched in his fist,” Dorn said. 

The officers recovered a metal container from Burke’s fist, which contained 12 oxycodone pills. 

Burke was charged with disorderly conduct and two counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of  paraphernalia. 

On August 8, in a separate incident, officers were dispatched to I-59 north bound near mile marker 4 in reference to a careless driver complaint, Dorn said. 

The officers identified the silver Honda Odyssey with Louisiana tags and observed the vehicle swerving from the right lane to the left lane.

The officers conducted a traffic stop on the Odyssey near exit 6 and approached the vehicle driven by 40-year-old Jason Ronald Nuss of 12 Spinnaker Lane, New Orleans La. 

“Officers noted Nuss to be anxious, nervous and speaking at an abnormally fast pace,” Dorn said. “Nuss gave officers consent to search his vehicle.”

The officers recovered a black case from the center console, which contained unused hypodermic needles, a spoon and a clear plastic prescription bottle, which contained a small folded piece of aluminum which contained suspected heroin, Dorn said. 

Nuss was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance and careless driving.