Tuesday afternoon, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department chased a local man who broke his parole, Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said.

Several days ago, the man identified as 39-year-old Rodney Wayne Smith of 1374 John Amacker Road in Poplarville, broke his parole, which was for a conviction of drug charges, with the Mississippi Department of Corrections after he took off his ankle bracelet during house arrest and went missing, Tucker said.

The Department of Corrections became aware of the bracelet being removed after receiving an alert from the device, Tucker said.

On Tuesday, MDOC contacted the Pearl River County Sheriff Department’s narcotic investigators, and informed them of Smith’s possible location at 42 Dead End Rd. in Carriere, Tucker said.

When the investigators arrived at the home, Smith fled, Tucker said.

After Smith fled, the investigators requested assistance and a K-9 unit, but Smith got away, and is still at large at press time.

Following the chase, the narcotic investigators met with the resident of the home, 51-year-old Russell Edward Barr of 42 Dead End Road in Carriere, Tucker said.

After Barr gave consent to search his home, investigators determined Barr was a convicted felon. In the search, investigators located a weapon that by statute was illegal for him to hold leading him to be charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Barr was also charged with accessory after the fact of escape because he allowed Smith, who he knew to be under parole, to stay at his residence, Tucker said.

Tucker said anyone who aids Smith going forth will be arrested, and he asks anyone with information about Smith’s whereabouts to contact dispatch at (601) 795-2241.