Two suspects were arrested by the Picayune Police Department in separate cases, both for drug related offenses.

One of the cases involved a short chase that included the suspect trying to fight off the officer when his attempt to flee failed.

Assistant Chief Dustin Moeller said the case took place on July 20 just before 9 p.m., during a routine traffic stop. While speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, the passenger, later identified as 27-year-old Michael Chantea Rawls of 709 Telly Rd., Apt. 3B, exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot down Beech Street.

Moeller said the officer gave chase as he witnessed Rawls discard several things from his person on the roadside and in the ditch. After about three blocks, the officer caught up to Rawls near the intersection of Eighth Avenue, but Rawls tried to fight off the officer to avoid being captured, Moeller said. However, the officer was able to get Rawls into custody and then retrieve the items he discarded during the foot chase. Those items turned out to be a bag containing a substance suspected to be methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and another substance suspected to be marijuana, Moeller said.

Rawls was arrested for felony possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, resisting arrest by fleeing and resisting arrest by violence and an undisclosed amount of cash on his person was seized, Moeller said. The officer was not injured during the incident.

On July 11 at 10 p.m., officers on patrol in the area of Beech Street near Inside Road conducted a stop on a vehicle. While speaking with the occupants, the officer detected the odor of marijuana and noticed a green leafy substance in the vehicle, prompting him to ask the occupants to exit the vehicle, Moeller said.

A search of the vehicle found two bags, one containing a substance suspected to be heroin and the other containing a  substance believed to be methamphetamine. The passenger, identified as 36-year-old Allan Jones of 53 Panther Circle was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute for the methamphetamine and felony possession of a controlled substance for the heroin, Moeller said. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Contortion Anthony, 33, of 1202 Cousin St., Slidell, La., was cited on scene for possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle.