FREDERIKSTED — An attempted traffic stop in Whim resulted in the arrest of a St. Croix man on drug possession charges, authorities said.
Ikemadu Phipps was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, Superior Court records show.
The case began on Friday afternoon, when officers on mobile patrol in Estate Whim spotted a black Acura TSX with no front license plate, according to court records. As one marked police vehicle attempted to make a traffic stop by blocking the egress of the suspect’s vehicle with lights flashing, the driver of the Acura swerved around, colliding with a second marked police vehicle, causing damage to its front guard rail.
Mug shot of Ikemadu Phipps of St. Croix.
After crashing into the police truck, the driver of the Acura attempted to flee once again. This attempt ended in a nearby open yard, about 100 feet away. The car eventually came to a complete stop, and from that distance, officers reportedly saw the driver throw a transparent sandwich bag onto the roof of the house associated with the yard.
This time, the driver stayed put when police approached, but when asked, he denied throwing anything out of the car. Ikemadu Phipps, the Acura’s driver, was then taken into custody, during which officers noticed the bag – which contained two pieces of what looked like white rocks – fall off the roof of the house where it had been thrown.
Phipps was put into the back seat of one of the police vehicles while officers awaited the arrival of forensic technicians. When they came, the technicians tested a piece of the substance in the sandwich bag, which tested positive for crack cocaine. There was a total of 27.6 grams of the narcotic in the bag.
At that point, Phipps was placed into handcuffs and arrested. He was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections.
Phipps appeared in courtroom of Judge Ernest Morris Jr. on Monday. Judge Morris found probable cause to bind the suspect over for trial.
Judge Morris ordered that Phipps be allowed to pay $1,500 of his $15,000 bail requirement in cash, with the rest signed as an unsecured bond.
Phipps next court appearance is scheduled for July 24.