By Bonnie Culverhouse

A Minden K-9 officer aided in the arrest of a Claiborne Parish man for drugs last week.

Johnnie Ray Ferguson, 64, of the 1100 block of White Oak, Homer, was arrested by Minden Police for possession of powder cocaine, ecstasy, Lortab, Percocet and 2 counts of possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance.

Police Chief Jared McIver said Lt. Chris Hammontree, Ofc. Ben Sparks and K9 Tigo were working a D.A.R.T. (Drug Apprehension and Recovery Team) assignment around 10 p.m. Thursday, when the lieutenant noticed a vehicle make a right turn from Fincher Road onto Homer Road in the wrong lane.

“Lt. Hammontree initiated a traffic stop and, after contact with the driver (Ferguson) used Tigo to perform an open-air sniff of the vehicle.”

McIver said Tigo alerted to the vehicle and during a search, a handgun and shot gun were located, as well as .4g of powder cocaine, 1 Lortab, 1 Percocet and 1 ecstasy.

The Homer man was booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.