By Pat Culverhouse

What appeared to be a verbal altercation between a couple on Main St. turned into a drug arrest Tuesday evening after a Minden police officer intervened.

Chief of Police Jared McIver said 42-year-old Rankin Douglas Thomas, a resident of the 700 block of Plum St., is being held on charges of possession of CDS Sch. II (methamphetamine), obstruction of justice, resisting an officer with force or violence and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is currently housed at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center. No bond has been set.

McIver said Officer Branthony Brown observed Thomas exit a vehicle stopped on the street around 9:45 p.m while arguing with the female driver. When the officer began interviewing Thomas, he reportedly reached into a pocket of the shorts he was wearing, produced a crystal substance wrapped in a lottery ticket and attempted to conceal the package under the fender of the vehicle.

Thomas reportedly ignored police commands to stop reaching into his pockets, then resisted attempts to be placed under arrest. After he was taken into custody, officers recovered the concealed substance from beneath the fender and found additional methamphetamine in Thomas’ front pocket.

During a search of a backpack belonging to Thomas, officers also discovered a used syringe containing a white substance.

McIver said the incident began when Thomas allegedly offered the driver of the vehicle money for gas rather than exit the vehicle as she requested. When the female driver refused a request from Thomas to accompany her to her residence, he allegedly grabbed the steering wheel and nearly caused a wreck.

In response to his actions, the driver applied her brakes, came to a halt and demanded that Thomas exit the vehicle. At that point, Officer Brown arrived.

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.