ST. GEORGE — A 34-year-old man was arrested Monday after he ran from police and was later found to be in possession of heroin.

While on patrol near 800 S. Main Street, St. George Police Officer Jace Hutchings witnessed Jeffrey Call, of St. George, walking down the street carrying a backpack and black garbage bag, Hutchings said in a probable cause statement supporting the arrest.

Hutchings recognized Call, and knew he had a $5,000  cash-only felony warrant for failure to comply with the rules of his probation.

“I flipped my patrol vehicle around and began driving towards him,” Hutchings said in the statement. “As I turned around (Call) had taken off running west across Main Street into the Kmart shopping center.”

The officer pursued Call into the area and saw him running west through the shopping center’s parking lot, Hutchings said in the statement. Hutchings exited his patrol car and told Call he was under arrest.

Call began asking the officer to not arrest him, dropped the garbage bag he was carrying and began walking away, Hutchings said in the statement. Hutchings grabbed Call’s hand and once again told him he was under arrest, when Call pulled his hand away and appeared as if he was going to run again.

Because Call was resisting arrest, Hutchings grabbed him by the sweater, pinned him against a block wall and told him multiple times to stop resisting, Hutchings said in the statement. During the struggle, Call freed himself from the officers grasp and began running away.

“I chased Jeffrey down, tackled him to the asphalt, then placed him in handcuffs,” Hutchings said in the statement.

While searching through the backpack and garbage bag, officers discovered drug paraphernalia and what they suspected to be heroin, the statement said. When they asked Call about the items, he admitted some of the paraphernalia had heroin on it.

Because Call was first discovered in the area of 800 S. Main Street — within 1,000 feet of Dixie Middle School — his drug-related charges were increased by one degree.

According to court documents, Call was previously arrested and pleaded guilty to possession of heroin in a drug-free zone in August 2014.

Call is charged with one second-degree felony for possession of heroin in a drug-free zone; two class A misdemeanors for possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to stop at the command of a law enforcement officer; and one class B misdemeanor for interference with an arresting officer. His bail for release on these charges is set at $15,000 cash or bond.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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