Man flees traffic stop, found with pistol and meth

Stock image | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A man who fled from sheriff’s deputies during a traffic stop in Beaver Dam, Arizona, Thursday was later located by authorities and found to be in possession of meth, a firearm and drug paraphernalia.

George Stotler, of Mesquite, Nevada | Photo courtesy of Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

While monitoring traffic in a school zone near Highway 91 and Rio Virgin Road, Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies observed a fast-approaching, dark-colored vehicle.

“School zone signs were posted next to the roadway and in the roadway as 15 mph,” Mohave County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Trish Carter said, noting that with the use of a radar device, deputies determined the vehicle was traveling 45 mph in the posted 15 mph zone.

Deputies observed a single-occupant, male driver in the vehicle and attempted to pull him over at approximately 9:48 a.m., Carter said. However, the driver of the vehicle accelerated and deputies lost sight of the vehicle as it went around a curve, prompting deputies to discontinue the traffic stop.

Hours later, the same vehicle was observed in the Desert Springs area of Arizona.

The male driver, later identified as 34-year-old George Stotler, of Mesquite, Nevada, fled on foot, Carter said. Stotler was located by authorities after a foot pursuit in a wash near Hope Circle in Desert Springs.

He was found to be in possession of methamphetamine, a 9mm pistol and drug paraphernalia, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“Stotler was released to family after he was medically cleared from a hospital due to his difficulty breathing during the incident and recent methamphetamine use,” Carter said, adding, “Stotler will be longed form for multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.”

His vehicle was towed from the scene.

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

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.