Police: Suspect on the run after traffic stop ends with drug discovery

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Gainesville Police have a BOLO out tonight for a guy who gave them the slip and left behind a lot of pot and other drugs.

Khalil Washington, 26, was pulled originally pulled over for violating the Georgia Hands-Free law but police say his truck reeked of marijuana.

Washington was pulled over on Thompson Bridge Road around 2:30 in the afternoon of Aug. 10 for violating the Georgia Hands-Free law, which says it's illegal to hold your phone while driving.

On the body cam video the female officer is heard telling Washington why he had been pulled over.

“You can’t be on your phone man, you passed both of us on your phone,” the officer says.

She is also heard telling Washington she was going to search his vehicle because of the strong odor.

“I’m gonna search your vehicle OK? I have the right to search your vehicle because I could smell the marijuana,” the officer said.

Police body cam video shows the suspect break free and the immediate foot chase that follows.

Officer Nick Smith said other officers and K-9s then searched for Washington, who got away.

“To my knowledge, there were no weapons recovered from inside the vehicle now what could have been on his person, there’s no telling,” Smith said.

He said what was recovered from Washington’s now impounded Nissan Titan truck were 88 bars of Xanax, 76 bottles of THC oil, THC edibles, a pound of pot, scales, and packing materials.

The search of Washington’s truck near a Publix store led to the discovery of the drugs.

Phil Loveless, one of the store customers, put it this way:

“The guy being on his cell phone, smoking dope, I mean it’s just duh, or D.U.M.B,” Loveless said.

Investigators told FOX 5 News Washington got away when he was detained and uncuffed - not yet arrested.

He had locked his truck apparently to prevent the search with a key fob in his pocket. 

“At that time they went to retrieve the key fob to open the door again and that’s when he fled,” said Smith.

Police are now asking for the public’s help in finding Washington who is from Braselton but got away in Gainesville.

“He’ll be away just temporarily. The cops always get them, somebody will help them out and hopefully, they’ll get him sooner than later,” said Gainesville resident Morgan Forney.

Anyone with information on Washington is asked to call the Gainesville Police Department or police in your area.