UPDATE: A 31-year-old Davenport man has been released on bond after police allege he threw bags of marijuana from a car during a pursuit early Sunday.

Deon Hamilton faces a felony charge of eluding – injury, OWI, drugs or participating in a felony; an aggravated misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance – second offense; and a serious misdemeanor charge of operating under the influence – first offense, court records show.

The chase

Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Hamilton was driving a 2013 Chevy Equinox that was observed stopped over the cross-walk threshold at the red light at the intersection of River Dive and Mound Street. “The involved vehicle was observed to have been in two prior fail-to-stops,” police allege in arrest affidavits.

Officers attempted a traffic stop on the Equinox near 4th Street and Perry Street, according to affidavits. “Assisting officers attempted to block the vehicle from the front and the side. The vehicle reversed and drove over the curb, into the parking lot of 327 N. Brady St., and back onto Brady St. across all lanes of traffic,” police allege in affidavits, adding “The defendant showed wanton disregard for the public’s safety.”

Officers activated their emergency sirens and engaged in a pursuit. The Equinox failed to yield for the red light at 3rd and Brady Streets, then continued north onto Brady Street where it failed to yield to the red light at West 14th Street and Brady Street. The Equinox continued to fail to yield to several more red lights while continuing north on Brady Street toward Locust Street, police allege in affidavits.

According to affidavits, “The vehicle’s speeds were estimated at 75 mph in a 35 mph zone as the vehicle was northbound on Brady Street approaching Central Park Avenue. As the vehicle traveled north on Brady Street – north of Central Park Avenue – it changed lanes in an unsafe manner while failing to use its turn signal,” affidavits show.

As the Equinox continued north on Brady Street over Duck Creek (approaching 35th Street) “officers observed contraband being thrown out of the driver’s side of the vehicle. (When searching the immediate area later officers located 9.39 grams of loose raw marijuana,)” affidavits say.

Officers observed what appeared to be a plastic bag being thrown out of the driver’s side. The vehicle continued to elude fully marked patrol vehicles as it continued north on Brady Street, and failed to yield to the red light at Kimberly Road and Brady Street, according to affidavits.

Police allege in affidavits that, at 46th Street and Brady Street, officers observed what appeared to be money at the time being thrown from the driver’s side of the vehicle. “This was later determined to be over 75 plastic bags,” affidavits show.

The vehicle next cut west on 50th Street from Brady Street while someone continued to toss objects out of both the driver’s and passenger’s side of the Equinox. “The vehicle crossed across the oncoming traffic lane at 50th Street and Welcome Way as it continued south. The vehicle proceeded at a high rate of speed continuing south on Harrison Street,” affidavits show.

As the Equinox turned west on 35th Street from Harrison Street, “it made a wide turn into the oncoming lanes of traffic. Officers initiated a pursuit intervention technique, thus disabling the vehicle,” and “a high-risk stop was conducted,” according to affidavits.

Hamilton was driving, and had two passengers, police allege. “A Police K9 positively alerted to the vehicle. When searching the vehicle 1.54 grams of loose marijuana was found on the driver’s floorboard. Also located on the driver’s floor board/near the driver’s seat was two tied off baggies and 3 plastic Ziploc baggies (all containing marijuana residue,)” police allege in affidavits.

When searching the center console, officers located 5 THC vapes (93.3% THC each). Located in
the bag with the 5 THC vapes was “a large sum of money.”

When officers searched the front passenger side of the car, a 200 ml bottle of cognac was found under the front passenger seat. Another 3.56 grams of marijuana inside a plastic baggie was on the rear passenger floor board. In the trunk of the car, a tied-off baggie containing suspected marijuana seeds was located. Also in the trunk was a large airtight cooler bag. A cell phone was inside the bag and the interior of the bag had the strong odor of marijuana. “A large sum of money” was located on Hamilton during a search, police allege in affidavits.

After he was read his Miranda Rights, police allege Hamilton admitted to smoking marijuana around 9 or 10 p.m. He was transported to the Bettendorf Police Station where he consented to field sobriety tests, affidavits say. His eyes were bloodshot and unable to track properly, and he “showed poor balance when being explained the instructions for the walk and turn test.”

Hamilton, who was released from Scott County Jail on bond, is set to appear for a preliminary hearing June 6 in Scott County Court.

EARLIER: There was a heavy police presence on West 35th Street, Davenport, near the intersection with Harrison Street about 1 a.m. Sunday.

Multiple squad cars were at the scene. Our Local 4 News crew saw several officers inspect a damaged car while discussing an “open container.”

We do not know whether anyone has been arrested or injured in the incident. We will stay in contact with police to provide details when they become available.