UTICA — A 45-year-old Utica man was arrested on multiple drug charges after fleeing police on an electric bicycle and crashing into a vehicle Sept. 22.
Laquane Scott was apprehended following a pursuit that began around 10:40 p.m. when officers noticed him committing traffic violations while riding an electric bicycle in the Oneida Square area.
Utica Police Officers from the Crime Prevention Unit, working with Oneida County Sheriff Deputies, were conducting proactive patrols in the area due to recent shots fired and narcotics-related issues.
Scott fled on the electric bicycle for several blocks before colliding with a vehicle at Genesee Street and Jewett Place, according to police.
He then abandoned the bicycle and continued fleeing on foot before being apprehended on the 1400 block of Genesee Street after a brief foot pursuit.
Officers retracing the pursuit route found Scott’s cell phone and a quantity of suspected cocaine.
A thermal imaging device showed a strong heat signature on the baggie containing the contraband, indicating it had just been discarded, police said.
Scott was transported to the Utica Police Department and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third, fourth and seventh degrees, along with vehicle and traffic law violations.
