Man jailed after allegedy trying to evade police

CLOVIS — A Clovis man was jailed early Sunday after allegedly trying to evade police during a traffic stop. Eddie Franklin, 59, was found in a trash can after crashing his car near Jones and Fourth Streets.

According to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Curry County Magistrate Court:

• A New Mexico State Police officer witnessed a white passenger vehicle run a red light at the intersection of Mitchell and Seventh streets just before midnight on Saturday.

• Franklin, identified as the driver of the vehicle, pulled over when the officer initiated a traffic stop. But when the officer asked about a “chalky white powdery substance” in Franklin’s mouth, he “put the vehicle in drive and sped off at a high rate of speed.”

• After seeing Franklin run several stop signs, the officer terminated pursuit due to public safety concerns.

• A few minutes later, Clovis Police Dispatch reported Franklin’s vehicle had crashed near an alley and Franklin was not inside.

• Two State Police officers soon found Franklin in a trash can near the abandoned car. He was arrested and transported to Plains Regional Medical Center because of concerns he’d ingested crack cocaine.

• After being released from PRMC, Franklin was booked in the Curry County Adult Detention Center on multiple charges, including fleeing police, driving under the influence, criminal damage to property and leaving the scene of an accident.