RACINE – A police traffic stop last Thursday led to two men being charged with THC (marijuana) possession, obstructing an officer, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The Racine County District Attorney’s Office charged Jonta Young, 38, of Kenosha, with possession of THC-2nd offense, obstructing an officer and possession of a firearm by a felon. All three counts carry a repeat offender enhanced penalty.
In addition, Roscoe C. Patterson Jr., 32, of Racine, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with possession of THC-2nd offense and obstructing an officer. Both counts also carry a repeat offender enhancer.
According to the criminal complaint, at about 4:37 p.m. Thursday, a Racine Police officer observed that the driver of a red Hyundai SUV stopped at 9th Street and South Memorial Drive was not wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle sat at the intersection for a longer than normal time and then made a quick northbound turn onto Memorial. The officer got behind the car and activated the police emergency lights to make a traffic stop. The vehicle pulled into a parking lot area behind 225 N. Memorial Drive and continued into the lot, where it was blocked by a snow pile and a fence. At that time, the driver and a passenger exited the vehicle and fled on foot.
The driver, later identified as Young, ran north toward Sixth Street. Later identified as Patterson, the passenger ran west through the parking lot of The Neighborhood Pantry at Sixth and Memorial. The officer ran after Young on foot while yelling, “Police! Stop!” Young ran across Sixth Street through traffic and then continued east along the sidewalk, where he eventually lost his footing and fell into the snow after dropping a firearm from his left hand.
Other officers, who had arrived, set up a perimeter and later took Patterson into custody from behind a shed in the backyard at 256 Harrison Street.
Police searched Young as he was taken into custody. They found two baggies of a green leafy substance, which later tested positive as THC (marijuana) with a total weight of 9.3 grams. A piece of paper weighs about five grams. Young was also in possession of a large amount of U.S. currency and two cell phones, the complaint stated. The handgun that he dropped was loaded with seven live rounds in the magazine.
Police found a plastic bottle containing a green leafy substance in the direct area where Patterson was hiding when he was apprehended. The substance later tested positive as THC (marijuana) with a total weight of 13.1 grams.
According to online court records, Young made a preliminary appearance on Friday afternoon where a cash bond was set at $1,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for this Thursday (Feb. 4) at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
Patterson, meanwhile, was also wanted on a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. That charge was based on a Racine Police investigation in August 2020 in which an iPhone linked to Patterson contained photos of him in possession of a handgun. Patterson, a convicted felon, has been on extended supervision with the state Department of Corrections. Police issued a warrant for his arrest on October 2, 2020.
According to online court records, Patterson made an initial appearance last Thursday. Cash bond was set at $2,500 on the THC possession and obstructing an officer charges. Another cash bond of $3,000 was set on the firearm possession charge. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday (Feb. 4) at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center.