A 22-year-old UF student was arrested and charged with trafficking large amounts of marijuana and cocaine late Tuesday night after attempting to run from police officers.
Cameron Schmidt, who was wearing a backpack filled with what was later found to be drug paraphernalia and a gun, was stopped around 11 p.m. while walking east on Northwest Third Avenue with a friend, according to the Gainesville Police Department report.
A Gainesville Police officer first noticed the pair walking down the street holding red Solo cups.
When asked what was in the cups, both Schmidt and his friend told the officer they were drinking whiskey and Coke. When the officer asked the two to step to the front of the squad car, they started running south on Northwest 12th Terrace, the report stated.
The officer chased the men in his car and caught up with them in the old Mellow Mushroom parking lot on University Avenue. Schmidt was caught, but his friend continued to run south until he was out of sight, the report stated.
Schmidt spun around in the officer’s grip and started fighting him to get away. He punched the officer in the face multiple times and pulled his hair, the report said.
Schmidt threw his backpack away during the fight and yelled, “I have cocaine … I can’t go to jail. I’m in school.”
Schmidt was finally Tasered, which stopped him from resisting long enough for back-up officers to arrive. He was evaluated by EMS and refused medical treatment, according to the police report.
Schmidt’s friend was found by a K-9 Justice unit at College Manor Apartments at 1216 SW 2nd Ave., the report said.
A search of Schmidt’s backpack turned up 32.5 grams of marijuana packaged in separate plastic bags, 56.6 grams of cocaine and a loaded .22 caliber Sig Sauer handgun.
Schmidt has been charged with battery on an officer, carrying a concealed weapon without a license, selling cannabis within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking drugs, resisting arrest without violence and an open container violation, according to the report.
His bond is set at $405,550.
