Two Fort Walton Beach men were arrested on drug trafficking charges after fleeing from deputies and discarding bags of counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl on October 4, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
- Tyrese Davis, 23, and Malik Coward, 18, face multiple charges after the incident.
Members of the sheriff’s office Multi-Agency Drug Task Force attempted a traffic stop on a red 2021 Jeep Wrangler in Fort Walton Beach, the agency said in a news release Thursday. Davis rammed a deputy’s vehicle while trying to flee, according to the release.
Investigators followed Davis to Odd Fellow Road, where Davis and Coward began throwing clear bags of pills from the vehicle, the release said. The men then abandoned the Jeep and ran before being caught after a short foot pursuit.
- The discarded pills tested positive for fentanyl and weighed more than 500 grams total, the sheriff’s office said.
Davis is charged with trafficking in fentanyl, fleeing and eluding, destruction of evidence and resisting arrest without violence. Coward faces charges of trafficking in fentanyl, destruction of evidence and resisting arrest.
The drug task force said it is working to combat illegal opioid distribution and use in Okaloosa County, “specifically counterfeit prescription tablets laced with opiates.” Authorities encourage the public to provide tips anonymously through EmeraldCoastCrimeStoppers.com.
