Man Arrested for Cocaine Distribution Near Price Chopper Market in Worcester

Thursday, May 17, 2018
GoLocalWorcester News Team

A man was arrested for cocaine distribution in the area of the Price Chopper Market in Worcester. 

Okena Smith, 33, was charged with Operating a motor vehicle so as to Endanger, Failure to Stop for a Police Officer and Distribution of Cocaine.

The Incident

On Tuesday, May 15,  at approximately 10:55 a.m., members of the WPD Vice Squad were working in the area of the Price Chopper Market, located at 23 Sunderland Road. At this time one of the undercover officers observed a Jeep Cherokee pull into the parking lot and park away from the building. A male operator was seen sitting in the Jeep and talking on his cell phone. After a very brief conversation the operator of the Jeep drove to the opposite side of the parking lot. The male exited the Jeep and entered a Toyota Camry. There was one man in the Toyota, the driver, he was later identified as Smith, 33-years-old of 63 Warner Avenue.

After brief moment the man exited the Toyota and walked back towards his Jeep. It appeared to the observing vice officer that he had just witnessed a street-level drug purchase.

The two vehicles drove off. The vice officer called out to other nearby vice officers to follow the Jeep while he and another vice officer followed the Toyota driven by Smith.

The Jeep was stopped by the officers and it was discovered that the male had just purchased cocaine from Smith. At this time the other officers following Smith attempted to stop him at the intersection of Cohasset and Warner Streets. The two vice officers approached the stopped vehicle with their badges prominently displayed outside of their clothing. Upon seeing the approaching officers, Smith accelerated his Toyota around the undercover vice vehicles and speed off.

The vice officers called out to surrounding officers in marked cruisers of the direction of travel that Smith had taken. One marked cruiser tried to intercept Smith but he maneuvered around him and ignored the cruiser’s emergency lights by refusing to stop. Eventually, Smith got caught up in heavy traffic and officers were able to catch up to him and place him under arrest.

Smith was discovered to have $393.00 in cash on him which was confiscated as proceeds of the drug deal. The cash and drugs were confiscated as evidence.

The driver of the Jeep was not placed under arrest and will be summonsed into court for the possession of Class B Substance on a date yet to be determined.

The Toyota was towed from the scene and impounded back at police headquarters.