A Paterson NJ high school basketball coach and teacher’s aide was arrested on drug charges after allegedly injuring several police officers as he tried to flee.
41-year-old Jimmie D. Smith was captured outside Home Depot on McClean Avenue in Paterson, New Jersey.
Detectives with the state Division of Criminal Justice saw Mr. Smith sitting in his sport utility vehicle in the Home Depot parking lot. When the detectives approached the vehicle and identified themselves, Mr. Smith tried to drive away and allegedly collided with one of the detective’s cars. Mr. Smith then attempted to flee the scene on foot.
Later, detectives caught up with Mr. Smith, who allegedly assaulted and injured two (2) of the detectives while they struggled to place him in handcuffs.
According to authorities, investigators found seven (7) grams, or less than one-half ounce, of cocaine in Mr. Smith’s vehicle after the arrest.
Mr. Smith has been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
In New Jersey, possession with intent to distribute cocaine is a very serious criminal offense. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, possession with intent to distribute less than one-half ounce of cocaine is a third degree crime. If Mr. Smith is convicted of third degree cocaine distribution, he could be looking at a term of imprisonment of between three (3) and five (5) years in New Jersey State Prison.
Mr. Smith was being held at the Passaic County Jail in lieu of $500,000.00 bail.
For more information, read the NJ.com article entitled “Paterson High School Basketball Coach Charged with Drug Offenses, Attacking Cops.”
