Teen arrested after fleeing during traffic stop

A Cape Girardeau teenager was arrested early Wednesday morning after fleeing from officers during a traffic stop, police reported.

Devon J. Smith, 17, was in custody Wednesday on charges of felony unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor resisting detention, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Hickey said an officer made a traffic stop about 1 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Themis Street and Pind Wood Lane and asked the three occupants to step out of the vehicle.

"One of the occupants then fled on foot ... and while he was running from the officers, he reached in his waistband and threw the handgun he had been carrying," Hickey said.

Other officers in the area helped chase Smith and recover the gun, Hickey said.

Online court records show Smith pleaded guilty in January to misdemeanor marijuana possession and served 10 days in jail.

Hickey said Smith was in custody Wednesday in lieu of $5,000 cash or surety bond.

Pertinent address:

Themis Street and Pind Wood Lane, Cape Girardeau, MO