Dazarian RhodesCARROLL COUNTY — A Southaven man was arrested Friday after Carroll County sheriff’s deputies allegedly found a large amount of marijuana and a loaded AR-15 during a routine safety checkpoint.
Deputies were conducting the checkpoint at the intersection of Highway 7 and County Road 41 when a Ford Fusion approached at about Friday, Aug. 21.
According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, deputies detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and its driver.
The driver, identified as 25-year-old Dazarian Keshun Rhodes, presented his driver’s license and, when questioned about the odor, showed deputies a small bag of marijuana.
Deputies instructed Rhodes to pull onto the shoulder, where they searched the vehicle.
Investigators said they found an additional bag containing a large amount of marijuana, along with a loaded AR-15 equipped with a 60-round magazine.
Rhodes was taken into custody and booked into the Carroll County Regional Correctional Facility on a charge of felony possession of marijuana enhanced by possession of a firearm.
He was released on a $50,000 bail bond.
Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker said the combination of illegal drugs and firearms is a concern for law enforcement.
“We will always do our part to stop the flow of illegal drugs through Carroll County,” Walker said. “It is common to find weapons along with illicit substances. That is the deadly combination that often leads to gun violence.”
Walker said deputies will continue working to prevent illegal drugs and weapons from entering the county.
“We will not tolerate it here and will continue to work hard to keep our citizens and businesses safe,” he said. “I appreciate our deputies’ strong commitment and diligence in this effort.”
