Tempe police reported the following incident Tuesday:
An Avondale man was arrested March 19 on the 20 block of West Sixth Street on suspicion of tampering with evidence and drug paraphernalia possession, according to a police report.
A uniformed bike officer rode through an alleyway and saw two men seated on a curb, and one of the men seemed to be shaking something in his hand, police reported.
As the officer approached the men, the man with something in his hand told the other man to hurry because “the cops are coming,” according to the report.
The man threw something that had been in his left hand behind him and motioned his other hand to his face, as though he were throwing something in his mouth, police reported.
The officer told the man to open his mouth and spit, but the man held his mouth shut and began swallowing, according to the report.
After a few seconds, the man opened his mouth and appeared to not have anything inside, police reported.
The man also had a white powder on his face, according to the report.
During a routine search of the area, the officer found a small pink plastic baggie with a white powdery residue inside, police reported.
The man said the powder on his face was cocaine, and that he had received the drug from the man sitting next to him, according to the report.
He denied swallowing the cocaine, and could not explain where the cocaine went or what he swallowed when the officer contacted him, police reported.
The man was transported to Tempe City Jail where he was booked and held to see a judge, according to the report.
Report compiled by Aimee Plante.
Reach the news editor at aplante@asu.edu or follow @aimeenplante on Twitter
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