Man arrested after pursuit, drugs and stolen gun recovered

LAUREL, Del. — A 26-year-old man was arrested Friday after allegedly striking a police officer with a vehicle, leading officers on a pursuit and later being found in possession of a stolen firearm and suspected narcotics, authorities said.

Officers with the Laurel Police Department initially attempted a traffic stop on March 19 after observing a vehicle without a registration tag, according to police. During the stop, the driver refused to comply with commands. As an officer attempted to remove him from the vehicle, the driver fled, striking the officer in the process.

Police said a pursuit was initiated and continued into the Wexford Apartment Complex, where the suspect lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a residential patio attached to an apartment building.

The suspect then fled on foot into the nearby Little Creek Apartment Complex. Officers established a perimeter and apprehended him a short time later without further incident.

Authorities identified the suspect as Lenear Kellam, 26, of Laurel.

A search following his arrest allegedly uncovered a loaded firearm reported stolen from another jurisdiction, approximately 21.7 grams of suspected crack cocaine and a large amount of cash, police said.

Kellam was taken to the Laurel Police Department for processing and faces multiple charges, including possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, drug distribution-related offenses, receiving a stolen firearm and resisting arrest. Additional charges include traffic violations and misdemeanor offenses related to the crash and pursuit.

He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution after failing to post $168,000 cash bail.

The Laurel Police Department said the information was released in the interest of transparency. Authorities noted that all charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.