Man Held Bag Of Cocaine In Mouth For Hours To Avoid Police: Cops

GREENFIELD, WI — A 21-year-old Milwaukee man has been arrested and charged after Greenfield police say he held a bag containing 33 grams of cocaine in his mouth for several hours in an attempt to prevent police from finding the drugs.

Police said officers tried getting him to spit the bag out, tried the Heimlich maneuver, and eventually brought him to the hospital for X-rays before the bag suddenly appeared on the hospital room floor where he was being held.

According to Greenfield police, an officer on patrol at just after 11 p.m. on Feb. 11 near the 4600 block of S. 27th Street pulled over the driver of a blue BMW after the officer saw the BMW roll through a stop at a red light at W. Layton Ave.

Police said the driver, Marcus Lathan, 21, tried running from police after they found $1,275 in cash on him, a black digital scale with white residue on it inside the car, and a bag containing a substance that police suspected may have contained illegal drugs.

Police said officers on-scene tackled Lathan after a chase of about 40 feet.

According to police, as Lathan was being driven to the local jail for booking, an officer saw Lathan put a plastic bag with a white powdery substance in his mouth.

Police said they couldn't get Lathan to open his mouth, and believed that if he swallowed the bag, that he'd overdose on the large amount of drugs that were possibly inside.

According to police, officers tried the Heimlich maneuver to get Latham to spit out the bag, but he refused. Police said they transported him to a local hospital so medical personnel could X-ray him to determine what he apparently swallowed.

Police say after several hours, the bag that Lathan once had in his mouth fell to the hospital room floor where he was being held. Police said they analyzed the contents of the bag and found a total of 33 grams of cocaine inside.

According to court records, Lathan has been charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. If convicted, Lathan faces up to 15 years behind bars. He's out on a $5,000 signature bond and is due back in court on Feb. 24 for his preliminary hearing.