PALATKA, FL – A traffic stop outside James A. Long Elementary School led to a major arrest Tuesday morning after a Putnam County deputy discovered a firearm and a trafficking amount of drugs inside a vehicle.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy noticed a vehicle with an expired tag traveling toward the school and planned to conduct a traffic stop once the car left campus. Before the stop could be made, the driver, identified as 41-year-old Rodney Francis of Palatka, pulled into a parking space at the school, exited the car along with another man, and attempted to walk away.
The deputy stopped both men and called for backup. Because of their suspicious behavior and the vehicle’s location on school property, K9 Mags and handler Deputy Yeomans were called to the scene.
K9 Mags alerted to the presence of gunpowder or a firearm, prompting a search of the vehicle. Deputies discovered a firearm with live rounds, approximately 14.5 grams of Ecstasy (MDMA), handwritten notes appearing to list people who “owed” money, and two fireworks.
Francis, a convicted felon, was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, trafficking in MDMA, operating a vehicle used in drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm on school property. He was also cited for an expired tag, no valid insurance, and driving with a suspended license.
Francis was booked into the Putnam County Jail on a $55,000 bond. The passenger was not charged.
Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach praised the performance of K9 Mags, who was recently acquired through a grant program with the Putnam County School District.
“While this was not the scenario we expected for K9 Mags’s first stop, we could not be more pleased,” Sheriff DeLoach said. “Not only did she detect the firearm, but she helped get a drug dealer and his drugs off the street — plus, he’ll have to find a new ride when he gets out because we took the expired plate too.”
Officials noted that James A. Long Elementary was not placed on lockdown, as the situation was contained to the parking lot and quickly resolved.
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