Local man arrested on drug-related charges after short struggle

Keller

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A local man is in custody for drug dealing and resisting law enforcement after he was stopped on his bicycle for traffic infractions.

At 3:10 a.m. Thursday, an officer with the Columbus Police Department (CPD) conducted a stop on a bicyclist near Indiana Avenue and North Ross Street for the bicycle not having a front light or rear reflector, said Sgt. Skylar Berry, Columbus Police Department spokesman.

The bicyclist was identified as Christopher Keller, 34 of Columbus. While Keller was speaking to the officer, he continued to reach into his pocket after being asked to stop reaching multiple times. The officer began a pat down for weapons and located a pocket knife in his waistband. Before the officer could complete the pat down, Keller began to pull away and resist the officer. The struggle continued onto the ground. Other officers arrived and Keller was taken into custody, Berry said.

While searching Keller, officers found drugs, scales, syringes, and other paraphernalia. One of the bags of drugs found tested positive for fentanyl. The other tested positive for both methamphetamine and fentanyl, Berry said.

Photo provided Columbus police confiscated this fentanyl during a stop of a bicyclist early Thursday morning.
Photo provided Columbus police confiscated this combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl during the stop of a bicyclist early Thursday morning.

Keller was arrested on the preliminary charges of dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony, dealing methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony, possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony, possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony, and resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.

This story will be updated.