Police: Va. men ditched drugs while fleeing officers

The two Virginia men who took off from a traffic stop Monday with two officers hanging onto their car tossed about a pound of marijuana - and maybe a gun - as they fled, police said.

Yesterday, police combed the area along I-95 in Delaware County but could not locate a weapon. They had found the drugs about 100 yards from where they had stopped the car.

Trooper Joseph Thompson pulled over the car because the driver was not "using a turn signal when changing lanes," said Trooper Jonathan Sunderlin, spokesman for the Media barracks.

Robert Paul Hill, 23, and Kalair Kelly Haynes, 22, both of Manassas, have been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, and weapon and drug offenses. According to the affidavit, both men are felons in their home state. Haynes was sought by police there on a robbery charge.

They were each being held after failing to post $1 million cash bail.

On Monday, Thompson pulled over the rented black Kia Spectra with Maryland plates just after 3 p.m. near Exit 9 southbound. Thompson was writing a warning for Hill, the driver, when he noticed Haynes, the passenger, make several "furtive movements" in the car, according to the criminal complaint. By that time, Tinicum Township Officer Robert Alpaugh had arrived to back up Thompson.

Thompson saw that Haynes had a weapon, told him not to get out of the car, and yelled, "Gun!," to warn Alpaugh, according to the police complaint. Hill began to fight with Alpaugh, broke free, got into the car, and took off, dragging the officers along the highway. Thompson managed to shoot Haynes in the thigh during the struggle.

Police found the car on the Widener University campus. During a search of the vehicle, they found small amounts of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

Hill and Haynes were driven by a Good Samaritan to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where they were taken into custody. Police had gone to the hospital in case the pair sought medical treatment. Thompson and Alpaugh also were treated at the hospital for minor cuts and bruises and were released.

According to police, Hill told them he had left Virginia on Monday morning and headed to a "university in North Philadelphia." He said he smoked marijuana while in Philadelphia.

Haynes said he had lied when he told Thompson he had a gun, according to police. He said he wanted "to divert the focus" from Hill, who was in possession of drugs.