Police arrest man stuck in bush with bag of cocaine

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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — Police in Eau Claire have arrested a man who allegedly got stuck in a bush with a bag of cocaine on Christmas morning.

Prosecutors charged David Lunde of Prescott on Monday with multiple counts, including cocaine possession, resisting an officer and carrying a concealed weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, an officer noticed a vehicle with a burned-out tail light make an improper turn early Christmas morning, the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reported. The officer activated his squad car’s emergency lights and the vehicle sped away.

After a chase that reached speeds of up to 60 mph, the vehicle stopped. Lunde and another man got out and fled on foot. Lunde jumped into a bush and became stuck. An officer had to pull him free. The officer handcuffed him and found a plastic bag containing 25 grams of cocaine in his pocket, the complaint said. Officers also found a knife in the car.

Lunde told police he had just been released from jail in Washington County, Minnesota. He said he had been arrested there for drug possession and operating while intoxicated, according to the complaint.

Lunde’s attorney, listed in court records as Ken Pletcher, didn’t immediately return a message Wednesday.