LaGRANGE — The LaGrange Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit over the last week made three drug-related arrests during a series of investigations, serving an arrest warrant and an undercover operation.

Sgt. Mark Cavender, head of SIU, said the team was serving an arrest warrant in the first block of Robertson Street about 11:20 p.m. Saturday to Korey Leshan Whitfield, 37.

When investigators arrived, they found Whitfield’s sister sitting on the front steps of the home with the door partially open, Cavender said, and they could smell marijuana.

While investigators spoke to Whitfield’s sister, Cavender said he saw the suspect inside the kitchen grabbing items off the table. Whitfield noticed Cavender and SIU investigators still at the door, turned and ran down a hallway through the home, a police report states.

Cavender ran into the home and followed Whitfield into a bathroom where he caught the man flushing items from inside an oatmeal container down a toilet, states the report.

Cavender and more SIU investigators used “reasonable force” to stop Whitfield from destroying any more evidence, according to the report, and took him into custody.

Investigators found 36 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of methamphetamine still inside the container Whitfield was holding in the bathroom, Cavender said.

SIU team members searched the rest of the home and allegedly found digital scales, baggies and a razor blade on the kitchen table, a pill bottle that contained no label with three Norco Hydrocodone pain pills, and a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum handgun on the floor.

Whitfield was transported to the Troup County Jail where he was booked on his two active warrants and charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of a schedule II narcotic, obstruction of a police officer, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

While being booked into the jail, Whitfield was also found to have $2,823 dollars and a cellphone. The police report states the money and phone were seized as evidence.

Cavender said two other people at the home were also arrested that night on unrelated charges.

Whitfield’s sister, Shecortney Hill, was charged with possession of marijuana, and Maurice Cameron was taken into custody for an active parole warrant for his arrest.

Meanwhile, a few miles away at the Racetrac gas station at 1519 Lafayette Parkway, LaGrange police officers arrested a Newnan man during an undercover operation.

Anthony Wayne Garrett, 28, was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, Cavender said. Garrett allegedly made arrangements to deliver the illegal drugs to a person Saturday night at the gas station.

The man was actually in communication with an undercover LPD officer and was promptly taken into custody when he showed up with the marijuana, Cavender said.

Garrett allegedly had about 4.5 ounces of pot when he was arrested. He was taken to the Troup County Jail.

In another incident, a four-month investigation netted one arrest off Kissler Street on May 6.

Kelcey Stephens, 38, of LaGrange had an outstanding warrant and charge for trafficking methamphetamine after he allegedly sold two ounces of the illegal drug to an undercover officer.

Investigators searched Stephens’ house and allegedly found one pound of marijuana, digital scales and three firearms.

He was additionally charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of violating his probation.

The investigation into Stephens was a joint operation between the LaGrange Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Task Force and the Department of Community Supervision, said Cavender.