Officers with the South Evenings Team 1 arrested a Ladson man Friday on gun and drug charges following a traffic stop.

Just before 4 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle speeding on Azalea Drive. The officer then saw the driver make an improper lane change and an improper right turn onto Leeds Avenue. A traffic stop was conducted at the intersection of Leeds Avenue and Dorchester Road, where the driver pulled into the parking lot at 4400 Dorchester Road.

As the officer approached the vehicle, he detected the odor of marijuana. Officers requested additional units and conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle based on the smell of marijuana.

Both occupants of the vehicle were asked to step out and were frisked. During the vehicle search, an officer located a backpack on the rear passenger-side seat. The passenger, identified as 34-year-old Quintin T. Heyward, claimed the backpack and told officers it contained a firearm.

Inside the backpack, officers found a loaded handgun and a clear bag containing multi-colored pills that field-tested positive for fentanyl. A records check showed that Heyward is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Heyward was charged with Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, and Trafficking Fentanyl. He was transported to the Al Cannon Detention Center.

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