A man tossed a backpack over a fence while running from police, and officers later found 110 grams of suspected methamphetamine inside, according to charges. The foot pursuit followed an early-morning motorcycle trip through Austin on Sept. 16.
Adam Edward Sorum, 39, of Albert Lea, is charged with felony first-degree drug possession, gross misdemeanor driving after cancellation and misdemeanor fleeing on foot.
Officers watching a residence on the 1000 block of Seventh Avenue Northeast around 3:25 a.m. saw Sorum leave on a motorcycle, according to the complaint. An officer followed him to a Kwik Trip on Fourth Street Northwest and confirmed that his driving privileges were canceled as inimical to public safety.
After spending more than half an hour inside, Sorum fueled the motorcycle, moved it to another part of the lot and walked away carrying a black backpack. A sergeant later saw him walking through nearby yards.
Sorum kept walking when the sergeant called to him, then ran after the sergeant activated emergency lights and told him he was being detained. During the pursuit, the sergeant saw Sorum throw the backpack over a wooden privacy fence, according to the complaint.
Officers did not find Sorum that morning. The sergeant recovered the backpack from a back deck and found a leather coat inside. A pocket in the coat held about 10 bags containing crystalline material that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, with a total weight of 110 grams, the complaint says.
Investigators obtained store video showing Sorum with the motorcycle, coat and backpack. The backpack’s markings and an attached flashlight matched the recovered bag, according to the complaint.
On Sept. 18, a sergeant saw a covered motorcycle outside the residence where the earlier trip had begun. Officers went inside after speaking with the homeowner and arrested Sorum when he emerged into the living room.
During an interview, Sorum acknowledged his license status but denied riding the motorcycle, being at the store or running from the sergeant. Investigators said a debit card found with him matched the card used to buy fuel on Sept. 16.
