Apr. 5—VALDOSTA — A Valdosta man faces drug-related charges after a Tuesday traffic stop.

Around 1:10 p.m., a police officer stopped a car in the 400 block of South Barack Obama Boulevard after the driver failed to stop for a stop sign, a Valdosta Police Department statement said.

The driver ran from the vehicle; after a brief foot chase, police caught up with him, the statement said.

The driver tried to shove the police officer away several times and also reached into his pocket to throw items to the ground, police said. After he was detained, police found a bag of Alpha-PVP which he had thrown.

The driver — described as a 34-year-old Valdosta man — was charged with possession with intent to distribute Alpha-PVP and misdemeanor obstruction of an officer.

"This officer did a great job catching this offender and holding him until other officers arrived to assist him. Their thorough search recovered dangerous narcotics which had been thrown on the ground and could have been picked up by a child walking through the area," said Police Chief Leslie Manahan.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.