A Hobart resident was Tased Sunday at Luke’s Shell at 6259 U.S. Highway 20 after Portage Police said that he attempted to swallow a baggy suspected of containing heroin.

Arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and resisting law enforcement was Austin J. Brown, 28, police said.

According to police, at 6:58 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the Family Express at 6250 Ameriplex Drive after a customer there reported being harassed by a male subject asking for gas money. The subject left the scene prior to officer’s arrival in a silver SUV.

A similar vehicle was subsequently observed parked at Luke’s Shell and on investigation the officer determined that it was occupied by four persons, one of them Brown, police said. Officers asked permission to search the vehicle and its driver allowed them to do so, but as officers were telling the four persons to step away from the vehicle Brown was seen trying to place a small baggy in his mouth, police said.

Officers instructed him to spit out the baggy, he refused and resisted, and after he continued to resist he was Tased twice in the right thigh, police said.

Brown was then transported to Porter Portage Hospital Campus, where a baggy containing 0.1 grams of heroin was found on his person, police said.

Brown was medically cleared and transported to Porter County Jail.

The other three occupants of the vehicle were released at the scene.

Posted 1/7/2013