MITCHELL – A Colorado man was arrested late Tuesday night in Mitchell after a high-speed traffic stop led police to discover cocaine and marijuana inside his vehicle.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Mitchell Police Officer Jacob McMillen, officers were conducting radar speed enforcement along State Road 37 near the Main Street intersection at approximately 10:16 p.m. on November 3, 2026. Officer McMillen observed a southbound silver Nissan Altima traveling at 77 mph in a posted 50 mph speed zone.
Officer McMillen initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, which pulled over near 3159 State Road 37.
As the officer exited his patrol vehicle, he observed the driver—identified as 44-year-old Michael T. Raines of Pueblo, Colorado—reaching around the passenger side of the cabin. Upon approaching the passenger window to explain the reason for the stop, Officer McMillen detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.
Officer McMillen requested backup assistance from Mitchell Police Officers Bailey and Grogan to conduct a vehicle search based on the odor.
During the search, Officer Bailey located a burnt marijuana cigarette hidden inside a cigarette pack underneath the front passenger seat. Officers also discovered a piece of aluminum foil beneath the passenger seat containing a white substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
Raines was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
He was booked on a preliminary felony charge of possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug. Police permitted Raines to contact an acquaintance to retrieve his vehicle from the scene.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
