Col. Rick Wells' Son Arrested Saturday on Police Evasion, Drug Charges

BRADENTON – The Manatee County Sheriff's Office made an arrest Saturday for Charles Wells, son of the office's Col. Rick Wells. Possession of heroin, possession of marijuana and attempting to flee law enforcement were the charges put on Wells following his arrest.

First reported by the Bradenton Herald, Wells' arrest came after he began speeding through a residential area in excess of 80 mph, according to an arrest report. According to the deputy who wrote the report, Wells began speeding after he had spotted his patrol car behind his vehicle. The deputy advised he had been informed that the 25-year old was in the area to buy heroin, and that his license had been suspended last week.

Per the report, Wells stopped his car after turning on a dead-end road, surrendering half a mile after the chase began. "Several bags" of heroin and marijuana were found on the side of the road area where Wells had sped; a pipe with marijuana residue was found inside his vehicle.

In a statement, Col. Wells said, "Our family loves Michael very much and we'll continue to support him during this time. We hope he gets the help that he needs."