By Jim Clark

As part of an ongoing surveillance operation last Thursday, Somerville Police Drug Unit officers observed a man known to them walking along Mystic Ave.

The man was known to members of the unit from previous drug related offenses.

A rolling surveillance was kept of the man by members of the unit as he made his way to Bay State Ave. location. The address was also well known to police due to recent arrests.

Within a minute of the man walking into the Bay State Ave. residence, he walked out of the same door and began using his cell phone while keeping his head on a swivel walking up Mallet St. towards Liberty Ave.

As the man walked up Mallet St., he was reportedly observed being on and off the phone and appeared to be awaiting the arrival of someone. After a short period of time a car pulled up alongside the man. Police reportedly observed the driver, later identified as Curtis Preston, of Everett, talking on his cell phone as he approached the location.

The first man entered the passenger side door and the vehicle drove towards Broadway. A rolling surveillance was kept of the vehicle as it took a right onto Broadway and abruptly stopped at the corner of Broadway and Bay State Ave.

As the vehicle stopped, the first man exited and began walking up Bay State Ave.

As the first man was walking, the vehicle began driving east on Broadway towards Cedar Street. At this time, police reportedly conclude that a street level drug transaction had just taken place.

Police officers stopped the first man in front of the Bay State Ave. residence to conduct a threshold inquiry while other members of the Drug Unit maintained a rolling surveillance of Preston’s vehicle.

The first man reportedly appeared nervous as police asked him where he had been coming from. The man answered, “You must know if you’re stopping me.” He was then asked what he had just got from Preston. He reportedly replied, “A forty, it’s in my pocket,” as he opened his right pants pocket. The man reportedly pulled out a baggie containing a white powder. When asked what was inside the bag he reportedly stated he believed it was Fentanyl.

Police officers following Preston’s vehicle observed it taking a left turn onto Hudson Street where it began to move at a faster speed. As the officers were calling out the location of Preston’s vehicle, it abruptly pulled in front of a Hudson St. location. As soon as the vehicle pulled to the right, Preston opened the door and reportedly attempted to flee from the vehicle.

According to reports, Preston struck an unmarked police vehicle while attempting to flee, which caused him to wedge himself between the doors of both vehicles.

Preston was given verbal commands to stop by the officers, but he continued to run towards the rear of his vehicle. As marked units arrived, Preston stopped as he had nowhere to run and was taken into custody.

Preston was placed under arrest and charged with improper storage of a firearm, distribution of a class B drug, drug violation near a school, carrying a firearm with ammunition, carrying a dangerous weapon, and possession of ammunition without FID card.