HAMPSTEAD — A Rochester man was arrested at gunpoint on drug charges in the Hannaford supermarket parking lot on Monday night.
Omar Lewis, 29, of 13 Lupine Lane was charged with one count of felony possession of a controlled narcotic, and one count of misdemeanor driving after suspension and revocation of license. He was arraigned yesterday morning and ordered held on $20,000 bail.
Detective Sgt. Ken Owen said a detective was in the parking lot about 6 p.m. and observed what he believed to be a drug transaction about to occur. He called for backup, and Lewis was arrested.
Michael Terrile of Hampstead, who was at Hannaford shopping, saw the incident unfold.
"I saw some intense police action at Hannaford," he said. "Three officers with guns drawn, two with handguns and one with a rifle pointed at a suspect and yelling, 'Down on the ground! Keep your hands where I can see 'em!' I walked right through the potential line of fire before I realized what was going on. I've never seen anything like that in Hampstead before."
Terrile said a young mother and her son were coming out of Hannaford right behind him.
Owen said the officers directed the young woman to clear the scene and she, her son and Terrile all went back into the supermarket.
"At no time was anyone in the parking lot or store in any danger," Owen said. "Appropriate police procedures were followed throughout."
Lewis was brought to the Hampstead police station, processed, charged and transported to Rockingham County Jail, where he was held overnight pending his arraignment yesterday in Exeter District Court.
Hampstead police confiscated $1,700 and one pound of marijuana during the arrest, and Owen said the department hopes to retain the items confiscated under the drug forfeiture statute.
