RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. — A narcotics investigation by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department resulted in the arrest of a man accused of selling methamphetamine near a church, the department said.
Investigators with the sheriff’s department narcotics unit arrested Gavin Lamon Walker on a charge of sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church, officials said. The department said the arrest stems from alleged sales of methamphetamine in multiple quantities.
After his arrest, Walker was taken to the Rankin County Adult Detention Center. He made an initial appearance this week before Rankin County Court Judge David Morrow Jr., who set bond at $50,000, the sheriff’s department said.
“It always has been and always will be my priority to keep Rankin County safe from those that would poison it with drugs,” Sheriff Bryan Bailey said in a statement. The sheriff’s department also thanked the Pearl Police Department for assisting in the investigation and arrest.
The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges or arrests are possible. Methamphetamine is an illegal stimulant linked to addiction and community harm; law enforcement agencies often pursue sales near places of worship and schools to address public safety concerns. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
