Burl Jason Nichols has been charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia during an arraignment at the Washington County Courthouse on Friday.

At approximately 715 Thursday evening, an officer observed Nichols walking northbound in an alleyway east of Bucy Avenue and north of Morton Avenue. The defendant hid in the bushes at the end of the alley until an officer caught up with him.

Nichols gave the officer permission to search for weapons and contraband. The officer found a hypodermic needle in the defendants front right pocket. He also found a Ziploc baggie filled with a white, crystalline substance in the battery compartment of a flashlight in his front right pocket.

After using the field test kit to test the substance, it was determined that Nichols was carrying methamphetamine. The baggie weighed approximately one gram.  

Bond for Nichols was set at $1,000. Nichols is due back in court on October 31.