Here's a news release from Sgt. Dave Reagan:   

A 23-year-old Spokane man was arrested Wednesday evening after a deputy discovered drugs and a pistol inside his vehicle during a traffic stop.

Deputy Daryl Smith was southbound on Market from Hawthorne Road about 7:30 p.m. when he saw a blue car ahead of him with a defective license plate lamp.  He stopped the car and identified the driver as Rodney E. Barce, 200 E. Wedgewood.

Barce’s driver’s license is suspended and Smith arrested him. The deputy identified the female passenger to see if she could drive the car away, but she too had a suspended license.  She was the registered owner of the car and gave the deputy permission to search it.

Smith opened the trunk and discovered a loaded .22-caliber pistol and two plastic baggies, one containing marijuana and the other cocaine. During interviews with both Barce and the female passenger, he determined that the woman knew nothing of the gun and drugs, and that they belonged to Barce.

A criminal records check revealed that Barce has a prior conviction for a crime of violence, third-degree assault, which makes it unlawful for him to possess firearms.

Smith drove Barce to the Spokane County Jail and booked him for the misdemeanor license and marijuana violations and felony counts of Possession of Cocaine and First-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

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