On August 6, 2020, at about 0012 hours, a Newark Police Officer was on patrol on South College Avenue near West Chestnut Hill Road.  The officer observed a vehicle swerving on the roadway and improperly changing lanes, causing another vehicle to have to brake abruptly to avoid a collision.  The vehicle then fled at a high rate of speed on Christina Parkway, to Elkton Road and then East Delaware Avenue.

The officer caught up with the vehicle and began to contact the operator on South Chapel Street.  As the officer exited his vehicle, the vehicle fled again, striking a curb as it fled.  The vehicle was found unoccupied a short time later off of South Chapel Street.  Other Newark Police Officers located the operator exiting from a wooded area off of South Chapel Street.  He was taken into custody without incident and was later identified as Kahil Crawford, 30, of New Castle.

A K-9 from the New Castle County Police Department arrived to assist and alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle was later conducted pursuant to a search warrant issued by Justice of the Peace Court #11.  During the search, officers found a fully loaded handgun, along with various amounts of crack cocaine, MDMA and drug paraphernalia.

Crawford was transported to Newark Police headquarters where he was charged with:

• Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
• Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
• Possession With Intent to Deliver Crack Cocaine
• Possession With Intent to Deliver MDMA
• Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon
• Disregarding a Police Officer Signal
• Possession of a Firearm While Under the Influence
• Driving a Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol
• Multiple other traffic offenses

Crawford appeared before Justice of the Peace Court #11 by video and was ordered to be held in default of $44,000 secured bail. Crawford was turned over to the custody of the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.

On August 4, 2020, at about 1130 hours, Newark Police responded to the Rodeway Inn at 1120 South College Avenue for reports of flooding due to Tropical Storm Isaias.  Officers found that that the water in the Christina River had flooded the parking lot and into rooms on the first floor.  In coordination with the Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company of Newark, about 200 people were evacuated from the motel before water overtook the first floor rooms.  About 25 of those people were transported to a shelter set-up by the American Red Cross at Glasgow High School in coordination with the New Castle County Office of Emergency Management.  No injuries were reported and no watercraft were necessary for the evacuation.

The motel has been temporarily closed by the City of Newark Building Department.

Some photos and video of the scene can be found below.