Cops: Hempstead man tried to swallow crack during arrest

Police said a Hempstead man attempted to swallow crack cocaine when they tried to arrest him for selling the drugs Tuesday night on Main Street in Hempstead.

When Daquan Ravenell, 19, of 14 Vancott Ave., Apt. 4, was finally subdued, Nassau County police said he has a clear plastic bag in his mouth containing 13 smaller plastic bags filled with crack.

The incident began when narcotics / vice squad detectives said they witnessed Ravenell sell crack during a transaction on Main Street. When arrest teams approached him, however, police said he attempted to flee -- and refused to be handcuffed.

Police said Ravenell punched and kicked officers before he was subdued. In addition to the 13 bags of crack found in his mouth, police said Ravenell had five packets of crack in his pants.

He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. He is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead.