Suspect arrested on South Claiborne with marijuana, Ecstacy, handgun, police say

A traffic stop on a minivan that nearly collided with a police car while crossing South Claiborne Avenue led officers to the arrest of the driver on charges of possession of marijuana, Ecstacy and a handgun, New Orleans police said.

The van “abruptly” crossed three lanes of traffic on South Claiborne Avenue near Second Street around 1:15 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3, and nearly hit an on-duty police car, according to a NOPD news release. The officers stopped the vehicle and smelled a “strong odor of marijuana” as they walked up, and the driver — identified as 29-year-old Branden Clifton — admitted that he had the drug in the van, the report states.

A search of the van turned up plastic bag of marijuana on the floorboard of the back seat, and a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat, the report states. “A search of Clifton’s person revealed a pill bottle containing 27 colored tablets found to be Ecstasy and a second pill bottle containing one Tramadol pill,” the report states.

Clifton was arrested on charges of possession of the handgun by a convicted felon, as well as other charges related to the drugs, the report states.