Benjamin Syquill Locke, 32, was arraigned Friday by Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio on a felony count of possession with intent to deliver and single misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, evading arrest and escape. He was remanded to the Blair County Prison in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Altoona police were conducting surveillance at a home along the 2210 block of Eighth Avenue on Thursday after arresting the resident on a drug warrant. While investigating the resident’s phone, it received a text from “Blue,” known to police as Locke, stating he was outside. Police noted being aware of Locke as a narcotics supplier from Philadelphia to city drug dealers, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The text stated Locke was “out back” of the resident’s home and officers responded to the area, where they saw Locke waiting with a black backpack. Officers followed Locke as he began to walk toward 23rd Street and watched him discard the backpack, the police report states.

When officers approached Locke and began questioning him about the backpack’s location, Locke repeatedly denied ever having one with him. One of the officers told Locke he was not free to leave and if he ran, officers would chase him. An officer then located the backpack in a trash can, after which Locke fled on foot, the report states.

Locke

Officers pursued Locke and deployed a Taser. While taking Locke into custody, officers reported him saying “kill me,” the report states.

A search of the backpack yielded a vacuum-sealed bag of about one pound of meth, a ziptop bag containing about a half-pound of individually packaged meth and about $7,360 in cash. Officers estimated the meth’s street value at $60,000 according to the affidavit.

Locke is scheduled for a preliminary hearing May 20 in front of Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones.