A traffic stop for six misdemeanor warrants turned into a chase into the woods that was assisted by a bloodhound K-9.

On June 11, at about 11 a.m. deputies with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department pulled over a suspect wanted for drug and traffic violation warrants. The suspect, identified as Steven Brooks Raby, 22, of 666 Shorty Burges Road., ran into the woods after accosting one of the officers, said Lt. George Dominguez.

“Then it turned into a felony when he struck that officer,” Dominguez said.

Sgt. Russell Miller and Dominguez were called out to the scene to help find the suspect in the thick wooded area where Raby ran off.

Miller and his K-9 companion, Bart, searched the area where Raby was believed to be but did not find him. Miller suspects Raby had a car pick him up enabling him to elude the officers for a short time but Raby was spotted again, this time at the BP gas station on Henelyfield-McNeill Road.

Miller said Raby then ran off across the road behind some houses where Bart picked up the scent and tracked Raby for about three miles through the thick woods to a pond.

After Raby swam the pond to an island officers attempted to get Raby to turn himself in, but he swam to the other side of the pond. Bart, Miller and the other law enforcement officers tracked and surrounded Raby, taking him into custody near the pond’s drainage, Miller said.

“Had we not had that dog that guy would have gotten away again,” Sheriff David Allison said.

Raby was charged with resisting arrest and simple assault on an officer, on top of the previous warrant charges.