DIXFIELD — A Lewiston man is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court in November on a charge of attempting to elude local police over the weekend.

Christopher M. Labbe, 39, was charged by police officer Eric Bernier with failure to stop for an officer, operating after suspension, driving to endanger and possession of marijuana.

Chief Richard A. Pickett said Bernier noticed a beige vehicle driving down Nash Street and turning north on Weld Street by the high school. Bernier observed the vehicle traveling in excess of 45 to 50 mph in a 25-mph zone and attempted to pull the vehicle over.

“After that attempt failed, officer Bernier used his sirens and notified his dispatch office that the vehicle was failing to yield,” Pickett said.

The driver turned off his headlights as he turned onto Arsenault Way across the street from the Dirigo Middle School entrance. After driving up onto a lawn and stopping in a ditch, the driver, identified as Labbe, was ordered to the ground by Bernier, Pickett said.

“When he was asked why he didn’t pull over for the officer, he stated it was because he knew his license was suspended,” Pickett said.

Bernier told an unidentified male passenger in the vehicle that he could smell a strong odor of marijuana, and the passenger said he believed there was a small bag of marijuana somewhere in the vehicle.

A search of Labbe’s vehicle didn’t turn up any  marijuana.

Labbe was then taken to Oxford County Jail in Paris.

Once Labbe was turned over to the jail, Bernier searched the back seat of his cruiser.

“It was then that he located the small bag of marijuana that Labbe tried ditching in the seats of the police cruiser,” Pickett said.

Labbe was released on $300 bail and is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Nov. 8.