Lynn drug suspect arrested in Revere

REVERE – Revere Police chased and eventually arrested a 23-year-old Lynn man Friday afternoon after an officer allegedly saw him conduct a drug transaction in the middle of a Revere street, according to Sgt. Dave Pressley.Andrew Benham, of 30 Cumberland Circle in Lynn, was charged with distributing drugs and possession of class A drugs (such as heroin), class B drugs (such as cocaine and LSD) and class E drugs (such as narcotics), Pressley said.Pressley said two Revere police officers were patrolling the streets on foot around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon. “We have a habit of getting out of our cars for a while if it slows down,” Pressley said, “?when they reported witnessing two young men standing in the middle of Beach Street, blocking traffic, Pressley said.Pressley said the officers allegedly saw the two men exchange baggies for cash. As the officers approached the two men while identifying themselves as police, Pressley said the two men took off running in separate directions.The two police officers followed one man, chasing him through the streets while radioing for help, Pressley said. Pressley said one officer caught up to the man, held onto his shirt and ordered him to the ground. But the man didn’t hit the ground, so Pressley said the officer used “non-compliance techniques,” which he said could have been anything from pepper spray to a baton or physical force.Once the man was on the ground, Pressley said officers reported seeing him fling several baggies away. Police arrested him and recovered the drugs, Pressley said.The second suspect is still at large, Pressley said.Pressley said he expected Benham to post his bail of $40 Friday.Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].