Rene Jean-Louis of Brooklyn was arrested on felony drug and resisting arrest charges Sunday evening, and was locked up in the Luzerne County Jail with bail set at $20,000.
Police say they were called to North River Street after an SUV jumped the curb and slammed into a utility pole. An officer pulled the driver over a few blocks away. Authorities say that driver ran off when the officer tried to cuff him.
Another man who stopped to help told the officer he saw the driver throw a bag of white powder into the woods. That's when the armed citizen offered to help.
Court papers say Rene Jean-Louis ditched his SUV and fell down this embankment before he ran through the neighborhood. Authorities say it was an armed citizen who held that man at gunpoint, outside this business on Darling Street.
"People do have to help out and he didn't cause a problem by shooting him or anything," said Jean Baren of Wilkes-Barre.
Baren says she's relieved to hear that someone helped stop the man on his escape route near her backyard.
Police believe the bag Jean-Louis threw into the woods was crack cocaine.
"There's people who want to help and know what they're doing. Then there's people who want to help but they might take it too far or do something wrong," said Lucas Farrall of Wilkes-Barre.
Farral just moved into a house a few blocks away in the new development. He supports the actions of the armed citizen who police say has a concealed-carry permit for the semi-automatic pistol he used to hold Jean-Louis until police could arrest him.
"That's definitely the right thing to do. If he's got a gun and he's got a permit, he's doing the right thing. It helps the police out."
This case is being reviewed by county prosecutors. So far, that armed citizen has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Police won't release his name because the man wants to remain anonymous.
Jean-Louis remains locked up.