Franklin police seized two plastic bags of suspected methamphetamine and a defaced firearm after responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle in the area near Walker Street and Stewart Street.

When police arrived at 10:38 p.m., Peyton Smith, 22, said he was having car trouble, according to an arrest citation. Police noted that they could smell marijuana coming from the car and asked Smith about it.

Smith, 502 Greenwood Drive, Franklin, became agitated, and one of the responding officers noticed a black handle near the driver’s side door, according to the citation. Two officers then attempted to remove Smith from the vehicle, and they said he resisted and pulled away before running from police.

Police caught up with Smith between Walker Avenue and Sarver Street.

During a search of the car, police found two plastic sandwich bags containing a white powder substance believed to be methamphetamine, a loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and $1,349 in cash in dominations consistent with drug trafficking, according to the citation.

The white powder substance will be sent to the Kentucky State Police crime lab for analysis, Franklin Capt. Larry Schultz said. The gun had been filed down near the serial numbers that were still visible.

“It’s always important to make these arrests,” Schultz said. “These types of drugs are dangerous and can impact crime through burglaries, home invasions. It’s all kind of tied together. …

“The crime rate increases whenever you have drugs or drug trafficking in the area, no matter what type of drugs it is,” he said. “It’s a situation that we’re glad our officers are working hard to eliminate or eradicate the drugs in our community. Whether it’s small quantities or large quantities, we want to keep our citizens safe.”

The area Smith was arrested is near Lincoln Elementary School.

“It’s very important to get that off the street,” he said of the suspected meth. “Children are a high priority. We wouldn’t want to introduce those drugs to them.”

Smith is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance (meth), first-degree trafficking a controlled substance – less than 2 grams of meth, possession of a defaced firearm, second-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot) and resisting arrest, according to the arrest warrant.

Smith is in the Simpson County Detention Center in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

— Follow Assistant City Editor Deborah Highland on Twitter @BGDNCrimebeat or visit bgdailynews.com.