The son of U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, who earlier this month praised the idea of legalizing drugs, is being sought on a drug charge, police officials said Saturday.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Kevin Elders, 26, on a charge of felony drug possession, police said.They said details of the alleged violation were set out in a sealed affidavit that would not be made public until after Kevin's arrest.
In Washington, the surgeon general issued a statement supporting her son. "We've told our son that we stand by him as family," she said in the statement. "In the meantime, he has asked us to refer all questions to his attorney."
The attorney, Les Hollingsworth of Little Rock, could not be reached for comment.
Police said they could not immediately locate Kevin Elders but predicted he would soon be in custody.
"We don't have any specific information about where he is or we would be picking him up," said Lieutenant Doc Holloday, a spokesman for the Little Rock police. "We do feel he is in the area, and we do expect to have him in custody within the next several days."
Reporters, however, had no trouble finding Kevin, who declined comment.
"Until we know what's going on, I'm really not making any kind of statement," he said.
The surgeon general, known for speaking her mind on touchy topics, sparked a controversy in Washington this month when she said legalizing drugs would reduce the nation's crime rate and was an idea that merited study.
"I do feel it would markedly reduce our crime rate if drugs were legalized," Elders told the National Press Club.
The White House quickly said Clinton disagreed with Elders and opposed such a move.