Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, December 19, 1993                   TAG: 9312190143
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: LITTLE ROCK, ARK.                                LENGTH: Medium

SURGEON GENERAL'S SON BEING SOUGHT ON A DRUG CHARGE

The police issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for Kevin Maurice Elders, 28, for possession of cocaine. Police said Saturday that they had not arrested Elders because they could not find him, but that an arrest was expected soon.

In a telephone interview Friday from his home, Elders denied the charge and suggested that it was a politically motivated response to his mother's remarks that the crime rate could be reduced if drugs were legalized.

After the White House moved swiftly to distance itself from her remarks, Elders said her comments had been personal observations that did not reflect the views of the administration.

In the interview, Kevin Elders said: "We're trying to run this down and see where this came from. It possibly could be retaliation for her comments." He said he learned of the pending arrest on Friday night from his mother, who called him from Washington.

"She just called and told me about it," he said. "We were trying to discuss how and why. She was surprised, but she was concerned."

Asked if the charges were true, he said, "No," then added: "She asked me the same thing. She said, `Kevin, have you or are you?' "

Lt. Charles Holladay of the Little Rock Police Department said Saturday that the warrant was based on solid information from the police narcotics division. "Once the arrest is made and more information can be released, it will be clear this case is in no way politically motivated," Holladay said. "No way is this case politically motivated."

Joycelyn Elders, a former Arkansas health commissioner, released a two-sentence statement Friday night. "We've told our son we stand by him as family," she said. "In the meantime, he has asked us to refer all questions to his attorney."

Kevin Elders' lawyer, Perlesta A. Hollingsworth of Little Rock, did not return a telephone call seeking comment Saturday.

Holladay said the arrest warrant was not issued in connection with any allegations by neighbors that a Little Rock rental house owned by Joycelyn Elders' husband, Oliver, was a hangout for gang members selling drugs.

A government group sought to have the house's occupants evicted last week after the neighbors' allegations. A local real estate company manages the house.