Crisp deputies join in high-speed, two-county chase

From STAFF REPORTS



CORDELE — Crisp County Sheriff’s Department officers recently took part in a high speed two-county chase initiated on Nov. 3 near the Pilot Travel Center by Cordele Police Department Cpl. Marcus Sales.

The police officer said he saw white F-150 and F-250 Ford pickup trucks traveling east on 16th Avenue shortly after 10:30 p.m. and witnessed them crossing the white line. At that point he attempted to stop both drivers.

The F-150 came to a stop but the F-250 sped up before turning into the Ramada Inn parking lot where it eventually made a U-turn, headed west and then pulled into the Shell station parking lot where Deputy Capt. Kyle Smith Jr. tried to halt its direction of travel.

The driver of the truck then cut back on to 16th Avenue, spinning tires and making a 360-degree circle in the middle of the roadway before briefly coming to a stop during which the driver exited and took off running. Left in gear and with the doors locked, the truck then struck the driver’s side door of the sheriff’s department unit before eventually winding up against a fire hydrant.

With Sales in pursuit, the subject ran behind Pilot Travel Center and entered the F-150 Cpl. Sales had initially stopped. It then sped away.

At that point that Deputy Al Thompson joined in the pursuit that first traveled south on Ga 90 then turned west on 24th Avenue where it reached speeds of 70 mph and ignored all traffic signals encountered before reaching U.S. 280 West.

Upon reaching that highway, the driver increased the vehicle’s speed to over 100 mph and continued into Sumter County where a deputy there deployed stop sticks that flattened both front tires.

Still, the truck continued into Leslie where after turning onto a back street two passengers in the vehicle jumped out and ran as the vehicle was still moving. The driver, however, then made a south turn before finally coming to a stop when the vehicle crashed into a building.

Here again, the driver took off running and managed to elude lawmen until officers received a tip about possible suspects. The mother of one of the suspects gave lawmen an address where they might be hiding and took the trio into custody.

The three — two of whom are juveniles — were returned to Crisp County for questioning. No charges have as yet been filed.

Meanwhile, the F-250 that hit the sheriff’s unit was later learned to have been stolen from Jerry’s Paint and Body where it had been left for repairs. It was also discovered the F-150 that eluded lawmen for so long belonged to Sumter Regional Hospital. It, too, had been stolen. Both vehicle have been returned to their owners.

In other activity, deputies:

— Investigated six incidents involving persons already in their custody.

Deputy Alvin Duckworth said an inmate sustained a lip laceration that required stitches when he was apparently attacked by a fellow inmate on Nov. 6. No charges were filed in the incident.

Deputy Jack Masters said that on Nov. 5 inmate Johntavious Robinson was observed trying to flood a cell area after he had already smashed a television set when he threw it against a door.

The offender, who had to be “tased” in order to be removed from the cell, was charged with criminal interference with government property.

Sgt. Brian Akin said that on the morning of Nov. 2 he witnessed an inmate he did not identify creating a disturbance in the front hallway of the detention center.

The deputy said the prisoner repeatedly refused to return to his cell and threatened him and his fellow officers both verbally and physically.

The inmate was repeatedly warned he would be “tased” if he did not comply with demands and Akin said he eventually had to do just that in order to get him under control.

Deputy Warren Stowe said he had to tase still another inmate offender when he refused to return to his cell which he left while joining other inmates being let out for recreation time.

Although his recreation privileges had been suspended from an incident in his cell the day before, the inmate insisted he was going out and began beating on the door to the rec area.

Ignoring warnings he would be “tased” if he did not return to his cell, the prisoner experienced such an action when he reportedly balled his fist and made an aggressive move toward Stowe and Deputy Rebecca Davis.

No charges were filed after the offender was placed into isolation confinement for 48 hours.

Deputy Deborah Williams said she was in the break room eating lunch on Oct. 12 when she heard a loud noise and beating on the door. Upon investigating, she said she saw two female inmates fighting and stepped between them to stop the altercation.

The victim was treated at the jail while the unidentified offender was taken off the recreation yard and returned to her cell.

Deputy Davis said that on June 3 she received a report of a fight in progress and notified fellow officers.

Further investigation showed the victim suffered a busted lip and chipped tooth when struck in the mouth with a radio wielded by the offender. After treatment at the jail, the victim was returned to her cell. The offender was moved to a different location. Both had their privileges taken away for 48 hours.

— Made two arrests for theft of agriculture products (pecans).

Deputy Tom Kelly identified the 20-year-old suspects as Justin Chad Forsythe and Morgan Taylor Griffin both of 126 Spring St.

The officer said he found them in a pecan orchard off Airport Rd. Monday afternoon after receiving a report they were there without authorization. Both ran when they realized they had been seen. Kelly chased down and caught Forsyth who also was wanted on a previous traffic violation. Deputy Gourley caught Griffin. Both were taken to the Law Enforcement Center for booking.

— Received three more in what has become commonplace electricity theft complaints from the Crisp County Power Commission.

One of the latest incidents transpired at a Doris St. residence between Oct. 15 and Nov. 2. Deputy Joseph Kimbrel III said total charges incurred there were $117.50 including a meter tampering fee.

Another took place at a Davis Rd. home where a CCPS employee told Deputy Tom Kelly $40 worth of power had been consumed since service had initially been terminated.

Still a third occurred in the 1700 block of S. Hickory St. where Deputy Chad Walker said an estimated $11 worth of power was consumed without authorization.

— Probed a theft report made by a Lower Pateville Rd. resident who told Deputy Avery Hillman that sometime between Nov. 2-5 an assortment of scrap metal for which no value was listed was stolen from the workshop area at his home.

— Responded to a burglary complaint made by a Tremont Rd. resident who told Deputy Tom Kelly that while he was asleep on Halloween night someone broke through the back door to gain entry. Nothing was apparently amiss. The name of a suspect was given the officer.

— Looked into two harassing communications complaints.

An Arabi woman told Deputy Hillman she had received at least 14 threatening text messages from an unknown sender.

A Roosevelt St. resident told Deputy Al Thompson through an interpreter that on numerous occasions a person she named had made vulgar comments about her and her mother and also was sending her threats by way of a friend that works with her.

— Said vandals did an estimated $3,200 damage in early November when they shot out eight light fixtures and bulbs on the parking lot of the Crisp County Youth Ball Complex.

— Cited William Russell Harper, 52, of 205 Stokes Rd., for disorderly conduct after Deputy Wayne Taylor said he heard the offender make a telephone threat to a relative who had called officers to the family home.

— Filed multiple charges against Kenneth Jacob Haman, 17, of 122 Lark Dr., after he allegedly assaulted his fiancé.

Deputy Kelly said he was working security at Crisp Regional Hospital Sunday afternoon when a person leaving there called to report she feared for the safety of a female she had seen pushed by a man outside.

Upon investigating, the deputy said he saw Haman standing over the victim as she sat on the ground leaning against a support wall. Both had blood on their clothing and the female was bleeding from the lip area.

Kelly said Haman told him the victim had been injured when she fell. He also answered every question the deputy asked until he was instructed to move a short distance away while Kelly checked on the woman.

He subsequently learned she actually had been struck in the mouth by Haman who when told he was under arrest became irate and refused to be handcuffed until a second deputy assisted Kelly.

Still being uncooperative, Haman was charged with battery (family violence) and two counts of obstruction of an officer in the performance of his duties.

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