Jacksonville men charged after high-speed chase on I-16

Posted: May 4, 2010 - 11:19pm  |  Updated: May 5, 2010 - 3:21pm

A Bloomingdale police officer was operating stationary radar on Interstate 16 when he saw a car approaching from the west at a high rate of speed - 90 miles per hour in a 70 miles-per-hour speed zone. The officer pulled out behind the car and as he tried to catch up to it, the driver increased his speed.

When the officer activated his emergency lights, the car slowed, then accelerated again. By the time the officer caught up with the car, it was going more than 100 miles per hour.

The driver turned on his left turn signal, then turned on the right turn signal, but continued to slow and pulled to the off-ramp at the Pooler Parkway exit. The officer called for backup.

The driver's side door opened and the officer told the driver to remain in the vehicle and turn it off. The driver kept holding his head out the window, looking at the officer, and refused to do as the officer asked.

Finally, after being ordered to turn the vehicle off and place the keys outside, the driver complied, but continued to hold his head out the window. The driver was saying something but couldn't be heard because of the passing traffic.

The driver then began getting out of the car with his hands behind his head, still looking at the officer. The officer told the driver if he attempted anything, he would shoot him.

After the arrival of a Pooler unit, the car was checked and passengers were found inside it. The driver was placed in handcuffs and more patrol cars arrived for assistance and to provide additional cover.

A man was in the front passenger seat, and two women and a small child were in the back seat. They were removed from the car and told they were being detained until the investigation was completed.

A smell of burnt marijuana was coming from the car. A K-9 was brought from Garden City and alerted on the car, and the resulting search netted a small amount of green leafy material that was found on the floor board and in the glove box.

A handgun that was loaded and ready to fire also was found in the car. The gun was found to have been stolen in Florida.

All four subjects, who were from Jacksonville, Fla., were questioned at the Bloomingdale police station. After submitting statements, the two women and the child were released, but the male passenger was arrested on charges of possession and receiving stolen property - the gun - in another state.

The driver also was charged with two counts of theft regarding the gun. He was given several traffic violations, including speeding, passing on the shoulder, reckless driving, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving while license suspended, no proof of insurance, seat belt violation, endangering a child, driving under the influence of drugs and driving while less safe.

A check on the driver's background showed his license had been suspended twice in the past. Both men were taken to the Chatham County jail.


Juvenile caught smoking nabbed by police

While patrolling in the Stand Up for America festival area, two Port Wentworth police officers observed a juvenile smoking behind the portable restrooms. When asked how old he was, the juvenile responded that he was 18, but he was unable to provide the officers with a birth date.

As one of the officers approached the boy, he attempted to flee the scene. The officer grabbed him by the back of his jacket and forced him to the ground.

The youth began to struggle with the officer. At one point, he shouted expletives at the officer.

The officer was able to gain control of the young man and placed him in restraints. He was taken to the Port Wentworth Police Department, where he was released to his father.


Inebriated man found in front of house

A Pooler homeowner called police after finding a man sitting in front of the house, unable to walk or answer questions. An officer called for EMS to respond to the scene to check the man.

The officer went to speak to a second man at the scene, who tried to hide two beers behind a vehicle. When told to come towards the officer, the man reached inside his pockets.

A search of his person produced a prescription bottle with five and a half pain pills. The bottle had been filled earlier that day with 10 pills.

The first man told police he had drunk four beers and taken 10 pills. He was transported to a hospital for further observation, and the second man was taken to his residence.


Couple gets caught with her pants down

While patrolling on a Sunday afternoon, a Bloomingdale police officer saw a pickup truck parked outside the community center. The officer parked behind the truck and called dispatch.

When the officer walked up to the driver's window, he saw a man with his head between a woman's legs. The man was ordered to the rear of his truck and the woman was told to put her pants on.

When asked why they were there, the woman said she was married to someone else. The man said he lived with his mother and couldn't take the woman to his house.

Both said the community center parking lot was the only place they could meet. They were issued subpoenas for court appearances on charges of disorderly conduct.


Investigation of suspicious vehicle results in DUI arrest

A Garden City police officer noticed a parked vehicle in a parking lot outside a closed business on Ogeechee Road. The headlights were on and the engine was running, so the officer stopped to investigate.

The vehicle was positioned as if it was going to pull out onto the street and its brake lights were on. The officer noted the tag and ran the information through, then notified dispatch he was going to stay at the scene and asked for backup.

The officer pulled up behind the car and turned on his emergency lights. He shone the spotlight at the interior of the car and observed a man inside who appeared to be sleeping.

The officer approached the car and saw the man sleeping with both hands on his lap and his right foot on the brake pedal. The gear shift was in the drive position and all the car doors were locked.

The man was well-dressed and wearing a yellow wristband from a nightclub in Savannah. The officer began knocking on the window and saying he was a police officer, but the man didn't respond.

He wasn't moving at all except his chest would move when he took in a breath. The officer knocked harder at the window several times with his flashlight but the man still didn't wake up.

The officer returned to his patrol car and initiated the siren two lengthy times while watching closely to see if the man responded, but he didn't. A backup officer arrived, and the two officers scanned the interior of the car to look for weapons or open containers, but none were seen.

The officers stood on opposite sides of the car and both used their flashlights to beat on the glass and call out to the man. The man began to open his mouth and then opened his eyes, which were very glassy.

The officer again told the man he was a police officer and this time the man tapped back on the window with his right hand. He was told to roll down his window and he began to tap with his left hand all along the door where the window control buttons were located, but couldn't seem to operate them.

The vehicle moved forward about three feet and both officers began to yell at the man to put it in park and turn off the ignition. The man didn't comply, but did put his foot on the brake.

The man was told to roll down the window, but refused to comply. The backup officer told him to put the car in park and unlock it, or the officers would break the driver's side window.

Finally, the man rolled down the window and put the car in park. An officer unlocked the door and assisted the driver out of the car.

The man could barely stand and had to be assisted in standing upright for questioning. A strong odor of alcohol was coming from his breath, and his speech was thick and slurred.

When asked how many drinks he'd consumed, the man replied "A few." No field sobriety tests could be performed because the man was so intoxicated he couldn't follow simple commands and stand steady on his own.

He was placed under arrest and cuffed. He became more disoriented during questioning and was taken to a hospital emergency room.

The staff at the ER told the officers they didn't draw blood from DUI suspects for testing of alcohol level. The man was escorted back to the patrol car and taken to the Chatham County jail.

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