Suspect found beneath home

By Taylor Seay (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Bainbridge Public Safety officers located a suspect who fled on foot from a traffic stop and hid beneath a home, Friday afternoon.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m. last Friday, Officer Gary Hines performed a traffic stop on a pickup truck traveling east on Shotwell Street that failed to yield for oncoming traffic and did not have a tag displayed on the vehicle, according to incident reports.

In the report, Hines noted that the passenger in the vehicle, Lance Washington, 27, of 431 Progress St. in Bainbridge, appeared anxious and nervous. Hines noticed a bulge inside Washington’s mouth and asked him to open his mouth. He refused and began chewing and attempting to swallow the contents. According to the report, Hines pulled out his Taser gun and ordered Washington to spit out what was in his mouth—and when he complied, the contents were two bags of suspected marijuana.

While attempting to place Washington under arrest, he broke away and fled from the scene on foot as Hines gave chase. Hines had already called for backup and officers quickly searched the area and located Washington hiding beneath a house on Broughton Street.

Washington was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, indecent exposure (in violation of the baggy pants ordinance) and obstruction.

Clark was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license plate and failure to yield right of way.

Multiple drug arrests made

Several drug arrests have been made in the past week.

On Friday, BPS Chief Larry Funderburke and Chief Investigator Frank Green witnessed what they believed to be a drug deal taking place in an alley behind 1116 Water St., said Investigator James Dollar.

Funderburke and Green detained the two suspects, Terry Lorenzo Chavers, 28, of 1409 E Broughton St. and Charles Wade Carter, 51, of Camilla, Ga.

Other investigators arrived on the scene and upon a search of Carter’s vehicle located a suspected crack pipe, cocaine and other suspected drug paraphernalia, according to Dollar.

Officers began searching the area and both Dollar and Funderburke located pill bottles containing suspected crack cocaine.

Carter was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine.

Chavers was arrested and charged with sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a housing project, possession of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a housing project and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

On Tuesday, two men were arrested by BPS investigators in possession of cocaine thanks to information provided by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO).

DCSO Capt. Chip Nix provided information to BPS investigators that Leroy McNair and Cleminta McGriff were in possession of a quantity of cocaine, said Investigator Dollar.

On the lookout for the suspects, BPS Sgt. Jon Harrison located them in a gray Ford F-150 truck and performed a traffic stop on the vehicle behind the First Port City Bank on Tallahassee Highway.

Investigators arrived on the scene and upon searching the vehicle located a quantity of cocaine inside the vehicle and a quantity on McNair’s person, Dollar said.

Georgia Motor Carrier officers to join international enforcement effort

Atlanta—Motor Carrier Compliance officers from the Georgia Department of Public Safety are teaming with commercial vehicle inspection officers from throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico this week for Roadcheck 2009—an annual international effort to promote safety and security on North American highways.

The enforcement event will run from Tuesday through Thursday and is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, North America’s leading commercial vehicle safety enforcement organization.

Chief Mark McLeod, director of the Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD), said MCCD officers will be patrolling throughout the 72-hour period of Roadcheck 2009 checking commercial vehicles and their drivers at inspection sites along major highways.

“Our goal for this operation is to emphasize both safety and security,” said McLeod, “Our officers will not hesitate to issue out of service orders to any commercial vehicle found to be a safety hazard.”

The operation will also encourage commercial vehicle drivers to wear their safety belts. Chief McLeod said the most recent survey shows 72 percent of commercial drivers comply with the federal law that requires safety belt use.