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On Wednesday, December 30, Cridaorion Byrd of Bainbridge was arrested by the Leon County Sheriff’s Department. Byrd now faces 14 charges, including grand theft of motor vehicle, hit and run and burglary.

According to the Arrest Affidavit provided by LCSO, Officer R. Sullivan was on a traffic grant near Dewey Street when the Real Time Crime Center broadcasted an occupied stolen vehicle bolo that was traveling east on W. Tharpe Street.

The Real Time Crime Center advised the vehicle was an electric blue Ford Fusion and had passed Sullivan’s location less than two minutes prior.

Sullivan then contacted Officer Poole, who was traveling north on the Monroe corridor. Sullivan informed Poole he would go north on Macomb Street. While heading north, Sullivan spotted the vehicle.

In order to ensure it was the correct vehicle, Sullivan made a U-turn to get behind the vehicle and check the license plate. The driver, later identified as Byrd, quickly made a lane change before abruptly getting off the main road and entering into the driveway on the 500 block of W. Georgia Street.

Sullivan watched as the vehicle struck the side of the residence before Byrd exited the vehicle, while dropping numerous items.

Sullivan ordered Byrd to stop what he was doing, yelling “stop, police,” however Byrd ignored Sullivan and fled on foot down the driveway toward the fenced backyard of the residence.
Sullivan then called for backup, who arrived on scene and established a two-block perimeter.

Deputy Bragg was one of the officers on scene, who brought the K9 unit. Sullivan joined Bragg in his search. They began tracking on the 500 block of W. Georgia Street to the southwest corner of the fence line.

The K9 pulled hard south through an opening in the chain link fence with the officers following behind him. The opening turned into a vacant field with a western fence line, which the K9 directed officers toward.

The fence line led to the backyard of a home on W. Georgia Street. In the backyard, Bragg and the K9 came into contact with a male subject wearing a hoodie. Sullivan quickly approached Bragg and informed him this was the same individual who fled the scene.

Sullivan commanded Byrd to get on the ground with his hands visible and Byrd complied. He was then taken to a patrol vehicle, where he was searched.

Officers found a Rugar LCPII within five feet of the stolen vehicle and secured it, before running the serial number. The gun came back as stolen out of the Bainbridge Public Safety department.
A further investigation of the car found Byrd was in possession of several purses and credit cards, along with an orange window breaker in the center console.

The stolen vehicle also showed damage and proved to have crashed into the residence on W. Georgia Street.

In addition to that, Byrd had damaged the chain link fence while jumping over it and the owner advised he wished to press charges for trespassing and criminal mischief.

While officers were speaking to homeowners about pressing charges, Officer Healy went to check on Byrd and noticed he had moved his handcuffs hands from the back of his body to the front.

Healy made contact with Byrd and noticed he had an unknown object in his mouth. Healy commanded Byrd to open his mouth; when Byrd refused Healy had to forcibly open his mouth and found a small amount of a green, leafy substance, suspected to be marijuana.

Byrd was then charged with the following counts: one count of grand theft auto, one count of resisting arrest without violence, one count of hit and run with property damage, one count of grand theft of a firearm, one count of possession of firearm by out of state convicted felon, one of trespassing on private property, two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary of a structure, one charge of burglary of a conveyance, one charge of petit theft, one charge of destruction of evidence, one charge of possession of burglary tools and one charge of no valid license.

Byrd has since been transported to the Leon County Jail.