Passenger caught with cocaine
On Jan. 21, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a 2007 Dodge Ram for a lane violation on State Route 29 Bypass.
The driver, George Farmer, stated he was driving for passenger, Alan Macnary.
Macnary was reportedly nervous and fidgety and was moving several items around. When asked, Macnary stated he did not have anything illegal on his person or in his vehicle and allowed the officer to conduct a search. During the search, the officer located a clear plastic bag containing a quantity of white powdery substance suspected of being powder cocaine under the seat cover of the seat he was sitting in. The officer also located a broken glass smoking device next to the same seat. The device was burnt on one end with white residue on the inside. Nothing else of interest was located inside of the vehicle. One state warrant was secured for Alan Macnary for possession of cocaine.
Man steals lottery tickets
On Jan. 22, law enforcement was dispatched to Hop-in Convenience Store, in reference to a theft. A sales clerk stated that while watching surveillance footage, she observed a male steal several lottery tickets on Jan. 21 after distracting her.
The clerk went to check the toilet that was reportedly clogged and heard a screeching sound coming from outside of the restroom. She did not run out of the restroom, but when she returned to the counter, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. She didn’t notice the theft until the male had left the location. The male was later identified as Altae Pinkston. A warrant for theft by taking was sworn for Altae Pinkston and he was later arrested at Butler Honda.
High pursuit chase ends in minor crash
On Jan. 22, law enforcement responded to the area of North Columbia Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to assist the Washington County Sheriff's Office in locating a stolen vehicle from their jurisdiction. Washington County advised the vehicle was a gray 2017 Ford F-150, which an officer observed turn south on Wayne Street from Hall Street. The officer followed the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop but a chase ensued, reaching up to 80 miles per hour in a posed 25 mile per hour speed zone on Thomas Street.
After eventually turning onto Hancock Street, the driver used the center turn lane and passed another vehicle. Pursuit speeds on Hancock Street reached 100 miles per hour in a posted 40 mile per hour speed zone before the driver turned south on Frank Bone Road in the wrong lane of travel. The pursuit continued on Frank Bone Road reaching speeds of 90 miles per hour as the driver continued to drive in a reckless manner on Ivey Drive.
The driver slowed and turned onto Glenn Drive and into the driveway of 119 Ivey Drive. The driver entered the driveway at a high rate of speed causing him to strike a culvert and roadside trash bin. The vehicle came to a final rest in the front yard of the residence.
The driver, later identified as Richard Forehand, was found seated in the driver seat with a box cutter to his throat and refused to exit the vehicle. After several verbal commands for Forehand to drop the knife and exit the vehicle, he complied and was taken into custody without further incident. Washington County was notified and the registered owner later arrived on scene to take possession of his vehicle. Forehand was transported to the jail and issued citations for reckless driving, failure to stop for stop sign, and fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer. Two state warrants for felony fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer and felony theft by receiving stolen property were secured against him.
Wanted person caught by speeding
On Jan. 24, an officer was patrolling Irwinton Road and observed a silver sedan traveling north at a high rate of speed. The vehicle turned into a Marathon Gas Station located at 1111 S. Wayne St. and the driver, Richard Lundblad, was determined by GCIC to be a 'Detained Wanted Person' hit.
His driver's license was suspended.
Henry County Sheriff's Office’s dispatch confirmed the warrant was valid and that they wished to place a hold on Lundblad. During a search incident to arrest, the officer located two bags containing a substance suspected to be methamphetamine, along with a glass pipe containing suspected methamphetamine residue inside a black bag under Lundblad's sweatshirt.
Lundblad was charged with possession of a drug-related object, driving while license suspended or revoked, and possession of methamphetamine.
Man states he will fight police
On Jan. 25, law enforcement was dispatched to 270 Logan's Drive in reference to a 911 hang up. Dispatch advised a male, later identified as Jordan Hess, called the 911 emergency line three times without an emergency present.
When Dispatch advised the male that a deputy was en route to his location, the male stated he was going to fight law enforcement. Hess denied calling at first but eventually admitted to calling once.
He initially complied with instructions to put his hands behind his back but pulled away and attempted to reach over a deputy towards the back of the pickup truck. The deputy and officer placed Hess onto the ground, and placed him under arrest. Warrants for unlawful conduct during a 911 call and misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer were sworn against Hess.