The following information is gleaned from incident reports, which are public record, from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and Gray Police Department Aug. 17-20, 2023.
Aug. 17
Been drinking?
Deputy Shurley was dispatched to GA Hwy. 11 in reference to a motor vehicle accident. When the deputy arrived on scene, he made contact with medical personnel who informed him the driver of the vehicle was a female suspected to be under the influence of alcohol and she had told someone that she had been drinking prior to the accident. After Shurley conducted an investigation of the accident, it was clear the female driver had caused the accident by rear-ending a bucket truck. While looking over the vehicle, Shurley observed an open box of Miller Lite with cans missing, empty Miller Lite cans and an open can of beer in a koozie still cold to the touch. The female driver was placed in the ambulance to be stabilized and a wrecker was called to remove the vehicle from the highway. Once the deputy was able, he stepped inside the ambulance to speak to the female driver.
When she spoke, Shurley detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from her person. The deputy asked the female if she remembered what happened and she informed him that she did not remember, but she did mention to Shurley that the truck she hit was “just sitting there.” Shurley asked the female subject if she had indeed been drinking and she advised the deputy that she only had three or four beers but that was earlier. While Shurley had her attention, he read her the GA Implied Consent Notice for persons over 21 and requested a sample of her blood. The female agreed to give the blood sample.
The female was turned over to Atrium Health EMS to be transported to the hospital for further treatment. Shurley waited on the wrecker to tow the vehicle then proceeded to the hospital to meet with staff to obtain the legal blood draw.
The blood will be sent off to the GBI lab for testing and charges pending at this time. The female driver is charged with no proof of insurance, open container and pending DUI charges once the blood results are returned.
Aug. 20
Sobriety tests make him nervous
Deputy Brown was on patrol when he observed a vehicle that he had a previous encounter with earlier. Brown followed the vehicle and found the driver stopped at a local store, so he pulled in the business and called for his Sergeant to see if he was able to meet him at the location. Brown saw the male subject out of his vehicle sitting outside the business and approached the male. The deputy asked him how he was doing and since a previous incident with the male subject, Brown asked the subject if he would do a Standardized Field Sobriety Test.
The male subject became very nervous about doing the test and told the deputy that he had been advised not to do that kind of test because they are designed to make people fail them. Brown assured the male subject that the test is not pass or fail, they are only designed to validate sobriety in a person. The male agreed to the test and the deputy had him step in front of his patrol car to get the footage on his dash camera. Brown gave the male verbal commands and demonstrated the instructions. One of the instructions the deputy gave was to have the male take nine steps while counting them out loud. The male walked 16 steps and never counted out loud. He also used his hands for balance as he walked. Brown could smell the presence of alcohol while standing at a distance for four feet away from him.
At that time, Brown read the male subject the Implied Consent Notice for Suspects aged 21 or over and asked the subject if he would submit to the state administered chemical test for blood.
At first, the male refused the blood.
Brown placed the male under arrest for DUI. The deputy had called for the next available wrecker service to come tow the vehicle and started the search warrant process for the blood draw. At that time, the male spoke up and said he did not want to refuse the chemical test and he would consent to the blood draw. Brown called dispatch and advised them to get the on-call nurse in route for a blood draw, then transported the subject to the Jones County LEC.
Aug. 21
Drugs and fleeing an officer(s)
Lt. Hunnicutt was on patrol when dispatch gave a be on the lookout for a vehicle traveling towards Gray on Gray Hwy. The vehicle was said to be failing to maintain its lane, running cars off the road and almost striking other vehicles. Hunnicutt saw the vehicle and turned around to pursue it. The vehicle increased speed and was traveling in the right lane. As the vehicle traveled, it began to run off the road. The Lt. pulled up behind the vehicle as it stopped at a red light. At that time, the vehicle weaved into the nearby turn lane and did a “S” maneuver and turned into the left lane and back into the right lane slamming the brakes almost hitting the vehicle in front of him. As soon as the light turned green, Hunnicutt activated his blue lights and siren. The car did not stop. The driver ran off the road multiple times. At that time, Capt. Maynard pulled beside the car in the left lane. The driver continued and made a sharp right turn into a private drive and then turned in the parking lot of a local business. The driver then proceeded to jump out of his car while the car was still rolling. The male driver started running on foot while his vehicle smashed into the back of a truck in the parking lot of the business.
As the male driver was running, he bent down near a sewer cover and threw something in it.
The item was not recovered. The male continued to run on foot and was finally caught. When the officers were standing next to the vehicle the male was driving, there was an overwhelming odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Hunnicutt saw a marijuana cigarette in the driver’s floorboard.
Hunnicutt also found a Xanax bar next to the marijuana cigarette. As the Lt. searched the vehicle, he found two bags of suspected marijuana. The male driver was transported to the Jones County LEC. When the male was searched in the booking area, there was also a Xanax bar foundinhispocket. Hunnicuttwentto the LEC and made contact with the male driver and asked why he ran, and the male stated he thought he had a warrant for his arrest. Hunnicutt asked the male if he would take a Field Sobriety Test and the male agreed. During the test, the male subject could not do the walk and turn portion of the test, nor the one leg stand due to a recent surgery. Hunnicutt believed due to the strong odor of marijuana, and signs of impairment during the test that the driver was under the influence of drugs and not safe to have operated a vehicle at the time.
Hunnicutt contacted a Magistrate Judge and obtained warrants for felony fleeing and attempting to elude, obstruction of officers and possession of Scheduled IV drugs. The driver was also charged with DUI drugs, DUI less safe, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving and possession of marijuana less than one ounce.
