A Jones County woman who led law enforcement on a chase through Gray, southern parts of the county and into the heart of Macon will be serving the first year of her sentence in the Jones County jail.
Shamica Shanta Burney entered her guilty plea in Superior Court July 23 and received one year for the felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude police officers, and 12 months each for the charges of possession of drug-related objects, failure to maintain lane and duty upon striking an unattended vehicle. The counts were ordered to run consecutively for a total of four years with the first year served in confinement.
The remainder of the sentence may be served on probation, and she received credit for time served April 1 through July 23.
A News story about the pursuit and arrest states Gray Police Officer Josh Josey attempted a traffic stop on the Honda Accord driven by Burney at approximately 4 p.m. April 1 on Pulaski Street near the park in Clinton.
Josey stated in his report that the driver was wanted for questioning about a hit-and-run accident that happened earlier in the day. He said the vehicle stopped but pulled off as he approached it. The officer said an attempt was made to block the Honda, but Burney ignored commands and fled northbound toward Gray, through a parking lot and then southbound on West Clinton Street.
GPD Capt. Jacob Hunnicutt reported that he spotted the Honda and got behind it as the vehicle weaved through traffic and turned on Lite-N-Tie Road.
The captain said the vehicle exceeded speeds of 100 mph during the chase. Josey followed Hunnicutt, who was the lead pursuit vehicle, and noted the speeds on Highway 49 hit 120 mph into Bibb County.
The captain said the chase continued through Macon onto Coliseum Drive and then Emery Highway, where they lost the visual on the Honda. At that point they shut down the pursuit.
Josey said as they began to head back to Gray, they were notified by Bibb County officers that the Honda crashed in front of Piedmont Hospital, and the driver was fleeing on foot.
He said they approached the vehicle and found a 68-year-old male passenger inside.
Bibb County advised them that the driver was in custody and brought her back to the Honda.
Burney was turned over to GPD officers and placed in Josey’s patrol car.
The officer said a search of the Honda by him and Hunnicutt located a clear glass pipe on the front seat and another glass pipe with residue in the back seat. He said seven pieces of a white, cloudy rock substance, believed to be cocaine, were also found in the vehicle and taken into evidence. The driver was transported to the Jones County Law Enforcement Center and warrants secured. The passenger was transported to his residence.
