The following information is gleaned from incident reports, which are public record, from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and Gray Police Department July 23-27, 2024.
July 23
Tobacco and green leafy substance found at jail
Officers West and Tserspelis were securing the jail for the night when they informed Deputy Baker that there was a strong smoke odor coming from two cell blocks. The officers believed the smell to be marijuana. Deputy Baker contacted Deputy Elrod to be enroute to the jail with K9 Nessa. While waiting on Deputy Elrod, K9 Nessa and Deputy Langston, Baker ran control while deputies and jail staff entered the cell blocks to complete a free air sniff. After the search of the cell blocks, multiple items were seized and taken to Baker and Officer Tserpelis to sort through. One of the officers found one inmate was in possession of a deodorant container which beneath the deodorant stick had multiple small balled up pieces of toilet paper. Upon inspection, there were small amounts of tobacco in the toilet paper. Another inmate was found to be in possession of a playing card box, which contained balled up toilet paper and a black ball of plastic. Further inspection of the card box items was identified as tobacco, rolling papers, and an amount of a green leafy substance.
In another box the inmate had possession of contained 34 rolled tobacco cigarettes. All items were logged into evidence and warrants will be obtained on the inmates involved.
July 26
Obstruction and fleeing
Deputy Elrod was patrolling the area of Hwy. 49 when he ran the tag number of a vehicle traveling in front of him at a slow rate of speed. The GCIC/NCIC system result indicated that the vehicle registration was suspended. Elrod activated his blue lights to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. The vehicle got in the turning lane of the old Mattie Wells School and came to a stop. Elrod approached the passenger side of the vehicle and noticed that the driver had a dog in the front passenger seat. Elrod then went to the driver’s side of the vehicle to speak with the female driver. Once the deputy made contact with the female driver, she became very irate and was being verbally hostile and asking why he had stopped her. The female driver would not roll her window down to speak to the deputy. Elrod explained to the female that her registration was suspended, and she replied that she did not realize it was suspended.
The deputy asked the female driver for her license, and she pressed it up against the glass of the driver window. Elrod was able to confirm with dispatch that her license was valid. The entire time the deputy was running the female’s information with dispatch, the female continued to be irate and asking for the deputy’s name and badge number.
Elrod gave the female his name and badge number.
Elrod continued to attempt to explain that due to her having suspended registration, he needed to see proof of insurance and asked the female if her insurance information had recently changed.
The female stated that her insurance had changed, however gave no information to the deputy. The female kept stating she wanted a supervisor and before Elrod could request for Corp. Sullivan to be enroute, the female put her vehicle in drive and fled from the traffic stop. Elrod advised via radio that his suspect was fleeing. The deputy returned to his patrol vehicle and gave chase. Elrod activated his siren and kept his blue lights running during the chase. The female turned into a subdivision and ended up proceeding to her residence.
Elrod pulled in the driveway behind the female’s vehicle. The female exited her vehicle and threw her wallet, phone and keys on the ground. The female started running around her car yelling and screaming. At this point, Elrod began to think that the female may be unstable. The deputy tried to de-escalate the situation and get the female to calm down. The female then attempted to enter her residence through the front door, however Elrod ordered her to stop and get on her knees and put her hands behind her back. The female did not comply, and she then started walking back to her vehicle and Elrod attempted to go hands on with her and her arm slipped out of his hand. The deputy also realized that her strength was at maximum capacity due to her having an episode of some sort. At that time, Elrod drew his taser, activated it and held the female at taser point. The female subject again walked to her front door still being non-compliant. The female was able to open the front door of her residence and stepped inside. Elrod deployed one cartridge from his taser appearing to strike the female in the mid of her stomach with one probe and another probe from the taser hit her in the upper right thigh. The taser was ineffective on the female. She didn’t seem like she felt it at all. The deputy was trying to keep the female from entering her residence as he did not know if there were possible weapons in the residence. The female then locked herself inside the residence.
Deputy Sullivan and Deputy Langston arrived on scene to assist with the evolving situation.
The deputies were able to talk the female out of her house and Sullivan attempted to get the female calmed down. The female subject would calm down for a minute and then her aggressiveness would ramp back up. Sullivan, Langston and Elrod eventually had to go hands on with the female to place her in handcuffs.
The female fought the deputies, and it took all three of them to subdue her to the ground.
The female struck Deputy Langston several times with a closed fist while attempting to place her in handcuffs. The female was fighting back so much that she knocked Langston and Elrod’s body cameras off and she was grabbing any piece of equipment she could on the deputy’s duty belts in attempt to fight against being placed in handcuffs. It took several moments to gain control of the female’s arms due to her level of resistance.
The female was wearing loose fitted sweatpants and during the struggle her pants came down. At that time, the female was screaming at the deputies that they were trying to rape her. The deputies were able to restrain the female and pulled her pants back up, however she was still giving them a struggle. Even when the female was finally placed in handcuffs, she was being defiant and non-cooperative.
The three deputies were able to place the female in Deputy Sullivan’s patrol vehicle and attempted to give her water as she was asking for it. Sullivan and Langston had bottles of water that they retrieved, and the female refused to drink their water at first. The female then got a bottle of the water, drank some and then ended up spitting it out and eventually poured the remainder of the bottle of water on Deputy Langston. EMS was contacted but advised the deputies that due to the extent of her breakdown and actions, they needed to get the female to an agency in order to get the help she needed. Deputy Sullivan transported the female to a local nearby medical facility. Deputy Elrod issued warrants for felony obstruction of law enforcement, misdemeanor fleeing and attempting to elude and suspended registration. The dog that was in the vehicle was turned over to JC Animal Control to be cared for.
