A reported hostage crisis and shooting call at a Demorest convenience store Thursday night drew a lot of attention but turned out to be something entirely different.
Demorest Police Department has taken to social media to communicate with the public about the high-profile response inside the city Thursday night.
"At approximately 7:30 p.m., our officers were dispatched to the Express Mart in reference to a possible hostage situation where someone had been shot," the post on the department's official Facebook page states. "Within minutes officers arrived on scene and detained a male subject. After our initial investigation it was determined that he was being transported to the hospital by a member of his family for a mental evaluation.
"As they were passing the Express Mart, he jumped from the moving vehicle and entered the store while locking the door behind him," the post reads. "He told the cashier that several members of his family had been shot at his residence in Banks County."
Banks County Sheriff's Office sent deputies to the man's home and they located his family there and unharmed.
Demorest police officers transported the man to Habersham Medical Center in Demorest for a mental evaluation.
"We have received several calls regarding this situation and wanted to make sure our community has the correct information," the social media post concludes.
Demorest Police Chief Robin Krockum said the man, whose identity has not been released, suffered some injuries to his legs from jumping out of the moving vehicle.
