The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Monday pursued a suspect with multiple felony warrants from Atlanta, making arrests after two men fled on foot into a mobile home park.
Forsyth County officials received information from law enforcement partners stating David Hamilton, 43, of Covington, was wanted on multiple felony warrants and was possibly shopping at the outlet mall in Dawson County, according to Sheriff Ron Freeman. Deputies stationed themselves along Ga. 400 in hopes the suspect would drive into Forsyth County.
Hamilton reportedly drove down Ga. 400 and crossed into Forsyth County and officers immediately gave chase. The pursuit reached upwards of 120 miles per hour, and multiple deputies began preparing Stop Sticks, or devices used to spike tires on a vehicle in pursuit, near Exit 14, 13 and south of Exit 13.
At the time of the chase, it was shift change for the department, meaning there were nearly 40 deputies on the road, according to a release from Sheriff Freeman. “He made yet again another bad decision doing so around shift change,” Freeman wrote in a release.
Stop Sticks were successfully deployed at Exit 14, which eventually shred the tires on Hamilton’s SUV. A pursuing deputy reportedly performed a Precision Immobilization Technique (P.I.T. maneuver) which caused the vehicle to spin off the roadway before Exit 13.
Hamilton and his passenger, Alshawnta Strothers, 36, of Pittsburg, both fled the vehicle on foot into a mobile home park.
Deputies surrounded a fenced area where they took Strothers into custody without further incident.
A resident of one of the mobile homes claimed she heard noises coming from under her home. Hamilton was found underneath the home and after approximately five minutes of orders for him to emerge with his hands up, officers were able to take him into custody without further incident, according to body cam footage provided by officials.
Deputies found a 9mm handgun on the ground next to Hamilton’s SUV, along with one ounce of marijuana in the center console.
Hamilton was allegedly charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, fleeing or attempting to elude, driving while license suspended, speeding, reckless driving and obstruction.
Strothers was allegedly charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of marijuana and obstruction.
Both men were taken to the Forsyth County Jail and held without bond as of last report.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/5/1181518/forsyth-county-officers-arrest-two-men-on-felony-warrants-after-vehicle-foot-chase