A burglary alarm led to a high speed chase in Bainbridge over the weekend.
According to reports from Bainbridge Public Safety, Public Safety Officer Strickland responded to a burglary alarm at a convenience store on Dothan Road around 4:47 a.m. Saturday morning. The report states that when Officer Strickland arrived on scene, he observed a red Dodge Caravan parked on Zorn Road. When the driver spotted him, he started the car and took off toward Dothan Road. At this point, Officer Strickland began pursuing the suspect’s vehicle.
The chase began on Dothan Road, heading towards Calhoun Street. From the report:
“The suspect began driving erratically in the opposing lane eastbound on Dothan Road. The suspect got into his correct lane and drove to Calhoun Street with speeds excess of 90 mph. There was minimal or no traffic on the road at this point in the chase other than other patrol units. The suspect proceeded to turn south on Scott Street. Strickland advised Decatur-Grady E911 to advise Gadsden County, Florida that the chase may reach their jurisdiction.”
When the chase crossed Shotwell Street, the suspect ran the red light headed towards Tallahassee Highway. At this point, the chase was once again exceeding speeds of 90 mph. Once the chase reached the city limits, PSO Strickland advised the other units to back off and allow the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office to take over the pursuit. According to the report, the Sheriff’s Office Units chased the suspect to the Georgia-Florida line and backed off.
After leaving the chase to the Sheriff’s Office, Officer Strickland returned to the convenience store and observed a broken window and multiple items broken or destroyed. From the report:
“Strickland observed a window pane in the front of the store to be broken with glass on the ground. There was a turned over soda refrigerator and sodas all over the floor. One brick was inside the store by the sodas. Strickland made entry into the store and observed broken cabinets behind the cashier’s desk, an empty cash register drawer, black and milds on the ground, and other merchandise scattered consistent to the burglary.”
During the chase, the suspect committed the traffic violations of driving recklessly, speeding, failure to obey traffic signals (2 times), driving in the opposite lane, and failure to maintain (2 times).
The case was turned over to Investigator Mark Esquivel. Anyone with information should contact Bainbridge Public Safety at 229-248-2038.
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