According to reports out of Peachtree City, a shopper outside of a local retail store helped stop a suspect who was attempting to flee from police.
The shopper shoved his shopping cart at the suspect as the suspect was running from officers on foot. The cart collided with the suspect, and police were able to catch up to him. The Fayette County Police Department released this statement after the arrest:
“While we are eternally grateful for this citizen's quick thinking and impeccable timing, we never encourage anybody to intervene in a police situation.”
As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I handle cases involving resisting arrest as well as fleeing police in addition to charges of DUI in Georgia. Below, I will outline the law as it pertains to the offense of fleeing or attempting to elude police in Georgia.
Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police in Georgia
Fleeing or attempting to elude in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §40-6-395 as:
It shall be unlawful for any driver of a vehicle willfully to fail or refuse to bring his or her vehicle to a stop or otherwise to flee or attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle or police officer when given a visual or an audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop. The signal given by the police officer may be by hand, voice, emergency light, or siren. The officer giving such signal shall be in uniform prominently displaying his or her badge of office, and his or her vehicle shall be appropriately marked showing it to be an official police vehicle.
The statute above is only one part of the law considering fleeing the police however. If a person is convicted for violating this portion of the law - even for a first time offense, then he or she will be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. A conviction means a penalty that can include up to $5,000 in fines as well as 12 months of jail time.
There are also certain conditions that cause the offense to be classified as a felony offense. Felony fleeing has very serious consequences. These conditions include when a driver flees and:
(i) Operates his or her vehicle in excess of 20 miles an hour above the posted speed limit;
(ii) Strikes or collides with another vehicle or a pedestrian;
(iii) Flees in traffic conditions which place the general public at risk of receiving serious injuries;
(iv) Commits a violation of paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391; or
(v) Leaves the state
If a person is convicted for violating this portion of the law, the he or she will be guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of $5,000.00 or imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years or both.
Practice Note
Call our offices now if you have been arrested in Georgia.
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