Johren Vang

Name:
Vang, Johren Kongcheng

Date of Booking:
06/27/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Improper Lane Change/Failure to Maintain Lane

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (less safe)

Reckless Driving

Failure To Obey Stop Sign or Yield After Stopping

Failure To Obey Stop Sign or Yield After Stopping

Driving without a Valid License (Misdemeanor)

Speeding

Speeding in Construction Zone

Lighted Headlights/Other Lights Required 1/2 Hours After Sunset – 1/2 Hour Before Sunrise

Minor purchasing, attempting to purchase, or possessing tobacco or vapor products

Furnishing, Purchasing of Alcoholic Beverages by Persons Below Legal Age

Operating Unregistered Vehicle/New Resident Has 30 Days to Register Vehicle

No Insurance

Willful Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers-Misdemeanor

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer (Felony)

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on June 27, 2026]

On 06/27/2026 at approximately 0128 hours, Deputy Arrington observed Lt. Guest conducting a traffic stop on a black BMW sedan near Loganville Hwy and University Pkwy. Deputy Arrington turned around and activated his emergency lights behind Lt. Guest as the vehicle entered the Zaxby’s parking lot.

After coming to a stop, Deputy Arrington and I exited the vehicle and began to walk toward Lt. Guest’s patrol vehicle. As we reached the front of my patrol vehicle, the black BMW 328i accelerated toward the rear of Zaxby’s, initiating a vehicle pursuit. I then entered the driver seat and joined the pursuit as the secondary patrol unit.

The black BMW 328i proceeded west on Parkway Pointe Drive at a high rate of speed and turned all exterior lights off. The vehicle then turned right onto Parkway Pointe Blvd and continued toward Carl-Bethlehem Rd. The black BMW was then observed turning left onto Carl-Bethlehem Rd. After turning onto Carl-Bethlehem Rd, the vehicle slowed to approximately 30 mph. At that time, Lt. Guest maneuvered his patrol vehicle to left lane, allowing me to assume the lead position in the pursuit. Once in the primary position, I precision immobilization technique (PIT), making contact with the rear driver side of the vehicle. The black BMW rotated counterclockwise before rolling across the roadway.

Lt. Guest and I then exited our patrol vehicles and drew our service weapon while giving loud verbal commands for the driver to stop the vehicle. During this time, I observed that both occupants had raised their hands. The black BMW came to a stop, so Lt. Guest and I began giving the driver verbal commands to exit the vehicle. The driver failed to comply, and the vehicle began rolling again. At that time, Lt. Guest opened the driver’s door and removed the driver, later identified as Johren Vang, from the vehicle.

Once Johren was removed from the vehicle, it continued to roll toward the edge of the roadway. I attempted to stop the vehicle but due to safety concerns, I did not want to enter the vehicle with the passenger still inside. The vehicle continued a short distance off the roadway and came to a rest in the grass. I then ordered the passenger to exit the vehicle, to which he complied. The passenger, later identified as Derrel Haney, was handcuffed and secured in my patrol vehicle. Prior to placing Derrel in my patrol vehicle, an electronic nicotine vape was located in his right pocket.

Due to suspecting that both Johren and Derrel were under the influence of alcohol, Lt. Guest requested that I administer a voluntary Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) to both of them. Both subjects consented and both results registered positive for alcohol.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on June 27, 2026]

On June 27, 2026, at approximately 0128 hours, I was positioned in my marked patrol unit in the area of Shepheard Lane and W Exchange Boulevard conducting stationary traffic observation. I observed a black BMW sedan enter the RaceTrac gas station parking lot. From my vantage point, the vehicle appeared to lack a visible license plate.

I monitored the vehicle until it exited the parking lot, positioning my patrol unit directly behind it as it traveled southbound onto Loganville Highway. I positively identified the vehicle as a black BMW 328i sedan displaying no registration plates.

I initiated a traffic stop on Loganville Highway in the vicinity of Zaxby’s restaurant (1945 Parkway Pointe Drive) by activating my emergency blue lights. The vehicle drifted toward the shoulder but failed to stop, continuing forward at a slow rate of speed. I activated my emergency siren; however, the driver ignored the signal. As the vehicle turned into the Zaxby’s parking lot, I utilized my siren, airhorn, and gave verbal commands out of my open driver-side window for the operator to stop. The vehicle eventually came to a halt in the middle of the parking lot.

Due to the driver’s delayed compliance and suspicious behavior, I remained at my patrol door. I gave multiple loud verbal commands for the driver to deactivate the ignition. I observed that the vehicle’s brake lights remained illuminated, indicating the driver was keeping the vehicle in gear. After several ignored commands, the brake lights deactivated, and the vehicle accelerated rapidly behind the Zaxby’s building toward Parkway Pointe Drive.

I immediately notified Barrow County Dispatch via radio that the vehicle was actively fleeing and that they were initiating a pursuit. Sergeant Bazinet and Deputy Arrington (passenger) joined the pursuit in their respective marked patrol units. The fleeing BMW proceeded westbound on Parkway Pointe Drive at a high rate of speed with all external lighting deactivated. I pursued the vehicle, reaching speeds of approximately 75 MPH in a clearly marked 25 MPH zone; however, the suspect vehicle continued to keep distance from my unit.

The suspect vehicle then executed a right-hand turn onto Parkway Pointe Boulevard, failing to stop at a posted stop sign and failing to maintain its lane by straddling both bounds of travel. I completed the turn and accelerated to approximately 90 MPH in a designated construction zone to pace the fleeing vehicle. The suspect vehicle approached the intersection of Carl-Bethlehem Road, applied its brakes, but failed to stop at the stop sign, causing the rear of the vehicle to fishtail. The vehicle turned left, traveling toward the intersection of Hoyt King Road and Haymon Morris Road.

Recognizing an opportunity to safely terminate the pursuit, I maneuvered my patrol unit to the left lane to yield the primary pursuit position to Sgt. Bazinet to facilitate a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT). Sgt. Bazinet assumed the primary position, aligned his push bumper with the left rear quarter panel of the BMW, and executed a successful PIT maneuver just past the intersection of Chancey Circle SW.

Following the PIT maneuver, the BMW rotated counter-clockwise toward the front of my patrol vehicle and began to decelerate. I exited my patrol unit and observed both the driver and passenger raising their hands; however, the suspect vehicle was still rolling forward past my position. I drew my service weapon, pointed it at the occupants, and commanded them to stop, at which point the vehicle ceased forward motion.

Sgt. Bazinet approached the vehicle from the rear while I approached the driver’s side. We gave multiple verbal commands for the driver to exit the vehicle, which he refused. The vehicle began to roll forward a second time. To prevent further flight and protect public safety, I opened the driver-side door to extract the operator. I secured the driver by his wrist, applied backward leverage, and successfully extracted him from the cabin. I transitioned him to the pavement face-down, where Deputy Arrington assisted in securing him in placing on double-locked handcuffs.

During the apprehension, the unsecured suspect vehicle rolled into an adjacent ditch. Simultaneously, Sgt. Bazinet successfully detained the front-seat passenger. The driver was searched incident to arrest for contraband and weapons, yielding negative results. He was checked for injuries, denied needing emergency medical services (EMS), and displayed no visible signs of trauma. He was secured in the rear seat of my patrol vehicle with a safety belt.

The driver was positively identified via a Georgia Identification Card as Johren Vang (18 YOA). The passenger was identified as Derrel Haney (18 YOA); he was handcuffed, detained, and secured in a separate patrol unit. Additional backup units arrived on scene to secure the perimeter and examine the vehicle.

I advised Mr. Vang that he was under arrest and explained him his Miranda Rights. Mr. Vang verbalized that he understood his rights and agreed to speak with me without legal counsel present. When questioned regarding his flight, Mr. Vang stated he “got scared” because he knew the vehicle lacked active registration and insurance, noting he had recently purchased it.

While interviewing Mr. Vang, I detected the distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. He denied consuming alcohol or narcotics. A standard GCIC/NCIC database check revealed that Mr. Vang did not possess a valid driver’s license and only held a state ID card.

A standard GCIC/NCIC query of the vehicle’s VIN indicated it was not reported stolen; however, it was registered to a resident in Gwinnett County with an expired registration status. Mr. Vang confirmed he had failed to obtain insurance following the purchase and could not produce any proof of ownership paperwork.

A safe-keeping and inventory search of the BMW revealed:
One (1) replica firearm (airsoft gun).
Two (2) electronic nicotine delivery systems (vapes)—one on the driver’s side and one on the passenger’s side.
A third electronic nicotine vape was recovered from Mr. Haney’s person during his detention. All three nicotine products were seized as evidence.

Mr. Haney was advised he was under arrest and was read his Miranda Rights by assisting deputies. I detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Mr. Haney’s breath as well. Sgt. Bazinet administered a voluntary Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) to both subjects. Both consented, yielding the following positive results:

Derrel Haney: 0.020 BAC
Johren Vang: 0.011 BAC

The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) was requested and responded to the scene to investigate the intentional contact collision resulting from the PIT maneuver. Sgt. Bazinet’s patrol unit sustained minor damage to the front push bumper. The suspect BMW sustained moderate damage to the rear driver-side door and rear quarter panel. Mike’s Wrecker (next list) responded to the scene and impounded the vehicle following the completion of GSP’s documentation.

Both subjects were transported to the Barrow County Detention Center without further incident. The seized electronic vapes were logged into the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office evidence locker. Arrest warrants were secured through the Barrow County

Magistrate Court for the following offenses:

Johren Vang:
Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer (Felony)
Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer (Misdemeanor)
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (Less Safe) (Under 21)
Underage Consumption of Alcohol
Possession of Tobacco/Vapor Product by a Minor (Under 21)
Speeding
Speeding in a Construction Zone
Failure to Maintain Lane
Operating a Vehicle with No Registration
Operating a Vehicle with No Insurance
Driving Without a Valid License
Failure to Obey Stop Sign (2 Counts)
Reckless Driving
Failure to Utilize Headlights When Required

Derrel Haney:
Underage Consumption of Alcohol
Possession of Tobacco/Vapor Product by a Minor (Under 21) (2 Counts)

The pursuit lasted approximately 1 minute and traveled 0.9 miles. The weather was clear and there was no civilian traffic observed.

[End of Narrative]