Luke Morton

Name:
Morton, Luke Joseph

Date of Booking:
02/06/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Unlawful possession of open containers

Public drunkenness

Panhandling

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 February 05, 2025]

On 02/05/2025 at approximately 2219 hours, I (Ofc. T. Morris W145) was dispatched to a suspicious person at 17 Monroe Highway, Winder, Ga, 30680 (Papa Johns Pizza). I arrived at this location, Code 1, in marked patrol vehicle #401.

Upon my arrival at Papa John’s Pizza, I met with Ms. [WITNESS #1] and Ms. [WITNESS #2], who stated a white homeless male wearing a red hat or sweatshirt came into the restaurant eating chicken. When they tried to ask him if they could help him, he told them to wait until he had finished his food. The male subject then asked for a bottle of water from the cooler. Ms. [WITNESS #1] and Ms. [WITNESS #2] told the subject that he would have to buy it, and he told them that he did not have money and wanted a bottle of water for free. When Ms. [WITNESS #1] and Ms. [WITNESS #2] told the subject that they could not give him the water for free, he began to get upset and yell inside the restaurant area.

Ms. [WITNESS #1] and Ms. [WITNESS #2] stated that they then had a male employee come to the restaurant to help deal with the subject. After several times of being told to leave, the subject finally left while still yelling. Ms. [WITNESS #1] stated that another customer had come in and told them that this subject had asked him for food, so he went and bought him some chicken from Publix, which is in the same shopping center.

While speaking with Ms. [WITNESS #1] and Ms. [WITNESS #2], other Winder Police Officers who had been searching the area for this subject notified me that they had located the subject at the BP gas station located at 243 East May Street, Winder, Ga, 30680. Before leaving Papa John’s, Ms. [WITNESS #1] stated she wished to have the subject criminally trespassed from their restaurant. I then traveled to the BP gas station, where other officers were out with the subject.

Upon arriving at the BP with the other officers, I observed them out with Mr. Luke Morton, who was seated on the curb with a black bowl of what appeared to be chicken and an open container of alcoholic beverage. I asked Mr. Morton to explain what had happened at Papa John’s, and he stated he had asked the employees if he could wash windows in exchange for food.

Mr. Morton was instructed to stand up once on his feet. He was instructed to place his hands behind his back and was placed in properly spaced double-locked handcuffs behind his back. While handcuffing Mr. Morton, he began yelling at me and other officers. I then observed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person. Mr. Morton was informed that he was under arrest for panhandling in violation of city ordnance 13-59, Public intoxication in violation of city ordnance 16-30, and open container in violation of city ordnance 3-26. Mr. Morton was also issued a verbal criminal trespass warning for Papa John’s location, and this warning has been noted in LERMS.

Mr. Morton was then escorted to the front of my marked patrol vehicle #401, where he was searched incident to arrest for weapons, contraband, and means of escape, but none were found. Mr. Morton was then seated in the passenger compartment of my marked patrol vehicle #401. I then transported Mr. Morton to the Barrow County Detention Center, where he was released from my custody and placed in the custody of the Barrow County Detention Center staff without further issue. All booking paperwork and citations were completed while at the Detention Center. Copies of Mr. Morton’s citations were given to detention center staff to be placed in Mr. Morton’s property.

A check of my issued patrol vehicle, #401, was conducted at the beginning of the shift and again after I released Mr. Morton from my custody at The Barrow County Detention Center for Contraband, Weapons, and Means of Escape. None were found during the search of my patrol vehicle.

Winder City Ordinance Citations:
WC64543-PAN HANDLING
WC64544-PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS
WC64545-ALCOHOL OPEN CONTAINER

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on February 07, 2025]

On Friday, February 7, 2025, at approximately 2034 hours, I initiated a suspicious person call in the area of East May Street and Atlanta Avenue, Winder, Georgia 30680. I saw a male in the center turn lane walking south across E. May Street. The subject was wearing dark clothing, which was hard to see.

I turned my vehicle around got out with the subject and immediately recognized the subject to be, Mr. Luke Morton. I had prior knowledge that Morton had a valid arrest warrant through Barrow County Probation. I placed Morton into properly fitted double-locked handcuffs behind the back and escorted him to my patrol car. I conducted a search incident to arrest for weapons, drugs, and means of escape. None was found. I had Dispatch confirm the warrant, it was valid.

I placed Morton in the rear seat of my patrol car where he was seat belted in with a seatbelt. I transported Morton to the Barrow County Detention Center where he was turned over to jail staff.

The back seat of my patrol car was checked for weapons, drugs, and means of escape before and after transport. Nothing was found.

[End of Narrative]