Name:
HENSON, CHRISTOPHER THOMAS
Date of Booking:
05/07/2023
Reason(s) For Booking:
FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE POLICE OFFICER
RECKLESS DRIVING
IMPROPER PASSING
SPEEDING IN EXCESS OF MAXIMUM LIMITS
FAILURE TO OBEY STOP SIGN
DUI – ALCOHOL LESS SAFE
HEAD/TAIL LIGHT REQUIREMENTS
WEAVING OVER ROADWAY
DRIVER MUST APPLY FOR A NEW LICENSE WITHIN 60 DAYS OF A CHANGE OF NAME OR CHANGE OF ADDRESS
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.]
On May 7, 2023 at around 0215 hrs, I was patrolling the area of Lake Paradise Road when I observed a vehicle coming towards me at a high rate of speed. I activated the front antenna of my radar unit and observed the vehicle to be traveling at 50 miles per hour in 35 miles per hour zone. As the vehicle passed me, I observed it was a small hatchback vehicle.
Recently an investigator from CID sent out a bolo for a small hatchback in the area of Lake Paradise/Harlan Lane Road that was involved in thefts. I applied my brakes to spin around on the vehicle and when I did, I could hear the vehicle accelerate in a rapid manner, going even faster than when I caught it on radar. The vehicle had very loud exhaust.
When I turned around on the vehicle, I could tell that it was trying to flee from me; I activated my emergency equipment and attempted to catch up to the vehicle. I could see the vehicle pass another vehicle on Lake Paradise Road at the entrance to Lamar Moody Park and run the stop sign at North Van Wert Road, taking a left turn.
When I made the turn onto North Van Wert Road, the vehicle was driving in the opposite lane of travel and the driver, later identified as Christopher Henson, turned off his lights in an attempt to conceal the vehicle, hoping I did not see him turn. I continued pursuing the vehicle on North Van Wert Road and quickly caught up to it.
When I got close to the vehicle, the driver finally pulled over onto the shoulder of the roadway near the water treatment plant just before the rail road tracks on North Van Wert Road. I ordered the driver, Christopher Henson, to exit the vehicle. As I was giving directions to Henson, I thought I could see a passenger in the vehicle.
I had Henson walk backwards to me and placed him into handcuffs. I tried to get Henson to lean over my hood so that I could watch the passenger but he refused to do so. Every time I would lean him over the hood, he would try to stand back up.
Due to Henson refusing to follow commands and the threat of a passenger in the vehicle, I placed Henson on the ground by sweeping his legs out from under him. He landed on his stomach and I placed my leg on his buttocks region to keep him on the ground.
I then watched the vehicle until Deputy Cole arrived and cleared the vehicle. There was not a passenger, I just seen a coat in the passenger seat and thought it was a person. While dealing with Henson, it was obvious he was impaired by alcohol. He wreaked of an alcoholic beverage, was belligerent, was slurring his words and just looked drunk.
I advised him of his Miranda Warning which he stated he understood and then read him the implied consent notice for suspects age 21 or over and requested a sample of his blood for alcohol and drug testing purposes. He refused to give a sample. Henson was placed into the passenger compartment of my patrol vehicle.
His vehicle as removed from the scene by Affordable Towing. I transported Henson to the Carroll County Detention Center where he was released to the jail staff. Henson was issued nine citations and a DDS 1205 form, giving him 45 days before his license would be suspended due to violating the implied consent notice.
[End of Narrative]