The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Gwinnett County Police Department on March 19, 2024:
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – Gwinnett County Police officers arrested a shoplifting suspect with the help of our Aviation and K9 Units. On March 13, at approximately 4:00 p.m., officers assigned to our South Precinct responded to a shoplifting call at Walmart on 1825 Rockbridge Road in unincorporated Stone Mountain.
Officers met with an associate of the business who identified the suspect. When officers tried confronting the suspect, he fled on foot and into a nearby neighborhood.
The Gwinnett County Aviation Unit responded to the scene and located the male suspect running alongside nearby powerlines. Officers established a perimeter, and the K9 Unit was deployed.
K-9 Nitro tracked the suspect and located him inside a storage shed behind a neighboring home. The suspect was identified as Walter Burrell Johns (age 33, Atlanta).
Walter was taken into custody without incident and transported to Gwinnett County Jail. Walter was charged with Theft by Shoplifting and Willful Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers.