Christopher Harris

Name:
Harris, Christopher Ellis

Date of Booking:
12/08/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
WILLFUL OBSTRUCTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS – M

DISORDERLY CONDUCT – M

Public Drunkenness – M

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 December 8th, 2025, while on uniformed patrol in my marked unit, I, Officer McCosley, responded to a disturbance at Bootleggers Bar located at 1017 E US Hwy 80. The disturbance involved two black males who were being disorderly and yelling at each other.

Upon arrival, Officer Gancarcik and I met with the complainant, [WITNESS #1], who informed us that one of the males had already driven off in his car. However, his cousin, who was heavily intoxicated, was possibly inside the Food Lion next door. We waited outside the Food Lion for the male who was wearing a black hoodie and black and yellow shoes to exit.

Eventually I observed a male who matched the given description leave Food Lion and begin walking toward my patrol car. I exited my vehicle, made contact with him, and explained our presence, stating that Bootleggers wanted him removed from their property due to the disturbance and tried to get his side of the story.

Only a few seconds into our interaction, I noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He was slurring his words, unsteady on his feet, and not making coherent sense in our conversation. I asked for his name and date of birth, and he identified himself as Christopher Harris with a birth date of [REDACTED].

I returned to my vehicle while Officer Gancarcik stood by with Mr. Harris while I tried to verify his identity. I was experiencing difficulty getting his information to return from GCIC/NCIC. While I was in the process of this, I heard Officer Gancarcik repeatedly instruct Mr. Harris to step back and move away from her. I approached again and reiterated the request for him to comply. He did so momentarily but continued to yell and be disorderly.

I went back to my vehicle to finish running his identification when Mr. Harris decided he would no longer stay on the scene with us. I heard the other officer tell him that he wasn’t allowed to leave and should stay put. As Mr. Harris was screaming that he was not under arrest and was free to leave, I pulled out my Taser, activated it, and pointed it at him, warning that if he left, he would be tased. Mr. Harris then grabbed his belongings and started walking through the parking lot in front of Food Lion. We informed him he was not free to leave, and I holstered my Taser to avoid the risk of him hitting his head on the asphalt if tased.

Officer Gancarcik and I then attempted to grab his wrists and put his hands behind his back, informing him that he was being arrested for obstruction, He resisted, so I executed a leg sweep, bringing him to the ground while ensuring he did not hit his head. During this, I sustained a laceration on my right palm and jammed my left hand thumb. I used my right forearm to keep his head on the ground, maintaining control while we secured his arms in handcuffs, as he was still trying to look back and flail. Once handcuffed, we helped him into a seated position and then to a standing one.

Officer Gancarcik radioed for a supervisor and EMS to come to the scene due to the use of force. We walked Mr. Harris to my patrol car but had to forcefully place him in the back seat, as he resisted throughout the process. The pooler Fire and Chatham EMS both arrived on scene, finding Mr. Harris screaming and refusing medical assistance.

A supervisor arrived and spoke to Mr. Harris, who continued to be loud and disruptive. Another officer went into Food Lion to obtain video footage of the incident, which was later emailed to him for evidence. Myself and other officers had Mr. Harris exit the car and we conducted a search incident to arrest of his person. We adjusted his handcuffs for fit and double locked them before placing him back in the back seat. Mr. Harris was officially arrested at 3:34 PM.

Officer Gancarcik and I transported Mr. Harris to Memorial Hospital for medical clearance before taking him to jail. Upon arrival, the medical staff at Memorial refused to come outside to assess him, despite his irate behavior and intoxication. We escorted Mr. Harris into the hospital and seated him in a chair. During his time at Memorial, he was belligerent and disorderly, using vulgar language toward the medical staff, patients, and security on duty.

Ultimately, he refused to be medically cleared, at which point the hospital counted it as a refusal, allowing us to proceed with bringing him to jail. I would also note that while at the jail, Mr. Harris complained that his handcuffs were too tight. Medical staff assessed them and reported that they were fine, with no swelling or discoloration in his hands as he claimed. We advised him to stop flailing around, which was tightening the cuffs further, even though we had adjusted and double-locked them.

We then placed him back into the back seat of my vehicle and transported him to the Chatham County detention center for booking. He received a $1,000 bond and a court date of February 2nd, 2026, at Pooler Municipal Court at 10:00 AM. He was also issued three citations: one for disorderly conduct, one for public drunkenness, and one for obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Mr. Harris was also issued a criminal trespass warning from bootleggers and ultimately banned from coming back.

[End of Narrative]