Keon Simmons

Name:
Simmons, Keon Lamar

Date of Booking:
10/28/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
SPEEDING – 45 MILES AND OVER 90 IN A 35

PASSING W/O SUFFICIENT CLEARENCE

RECKLESS DRIVING

WILLFUL OBSTRUCTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS BY USE OF THREATS OR VIOLENCE

FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE A POLICE OFFICER – FELONY

REMOVAL OR ATTEMPTED REMOVAL OF WEAPON FROM PUBLIC OFFICIAL

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHEN ENGAGED ON OFFICIAL DUTY

IMPROPER LANE USAGE

PASSING ON HILL OR CURVE

DRIVER TO USE DUE CARE: PROPER USE OF RADIO OR MOBILE TELEPHONE NOT VIOLATE SE

DISOBEYING A TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE

FAILURE TO STOP AT STOP SIGN

PASSING ON SOLID YELLOW LINE

NO SEAT BELTS

AGGRESSIVE DRIVING

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 Saturday August 16, 2025 at 1608 Hours I, Deputy Sugg #9193, was parked in a private lot on the east side of SR 81 near US 278. I was sitting in a marked Newton County Sheriff’s Office patrol car. While facing SR 81, I observed a gold Honda Accord pass me. The driver of the vehicle was holding his cell phone in his right hand. After the vehicle passed in front of me, I activated the emergency blue lights and siren on my patrol car to initiate a traffic stop.

I notified the Newton County Dispatch Center of my traffic stop on Emory Street (SR 81) at a cross street of Stone Mountain Street. I told them I would be stopping a car bearing Georgia License Plate [REDACTED]. The driver of the Accord signalled that he would be turning right onto Stone Mountain Street.

The driver slowly proceeded west on Stone Mountain Street towards Spring Street. He came to a stop at the four-way and then proceeded west on Stone Mountain Street. As the driver was continuing, I saw him grab a backpack from his passenger seat and I observed he was not wearing a seatbelt. Believing that the driver might be preparing to jump out of his car and flee on foot, I requested to dispatch that they have the City of Covington Police Department en route to me.

The driver made his way past the yield sign to go northbound on West Street. I notified dispatch the vehicle was still rolling and had not stopped. When the driver reached the red light at West Street and Highway 278, he proceeded north through the red light. At that time, I notified dispatch that I was in pursuit of the vehicle.

The driver proceeded northbound on West Street, which is a posted 35 mile per hour zone, at approximately 50-60 miles per hour. I provided dispatch a description of the suspect vehicle (gold Honda Accord) and informed dispatch the driver was the only visible occupant. When he reached the stop sign at Emory Street (SR 81), the driver came to a stop before turning left in front of other traffic.

I continuously provided updates to dispatch via radio regarding traffic conditions and vehicle speed. I noted that traffic was becoming heavier and that speeds were approximately 50 miles per hour as the driver entered Oxford City Limits. While entering Oxford, the driver passed another vehicle on a double yellow line. The driver continued northbound on Emory Street through Oxford.

The driver reached speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. The driver continued to pass other vehicles in both designated passing zones and on double yellow lines, narrowly avoiding collisions on multiple occasions. The driver operated his vehicle northbound in the southbound lane several times to pass other vehicles.

I notified dispatch that I would be attempting to utilize a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT maneuver) to end the chase once an opportunity was present. Cpl Mason #9118 told me at that time that he was on Airport Road and approaching my location. As the driver approached Airport Road, he suddenly made a right turn, driving into oncoming traffic and nearly striking Cpl Mason’s patrol car. Cpl Mason managed to make an evasive maneuver and drive onto the shoulder of the roadway to avoid a collision. At that time, Cpl Mason became Deputy 2 in the chase and began to call radio traffic.

While traveling eastbound on Airport Road, speeds reached approximately 75 miles per hour. The posted speed limit was 35 miles per hour. The driver also crossed both the double yellow line and white fog line multiple times. After passing Poole Booth Road while continuing on Airport Road, the road became straight and I was able to see there was no traffic ahead of me. At that time, I moved my vehicle onto the driver’s side of the suspect vehicle and began to set up for a PIT. The driver suddenly slammed on his brakes, causing me to also have to brake.

As I was catching back up to the suspect vehicle, the driver made a sudden and aggressive movement towards my patrol car, causing me to have to brake and swerve to avoid a collision. Based on the aggressive and sudden movement, the driver’s intention was to make contact with my vehicle to cause me to crash and no longer be able to continue in the pursuit. I was able to avoid a collision and continued east behind the suspect vehicle on Airport Road towards Highway 142.

The driver made a right turn onto Highway 142, driving from the right lane, across a turn lane, and into the opposite lane of travel. I observed that there was no other traffic on this portion of Highway 142 at the time we were on it. Because of the reckless and aggressive manner in which the driver had been operating his vehicle while fleeing from law enforcement, I utilized a PIT maneuver to end the chase.

While at an approximate speed of 40 miles per hour, I intentionally placed the driver’s side of my push bumper onto the passenger rear quarter panel of the suspect vehicle. I turned my steering wheel to the left and accelerated, causing the suspect vehicle to rotate clockwise and leave the roadway. Due to the momentum from the PIT maneuver, my patrol car also left the roadway.

The suspect vehicle rotated until the passenger side struck a utility pole, causing minor damage to the suspect vehicle and scratching to the pole. The driver immediately got out of his vehicle and began to flee east on foot into the Merryvale parking lot. I yelled for the driver to stop but he continued. The driver was a black male with short hair and he was wearing a black short sleeve t-shirt and blue shorts with black slides. The male was carrying a blue bookbag with a Nike logo. As he was running, I smelled the heavy odor of marijuana coming from the bag.

I lost contact with the male as he was running through the parking lot. I returned to the suspect vehicle to secure the car keys and prevent the male from returning to his car. Cpl Mason, who had gotten back into his patrol vehicle, drove up to the male and then continued to run after him on foot. Cpl Mason attempted twice to utilize a department issued Taser X7, but the Taser was not successful.

The male did fall, and Cpl Mason attempted to utilize multiple drive stuns and ground control techniques to gain compliance. The male actively fought Cpl Mason, causing injuries to Cpl Mason’s hand, and then attempted to take Cpl Mason’s Taser out of his hand. To prevent the male from getting his Taser, Cpl Mason disengaged, which allowed the male the opportunity to run into a woodline and vanish from sight.

Multiple K-9s were deployed, to include Deputy McFarlin #9275’s bloodhound, Deputy Wright #9269’s bloodhound, and Covington Officer Johnson #231’s dual-purpose Belgian Malinois. The tracks were unsuccessful and the male was not located.

I conducted a search of the vehicle, which was abandoned after the driver ran from the scene. I located what appeared to be a corporate ID card with a picture on it. The name on the ID card was Keon Simmons. The picture matched the male suspect who had just run from the vehicle and fought with Cpl Mason. There was also an Alcovy High School diploma for the class of 2021 located in the backseat, belonging to Keon Lamar Simmons.

The vehicle, a 2001 Honda Accord, was registered to [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. Using a local name search, I found a Keon Lamar Simmons [REDACTED] in Spillman locals. Keon was previously arrested in May 2023 by the Covington Police Department while driving the same 2001 Honda Accord for felony Possession of Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm During the Commision of a Felony. Based on Keon’s Driver’s License photo and work ID photo matching the suspect who fled from us, I was able to identify the suspect as Keon Lamar Simmons [REDACTED].

Warrants will be obtained against Simmons for the following charges: Felony Fleeing, Felony Obstruction, Felony Attempted Removal of Weapon from Public Official, Aggravated Assault on Peace Officer, Reckless Driving, Aggressive Driving, Hands Free Violation, Seatbelt Violation, Stop Sign Violation, Red Light Violation, Left of Center, Wrong Side of Roadway, Failure to Maintain Lane, Improper Passing, Speeding, and Improper Turn.

Both Cpl Mason #9118 and Sgt Lightsey #9126 were aware of the vehicle pursuit. Sgt Lightsey arrived on scene after the pursuit ended. I also contacted my direct supervisors, Cpl Archie #9220 and Sgt Redlinger #9102, and informed them of the pursuit. A pursuit report will be completed along with this incident report. The length of the pursuit was approximately 5 miles. It went through the cities of Covington and Oxford along with unincorporated Newton County. The highest speed reached during the pursuit was 90 miles per hour.

The only damage to my patrol vehicle (23098) was scuff marks on the driver’s side of the PIT bumper. Chancey’s towing, the next rotation wrecker on the list, impounded the Honda Accord.

Sgt Thacker #707 from the Georgia State Patrol worked the scene of the PIT. Georgia Department of Public Safety case number for the incident is C001016037.

[End of Narrative]