Name:
Bryson, Deriek Thomas
Date of Booking:
09/18/2022
Reason(s) For Booking:
Theft By Taking, Larceny, Pocket Picking, Misd
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 this date, 09/18/2022, I responded to 524 Mcghee Dr in reference to a theft that took place earlier in the morning.
I arrived on scene and spoke with [VICTIM #1] about the theft. [VICTIM #1] advised that he had a craftsman brand back pack leaf blower stolen from the bed of his truck this morning. [VICTIM #1] advised that he had parked his truck (ga tag [REDACTED BY AGENCY]) with a trailer attached to it in front of the door of the residence. [VICTIM #1] advised that the truck bed and trailer contain brand new tools from Lowe’s that he recently purchased and planned to re-sell.
He then showed me surveillance footage of the theft. The time stamp on the video is 0234 hours. The camera footage was provided to [VICTIM #1] by the business located at 528 Mcghee Dr.
The suspect enters the frame from the south off of Mcghee Dr and is wearing a long sleeved white shirt with blue jeans, dark colored work boots, and a dark colored baseball cap. The suspect appears to be a white male in the video. The brim of the suspect’s hat is bent in a semi-circular motion that I have mostly seen associated with southern white males.
The suspect has a small black dog with him that followed him while he walked in the parking lot. The suspect walked to the trailer and lifts the blanket covering the tools. A pillar blocked the view of the suspect momentarily, but I could then see the suspect reach into the truck bed and remove the back pack leaf blower. The suspect then quickly walked out of the parking lot in a northern direction towards Hobby Lobby on Mcghee Dr. The dog followed him.
I attached a copy of the video to this report. [VICTIM #1] advised he did not have the serial number to this leaf blower, but would call when he found it as he recently purchased it. He then advised that leaf blower is valued at $289 and he bought it at Lowe’s. The leaf blower is red and black in color. I left the scene and received a call from [VICTIM #1] though to provide me with more information.
[VICTIM #1] advised that he has a property that his son lives at on [2600 BLOCK] Old Grade Rd. This address is 0.9 miles away from 524 Mcghee Dr. He then advised that several of his family members told him that a man by the name of Deriek Bryson arrived to his property on Old Grade Rd. He then told me that Deriek approached [VICTIM #1]’s son and asked him if he wanted to buy a new leaf blower. The son did not know the leaf blower had been stolen, but did not wish to buy it.
I did not speak with the son, but this is what [VICTIM #1] was told by his son and other family members. He then stated that Deriek arrived to [2600 BLOCK] Old Grade Rd in a “beat up” older model gray dodge pickup truck driven by a man named “[REDACTED].” After Deriek tried to sell the stolen leaf blower, he then left the scene. [VICTIM #1] advised that his family members also observed the small black dog with Deriek.
[VICTIM #1] advised that several people in the area of Old Grade Rd know Deriek and he normally travels on foot with his small black dog walking with him.
While typing this report, I overheard county deputies on the radio stating they were stopping Deriek Bryson on the South Dalton Bypass near Old Grade Rd. I traveled to that location and observed Deriek Bryson standing with the deputies. I activated my in-car camera to record audio/video.
I asked Deriek if he knew where the leaf blower was and he stated he did not. I noticed that Deriek fit the same physical description as the white male in the video and was even wearing blue jeans with brown work boots. I then asked him if I could show him a video. He then stated yes and he walked with me to my patrol car. I took out my laptop and showed Deriek the surveillance footage of the theft. I sat the lap top on the hood of my patrol car.
Due to the glare of the sun on the computer, I could barely see the video as it played from a few feet away from me. I asked Deriek if he knew what I was showing him and what that person was doing. He advised that it looked like the person was taking the leaf blower out of the truck. This led me to believe he knew that the leaf blower was stolen because he was the person who stole the blower. I told Deriek that I could barely see the video and the only reason he knew what the person on the video was doing was because it was him.
I read him the Miranda warning from my department Miranda warning card. He stated he understood this warning. I then started to ask him questions about the leaf blower and if he knew why I would be asking about it. He stated he did not take the leaf blower and did not know why I was asking about it. He appeared to be deceptive in his answers and would often break eye contact and look away when he answered questions.
I continued to ask about the blower and confronted him with information I knew. I told him that people at the [2600 BLOCK] Old Grade Rd residence stated he arrived there earlier this morning to attempt to sell them a leaf blower. I asked him why they would make that up and why people would report seeing him there if he did not steal the blower and attempt to sell it. He could not provide an answer other than they were mad at him.
Deriek advised he was with his father and “old lady” last night at a residence on Scobie Ave. I asked him how long would it take to walk from Scobie Ave to Hobby Lobby and we agreed it would only take a few minutes. Hobby Lobby is next to 524 Mcghee Dr.
I continued to confront Deriek with information I had and asked again why these people would accuse him of stealing the blower and being at the residence on Old Grade Rd. I then told him that the victim wanted the blower back and I would like to return it to him. I asked Deriek if he pawned it and he stated “no I did not pawn it.” I asked where it was and he did not provide an answer. He then stated that he could get the blower to return to the victim.
I had asked Deriek earlier in the conversation about [REDACTED], the man who supposedly drove the gray Dodge truck. I asked Deriek what kind of vehicle [REDACTED] drives. He stated that [REDACTED] drives a gray Dodge pickup truck. I asked if it was “beat up” and he stated that it was.
I concluded this interview and Deriek told me to put handcuffs on him as I was about to tell him he was going to jail. He then started to yell and curse at me. I then searched his person incident to arrest and seated him in the back seat.
Deriek did not wish to wear seat belt and he did not advise if he was a U.S. citizen. I asked him if he was a U.S. citizen and he stated “fu*k no, U.S.A., Let’s go.”
I then transported him to the WCSO and placed him in the care of the booking staff. I asked him again if he would tell me where the blower is so I could return it to the victim. He did not answer me.
I then completed warrantless arrest #66607 for the following charge:
16-8-2 Theft by taking (M)
I then left the jail and returned to [VICTIM #1] at 524 Mcghee Dr to see if he had heard any news since I last spoke with him. He then told me that a man named “[WITNESS #1]” was the person who saw Deriek arrive to [2600 BLOCK] Old Grade Rd with the stolen leaf blower. I then met with a deputy at [2600 BLOCK] Old Grade Rd and spoke with [WITNESS #1] about what he observed. I recorded this conversation with my in-car camera.
[WITNESS #1] advised he observed the “[REDACTED]” subject drive on to the property in his gray Dodge pick up truck. He confirmed that the truck was “beat up.” He then told me he saw Deriek with [REDACTED] and the leaf blower in the back of the truck. He stated that Deriek was not holding the leaf blower and he did not see him offer to sell the blower. He did say that Deriek was the one who had the leaf blower and knew that he had stolen it. [WITNESS #1] described the leaf blower as red craftsman leaf blower. He stated it was a back pack leaf blower and was certain that Deriek stole it. He did not believe that [REDACTED] was involved and only drove Deriek to the house.
[End of Narrative]