Zachary Bruce

Name:
Bruce, Zachary Seth

Date of Booking:
11/16/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Terroristic Threats And Acts

Simple Battery Against Law Enforcement Personnel

Public Indecency, 1st Or 2nd Conviction

Obstruction Of Officer By Threat/ Violence

Riot In Penal Institution

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.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on November 16, 2025]

On November 16, 2025, at approximately 0236 hours, Deputy Ramos and Deputy Cline responded to Hallmark Way (Crow Valley Apartments) in reference to a male standing on top of the apartment complex sign and being partially naked.

Upon arrival, Deputy Ramos contacted the suspect, later identified as Zachary Seth Bruce. Deputy Ramos tried to talk to Zachary and asked him if he could step down from the sign. Zachary began to talk incoherently, giving different names such as Jeremy, Erica, and talking about demons and Satan. At this time, Deputy Cline radioed for Lt. Gibson to meet with him and Deputy Ramos.

Deputy Ramos was still trying to get Zachary off the sign, as he could fall and injure himself since he was walking on top of the sign. Moreover, Officer Castillo and Officer Warnix of the Dalton Police Department arrived on the scene to assist; Deputy Bandy, Deputy Taylor, and Deputy Dominick arrived shortly thereafter.

Officer Castillo tried talking to Zachary and offered him a cigarette if he came down from the sign, but he refused and started talking to himself as if he was talking to someone right next to him. Furthermore, Deputy Dominic offered Zachary a water bottle, but he refused to take it. At this time, Deputy Ramos retrieved a cigarette and offered it to Zachary. Zachary extended his arm, reaching for the cigarette, and Deputy Ramos attempted to grab him by the hand but was unsuccessful. The suspect mother was also on scene, talking to Lt. Gibson and Deputy Taylor. Zachary was becoming increasingly angry at his mother, asking her for a vape.

Subsequently, Deputies and officers attempted to negotiate with Zachary and try to get him down from the sign, but he would always refuse and talk to himself or scream at people who were not there. Additionally, Zachary spat on his hand and began to mast*rbate in front of the Officers and Deputies briefly. Also, Zachary stated at one point that he wanted to kill a police officer.

Officer Warnix then offered Zachary a chocolate milk, and he drank the whole bottle, threw it towards the woods near the sign, but still refused to come down the sign. At this time, Zachary began to walk from the right side of the sign to the left side of the sign. Subsequently, Zachary decided to run to the right side of the sign and jumped off the sign. After Zachary jumped off, Deputy Ramos, Taylor, Dominick, Officer Warnix, and Castillo took Zachary to the ground and placed handcuffs on him.

Zachary was then placed in Deputy Ramos’ patrol car. Deputy Ramos radioed dispatch to have EMS meet with him to conduct a psychiatric evaluation on Zachary. When EMS arrived on the scene, they performed a psychiatric evaluation and informed Deputy Ramos that they could not take Zachary. Deputy Ramos then transported Zachary to the Whitfield County Jail and was turned over to booking staff without further incident.

Deputy Ramos charged Zachary on a Warrantless form, WA#70945, with the following charges: O.C.G.A. 16-6-8, Public Indecency, and O.C.G.A. 16-11-37, Terroristic Threats.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on November 16, 2025]

On 11/16/2025, Lt. Gibson responded to the area of Hallmark Hts and Crow Valley Rd in order to assists deputies trying to talk to a male that was experiencing a mental health crisis. The male, later identified as Mr. Zachery Bruce, was nude and standing on top of the Hallmark Heights Apartments sign. Zachery was clearly going through a mental health episode due to illogical remarks, talking to people that were not there, and talking as other people.

While initially speaking with Zachery, he was yelling back and forth with a female on top of the hill near the apartments. The female, later identified as Mrs. [WITNESS #1] and Zachery’s mother, eventually walked down the driveway of the apartments near where the officers were standing. Lt. Gibson approached her, and he began to gather information that may be useful in speaking with Zachery.

As Lt. Gibson gathered information, Zachery clearly became agitated with [WITNESS #1] and her presence. [WITNESS #1] stated that Zachery has behaved this way in the past, and he was agitated with her presence and put in a heightened state in that incident as well. Lt. Gibson then asked [WITNESS #1] to stay where she was and not come closer, and he also asked her not to engage with Zachery due to it only agitating him further.

During the incident, [WITNESS #1] began talking to people that were not there and praying to the retaining walls along the driveway. [WITNESS #1] did come closer to where the officers were, and Lt. Gibson had to remind her to go back to where she was before. There were also multiple times that [WITNESS #1] would engage with Zachery, making him more agitated.

Zachery eventually jumped down from the sign, saying that he was going to kill someone, so the officers and deputies detained him. While attempting to secure his hands in handcuffs, [WITNESS #1] began walking down the hill aggressively toward the officers and deputies. Lt. Gibson reminded [WITNESS #1] that she needed to stay back, but she kept walking toward them. Lt. Gibson then moved toward [WITNESS #1], and she said, “Alright, let’s talk.” Lt. Gibson then told [WITNESS #1] to turn around and place her hands behind her back, which she did as she said, “Arrest me!”

As Lt. Gibson placed one cuff on one hand, [WITNESS #1] spun around and swung at Lt. Gibson. Lt. Gibson and Deputy Bandy then took [WITNESS #1] to the ground, where Lt. Gibson finished securing [WITNESS #1]’s hands in hinged style handcuffs with her hands placed behind her back. The handcuffs were checked for proper fit and double locked, and [WITNESS #1] was placed in the back seat of Lt. Gibson’s patrol vehicle.

Lt. Gibson transported [WITNESS #1] to the Whitfield County Jail, and she was charged with 16-10-24(b) Willful Obstruction Officer By Threat/Violence, Fel on warrantless arrest #70946. [WITNESS #1] was turned over to booking staff without incident.

[End of Narrative]