Man Asked to Provide Breath Sample: 'What's the Use I'm Already Arrested'

The Athens resident is facing several charges following a traffic stop along Ga. Highway 316.

A driver arrested April 21 accused deputies of "picking on him" because of his race and repeatedly suggested they should be arresting the "real criminals like the people who kill people," according to an incident report.  Law enforcement with the Barrow County Sheriff's Office stopped the Athens man for reportedly driving erratically along Ga. Highway 316. When a deputy smelled alcohol, the driver was asked to step out of his vehicle, at which time he refused to perform a field sobriety test and would not provide a breath sample.  His reason? "What’s the use I'm already arrested," the report reads. The driver also reportedly asked deputies if he could "pee in the back seat and was advised if he did he would wash it out."  Raymond Thomas …

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Driver Says He Didn't Stop for Deputy Because He was Almost Out of Gas

The man was cited for three violations.

A driver who refused to pull over when a deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop said he was almost out of gas and didn't want to run out.  The incident occurred about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 18. According to a Barrow County Sheriff's Office incident report, the driver was traveling along Haymon-Morris Road with an inoperable brake light and, despite the deputy's attempt to stop the vehicle, continued to a residence in a nearby subdivision.  When the deputy spoke with the driver, he said he was aware the brake light was out, that the vehicle was almost out of gas and he didn't want to run out before arriving at the residence. The driver was cited for license not on person, improper tag display and brake light requirements. No arrest …

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Arrests Made in Home Invasion

The suspects reportedly blindfolded the elderly victim and tied his hands together before stealing a number of items from his residence.

Two men are accused of entering the home of an elderly Barrow County resident, blindfolding the victim and tying his hands together before stealing a shotgun, the man's wallet, collector coins, other miscellaneous items and his pickup truck. The home invasion occurred shortly after midnight Sunday, April 7, according to a release by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office. The truck, a 2005 Chevrolet, was found burned in a field off Jackson Trail Road within hours of the incident. About 6:30 p.m. the same day, a deputy stopped a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Akeem Oneil Jones of Statham who was wanted out of Barrow and Clarke counties, as well as the state of Ohio. When authorities searched the suspect, one of the coins taken during the home …

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Medics Check Suspected Shoplifter's Blood Sugar

The Winder resident was accused of attempting to steal several items from a Dollar General store.

A woman accused of attempting to steal dish detergent, plastic fingernails, nail glue and hair clips from a Dollar General in Winder on April 10 talked with medics about being diabetic prior to her arrest.  The suspect was speaking with the medics when a deputy with the Barrow County Sheriff's Office arrived at the store, where a manager reported the woman had concealed the items, valued at $11, in her purse.  According to an incident report, the medics checked the suspect's blood sugar and said it was fine.  Sydney Lynn Hall, 43, of 945 Dogwood Trail in Winder, was arrested and charged with shoplifting before being transported to the Barrow County Detention Center.  You might also be interested in reading:  Subscribe to Barrow Patch’s …

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Winder Man Charged with Arson After Authorities Say He Burned Down Rental Property

The arrest followed a two-week investigation of the fire, and the suspect reportedly admitted to investigators he was intoxicated at the time and upset over a recent disagreement with the landlord.

Store Surveillance Shows Suspected Shoplifter Buy Large Bottle of Malt Liquor but Pocket Smaller Bottle That Cost $1.89

The alleged theft occurred at Kountry Korner in Winder.

A suspected shoplifter paid for a large bottle of malt liquor at a Winder store, but video surveillance footage showed he pocketed a smaller bottle valued at $1.89, according to sheriff's office incident report.  The reported incident occurred Monday, March 25, at Kountry Korner off Carl Bethlehem Road and involved a "Johnny Bootlegger” grape shot. The suspect is accused of placing the small bottle in a pants pocket. A store employee told a deputy with the Barrow County Sheriff's Department that the suspect comes into the store often, usually with friends, and that if he can be identified she would like to prosecute "so as to set an example to he and his friends that you can’t shoplift in her store and get away with it," the incident …

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Suspect Arrested After Refusing to Sign Citation Accuses Deputy of Theft

Prior to arriving at the Barrow County Detention Center for booking, the suspect accused the arresting deputy of taking money out of his pocket.

A Statham resident told a deputy with the Barrow County Sheriff's Office that a Mason had informed him he didn't have to sign a citation issued by a law enforcement officer, according to an incident report. While citizens can refuse to sign a ticket, that refusal can result in an arrest.  Howard William Demarcus, 19, of 572 Peter St. in Statham, was arrested March 17, 2013, when he reportedly refused to sign a citation for speeding after a deputy clocked his vehicle traveling 67 mph in a 45 mph zone. According to an incident report, the suspect became confrontational when a deputy attempted to put him in handcuffs. When the suspect refused orders to place his hands behind his back a deputy drew his Taser, at which time the man complied and…

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Auburn Resident Arrested at Gas Station on Public Indecency Charge

The deputy reportedly found a black baggie and a clear smoking pipe, both containing methamphetamine, in the man's possession.

An Auburn man was charged with public indecency after a complainant called 911 on March 17 to report a man was masturbating in a vehicle at a Winder gas station, according to an incident report.  A deputy dispatched to Murphy USA on Atlanta Highway in front of the Winder Walmart observed the suspect sitting in the driver's seat with his hand on his genitals. The deputy ordered the suspect to stop what he was doing and place his hands on the steering wheel of the vehicle. The suspect then exited the car, was placed in handcuffs and was searched, at which time the deputy found a black baggie and a clear smoking pipe, both containing methamphetamine. Toumua Lor, 23, of 205 Mount Moriah Road in Auburn, is charged with public indecency/indecent…

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Local Superior Court Judge Involved in Wreck in Barrow County

The Athens Banner-Herald reports Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard was transported via ambulance to an Athens hospital.

A local Superior Court judge was involved in an accident Tuesday morning on Ga. Highway 316 in Barrow County, the Athens Banner-Herald reports.  Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard had left his office at the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse for a work-related drive to Atlanta and had come to a stop at a red light at 316 and Patrick Mill Road when was struck from behind, Sheriff Jud Smith told the Banner-Herald. The impact pushed the judge’s car into another vehicle.  Haggard was taken by ambulance to Athens Regional Medical Center for treatment of superficial injuries and observation, the newspaper reports. The accident is under investigation.  Subscribe to Barrow Patch’s newsletters, follow us on Twitter and “…

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