On January 24, 2022, at approximately 0227 hours, Dalton Police attempted to stop a silver BMW 535I on Walnut Avenue near I-75 that had left the Oyster Pub and Grill, a local bar located on Market Street. The attempted traffic stop was for no insurance and for an improper turn from Market Street onto Walnut Avenue. After Lt. activated his emergency blue lights, the vehicle entered the northbound entrance ramp #333 and fled northbound on I-75. Lieutenant did not pursue the vehicle and requested Whitfield 911 to notify Whitfield County Sheriff’s Deputies and the GSP. Whitfield County 911 was advising that Dalton Police units had observed a rifle in the back seat area of the vehicle during an earlier encounter with the vehicle and three occupants in the bar parking lot. At the time Lieutenant attempted to conduct the traffic stop, he reported only the driver being in the vehicle. Shortly after fleeing from Lieutenant , Deputy with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Department located the vehicle northbound on I-75 near mile marker #336. Deputy advised that the vehicle was all over the roadway and that it was traveling at 112 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone. Deputy activated his emergency lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle north of mile marker #336. After doing so, the driver initiated a pursuit. I had entered I-75 northbound at entrance ramp #333 attempting to locate the vehicle when Deputy located it. I continued northbound on I-75 and caught up to the pursuit shortly after it entered Catoosa County. After catching up to the pursuit, Deputy moved to the right lane and requested that I take over the pursuit near mile marker #345. Knowing that the vehicle had left a local bar, and that Deputy was reporting that the vehicle was all over the road, it was my belief that there was a high probability that the driver was intoxicated. After I took over the pursuit from Deputy , the driver continued fleeing with me behind it with my emergency lights and siren activated. I used my patrol car’s spotlight to try to see how many occupants may be in the vehicle, only observing the driver as Lt. had indicated. While behind the vehicle, I observed the driver making erratic lane changes without signaling, weaving when he was in a lane, and speeding at 125 miles per hour while in a 60 mile per hour construction zone, all of which are signs of possible driver impairment. Concerned that the driver would cause a crash due to his disregard for the safety of other motorists on the roadway and eliminating the options of utilizing the “box in” or tire deflating devices due to his reckless driving, I attempted to end the pursuit utilizing the Precision Immobilization Technique near mile marker #348. Prior to doing so, I thought of a family that had a loved one killed due to a driver fleeing while under the influence of drugs. I also realized the dangers it posed to myself by attempting to end the pursuit at these speeds. Reminding myself that it was my duty to protect the innocent motorists on the roadway, even if it meant placing myself at great risk of injury or death, I decided to try to end the pursuit utilizing the Precision Immobilization Technique to stop the threat. This attempt to end the pursuit was unsuccessful. The driver continued fleeing northbound on I-75 at a high rate of speed and cut another vehicle off that was in the center lane near mile marker #349. Seeing the driver was showing no intentions on stopping and fearing that he could cause a crash risking the safety of other motorists, I made the decision to make a second attempt to end the pursuit. After passing exit #350 and seeing no other vehicles in the immediate area, I performed the Precision Immobilization Technique which forced the vehicle from the roadway. The vehicle rotated clockwise and struck a guardrail with its front end and traveled through the guardrail. After traveling through the guardrail, the vehicle overturned causing the driver to be ejected from the vehicle. After arriving back at the scene, I went to where the driver had been ejected. After seeing that his was leaning to his left shoulder and not seeing any signs of breathing, I returned to my patrol car and retrieved a pair of medical gloves. I went back to the location where the driver was and moved his in line with his body and placed it in a position to open his airway. After doing so, there was still no signs of breathing. Shortly thereafter, Pucket Emergency Medical Services arrived on the scene and advised that he was deceased. The Catoosa County Coroner’s office was notified with them responding to the scene to remove the body. After they arrived on the scene, his person was checked, and his Tennessee identification card was located in his billfold. He was positively identified as 24-year-old .

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