A motorist who was flagged for a simple traffic violation last week decided to try to outrun law enforcement, and it did not end well for him.
According to a spokesperson for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, a traffic stop was made Jan. 30 just before midnight due to a tail light violation. The driver refused to get out of the car after the deputy detected a marijuana odor, then fled at a high rate of speed so that the initial deputy lost sight of him.
Another officer located the vehicle traveling northbound at South Jeff Davis Drive, still going very fast. After stop sticks were successfully deployed at an intersection, the vehicle became disabled and struck a curb. The driver fled on foot into the parking lot of Lowe’s in Fayetteville, where he eventually gave up. No marijuana was located.
Khristopher Childs, 32, of Hampton was charged with two counts of fleeing or attempting to elude, both felonies. He also faces two counts of obstruction of an officer and one count each of reckless driving, speeding, obedience to a traffic control device, and a tail light violation.
Elsewhere in Fayette County, a deputy was dispatched Jan. 30 shortly before 10 p.m. to a suspicious incident involving a vehicle and two people walking around a residential neighborhood late at night.
The caller advised that a man began smoking in front of his house and was seen on his security camera. When located by a deputy, he tried to hide what he was smoking but was not successful.
Chimon Davis, 22, of Jonesboro was charged with misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession and tampering with evidence, as well as a felony count of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Also, a woman wanted in Fayette County on nearly three dozen felony fraud charges is now in the custody of Fayette County authorities.
Dianna Stephens, 24, of Ellenwood was picked up Jan. 31 at the Clayton County Jail and transferred to the Fayette County Jail. A spokesperson for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office could not say whether she was arrested for a different crime in Clayton County or picked up simply because of outstanding warrants from Fayette.
There were plenty of those. The jail log lists 16 counts each of financial transaction fraud and computer fraud, along with a count of elder abuse. All are felonies.
Officials said the charges stem from incidents that took place between September and November in 2022.
