A chase from Whitfield County, Ga., to Hamilton County tonight has landed one officer in the hospital, disabled two police cars and resulted in several shots fired on officers, East Ridge police spokesman Erik Hopkins said.
The 14-year-old called his mother from a Mapco parking lot off Interstate 75 in Tunnel Hill, Ga., telling her that he needed gas and, if her credit card wouldn’t work, his gun surely would.
A few minutes later Monday night, the teen turned that gun on police, then fled in a red Chevrolet, leading law enforcement on a rampage up I-75 and I-24, leaving three disabled law enforcement vehicles and one injured deputy in his wake, Georgia State Patrol Lt. Don Stultz said.
The teen, who has not been named because he is a juvenile, likely will face 10 felony charges and nine misdemeanors from the Georgia State Patrol alone, Stultz said, plus other felony counts from Whitfield County to Hamilton County.
The juvenile will face prosecution from most, if not all, of the seven departments involved with the chase, including counts of aggravated assault on an officer and felony evading, authorities say. His full list of charges has not yet been determined.
Few, if any, of the officers knew they were dealing with a 14-year-old, but they say it wouldn’t have affected their pursuit — the driver was dangerous no matter how old.