A man in Gwinnett County, Georgia, is facing multiple charges after he allegedly fled from a traffic stop, hitting an officer and his patrol unit as a result. Days later, he was found at a local restaurant, and as officers went for the arrest, he attempted to flee again, twice, police said.
According to a news release issued by the Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD), the series of events began back on May 30. At the time, Officer J. Dickens observed a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road.
The officer followed the vehicle as it pulled into an apartment complex. After the patrol unit’s emergency equipment was activated, it appeared as if the driver was willing to cooperate.
As shown in the clip below, the suspect’s car came to a stop. Then, the man, later identified as Demetrius Gibson, even put his hands out of the driver’s window.
Fleeing the Scene
Officer Dickens then approached Gibson. However, as per the GCPD, the cop observed the window rolling up and the driver preparing to flee.
The Georgia officer attempted to stop Gibson from running away, as seen in the clip, with him yelling orders for the man to exit the vehicle. Instead, Gibson allegedly put the vehicle in reverse.
As he backed at a high rate of speed, the suspect allegedly struck Officer Deckins, with his patrol dashcam showing the moment of the hit. Then, Gibson’s sedan crashed into the officer’s police vehicle.
Restaurant Reunion
Gibson allegedly managed to elude police for almost a week. On Friday, June 5, however, it appeared as if his luck had run out.
The GCPD had managed to identify Gibson and mulitple vehicles associated with him. As a result, he was located at a local restaurant, and multiple officers responded to the location.
Footage shared by the police department shows an officer approaching Gibson. The man, not aware of the cops entering the restaurant, remained still and eventually came face to face with Officer Deckins, once again.
Two More Fleeing Attempts, Charges
Realizing he had been found, Gibson allegedly tried to flee once again. He didn’t make it to the restaurant’s entrance, as he was soon subdued by the officers present in the establishment.
While lying on the ground, face down, he was put in handcuffs. Then, after he stood up, one cop asked Gibson, referring to Officer Dickens, “Remember this officer?” Dickens, meanwhile, told Gibson, “‘Sup bro.”
Finally, as he was being directed to the patrol unit, Gibson allegedly attempted to run away a second time in a little over a minute. Officers managed to catch him before he could run away, and he was put on the back of the unit.
Demetrius Gibson is facing multiple serious charges. These include aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer while engaged in official duties and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer for a felony offense. If convicted, the aggravated assault charge could land him up to 20 years in prison.