A stolen golf cart led Atlanta police into a brief foot chase after officers were called to Montgomery Ferry Drive NE. What started as a relatively unusual theft report ended with a suspect behind bars and facing multiple charges.
According to the City of Atlanta Police Department, officers responded to 196 Montgomery Ferry Drive NE on July 22 after receiving a report that a golf cart had been stolen. The reporting party told police that a man had taken the cart and fled on foot after being confronted.
Authorities said the suspect was last seen jumping a fence near the Beltline. Officers assigned to Zone 5 then coordinated with the PATH Force Unit to establish a perimeter and begin searching the surrounding area.
After locating the suspect, officers said a short foot pursuit followed before he was taken into custody. Police later identified him as Shaheed Patton.
Officers Set up Perimeter After Suspect Jumps Fence
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The footage above shows officers speaking with someone, likely an employee, wherever the golf cart was stolen from, before shifting to the perspective of one of the PATH Force officers. He can be seen chasing the suspect before stopping because he had jumped the fence to someone’s backyard.
This didn’t sit well with the officer, who jumped the fence and immediately caught the suspect trying to hide some foliage. After pointing what looked to be a taser at him, the suspect crawled towards the closest street
Patton was charged with criminal trespass and obstruction, according to Atlanta police. Officers also discovered that he had an active warrant through the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and transported him to the Fulton County Jail.
Commenters Can’t Get Over the Golf Cart Getaway
The unusual choice of alleged getaway vehicle gave commenters plenty to work with. One person joked that anyone trying to stay out in the summer heat might instead find “temporary cooling in jail” if they get caught breaking the law.
Another commenter seemed more surprised by the alleged theft itself than the arrest. “A golf cart?! Dude…” they wrote while joking that the suspect probably wasn’t going to earn much prestige behind bars from the story.
The Atlanta Police Department noted that an arrest does not mean someone has been convicted of a crime. Patton is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.