Accused Home Depot shoplifter wrecks police cruiser

It all should have ended when a Snellville police officer put an accused shoplifter into the back of his patrol car.

But instead, the handcuffed woman worked her way into the front seat, put the car in drive and hit the officer before she crashed the police car into the front of Home Depot shortly after 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, according to Snellville police. Then, Demetra Clay fought with officers and tried to injure herself before she was again placed in a police car.

This time, she was taken to the Gwinnett County jail.

The incident started when Clay attempted to shoplift about $90 worth of merchandise from the store on Scenic Highway, according to Snellville police Chief Roy Whitehead. Store security workers called police, who arrived and placed Clay under arrest.

An officer had handcuffed Clay and placed her in the back of his patrol car, but hadn’t had time to get in himself when Clay worked her through the inside window and to the front seat, Whitehead said. Clay managed to get the car in gear and drive a short distance, plowing into a front pillar of the store, according to police.

But it didn’t end there, police said. Clay allegedly continued to fight with officers and injure herself before several officers got her into another patrol car. Clay allegedly hit her head against a patrol car and choke herself with a seatbelt, Whitehead said. She admitted to officers she was on drugs, he said.