A Lawrenceville man told police he was fighting off demons and trying to save sex trafficking victims when he attacked random drivers who stopped to help him along a Georgia interstate, authorities said.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, Jeffrey Quinshon Days Jr., 22, “faked a car crash” late Monday in the westbound lanes of I-16 in Candler County. He then attacked several drivers who stopped to assist him, severely beating one person with a metal rod, police said.
The bizarre incident began shortly before midnight when a trooper responded to an “assault in progress” call at mile marker 95, the GSP said in a statement. Police arrived to find multiple tractor-trailers and other vehicles blocking the westbound lanes, some of which had been abandoned. Police later learned he had staged the crash to stop traffic and attack the good Samaritans who tried to help, authorities said.
According to the GSP, Days “rapidly” advanced on the trooper as he approached, “screaming and brandishing a large metal rod.”
Days refused to drop the rod, prompting the trooper to use his Taser on the man, agency spokeswoman Franka Young said.
“The preliminary investigation finds that the suspect was suffering from a mental-illness episode, a bad reaction during a drug-induced state or both,” the State Patrol said. “The suspect believed he was trying to save sex trafficking victims while simultaneously being attacked by demons.”
Days is also accused of biting the trooper’s finger and refusing to let go after being placed in handcuffs, severely injuring the man’s finger.
“During the transfer of the suspect to a county sheriff’s patrol car, the cuffed suspect began to fight and resist,” the GSP said in an emailed statement. “The suspect managed to bite down on the trooper’s finger and refused to release it. A brief struggle ensued and eventually the suspect was forced to release the trooper’s finger before being transported to the jail.”
Authorities said they found a loaded rifle in Days’ vehicle after he was handcuffed and taken into custody. The 22-year-old was wanted on several charges out of Gwinnett County, authorities said, but it’s unclear what charges he faced.
He faces several new charges in connection with Monday’s incident, including three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery and one count of obstruction, Candler County jail records show. He’s also charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane, according to the GSP.
A Candler County Sheriff’s Office captain said Days is not at the jail because he’s receiving medical treatment at a state facility. He has not had a bond hearing, and authorities say additional charges are possible.
Candler County is located about 190 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta and approximately 70 miles northwest of Savannah.
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