Cops: Man arrested after dragging deputy alongside car, speeding off
An Acworth man is behind bars after he allegedly dragged a Cherokee County deputy alongside his car and drove off, prompting a search involving three different agencies.
Elmer Pence, 43, faces several charges including aggravated assault on a peace officer in connection with the incident, which happened in Canton on Saturday afternoon.
The deputy stopped Pence on Medical Lane near Hospital Road about 2:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office said in a statement. At some point, the deputy asked Pence to get out of the car, the statement said.
That’s when Pence grabbed the deputy’s arm and started driving away, authorities said.
The deputy was dragged alongside the car for about 30 feet, but managed to disengage, the sheriff’s office said. Pence then sped away from the area.
Deputies followed Pence’s car into Pickens County, where the Georgia State Patrol and Pickens sheriff’s office joined in the pursuit. Authorities found his car on Blacknob Church Road, but he was not in it.
Deputies searched the area where the abandoned car was discovered, but Pence was nowhere to be found, according to the sheriff’s office. Later, law enforcement received a tip that he was at a location in Fairmount.
A GSP trooper went to the location and brought Pence into custody.
Pence was booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center, where he remains without bond. In addition to aggravated assault, he is charged with fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, reckless driving, obstruction of an officer, giving false information to an officer, driving with an expired tag and driving with a suspended license.
About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
