An hour-long ordeal culminated with the arrest of a handcuffed hit-and-run suspect accused of stealing a Gwinnett County police cruiser and other vehicles before leading authorities on a three-city chase.
Police believe the suspect, identified as Joshua Scott Jones, 28, committed at least six hit-and-runs and stole four cars, including the cruiser, Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera said. He was wanted in Forsyth County on misdemeanor probation violation charges.
The wild chain of events began about 1:15 p.m. Thursday in Norcross when an officer was called to investigate a hit-and-run crash on Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Britt Road.
The suspect fled the scene in a box truck toward DeKalb County.
“One of the witnesses followed the suspect, giving our dispatchers updates on his location,” Pihera said. “There were reports that the suspect was striking other vehicles as he was fleeing.”
The man was detained by two citizens on South Royal Atlanta Drive near Mountain Industrial Boulevard until police arrived. An officer handcuffed the man, placed him in the backseat of the patrol car and began the investigation, Pihera said.
“As the officer was walking back to his patrol car, he saw that the suspect had maneuvered his hands to the front and squeezed through the window of the cage of the patrol car,” Pihera said. “The suspect jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off with the patrol car.”
Pihera said Jones likely moved his hands forward under his legs.
A 911 dispatcher gave police real-time updates on Jones’ location and led them to Heritage Golf Links in Tucker, where he abandoned the patrol car and allegedly stole a Ford F150 pickup truck from a maintenance building.
Shortly after 2 p.m., police caught up with Jones at a Taco Bell parking lot on Jimmy Carter Boulevard, where they say he stole a blue and silver pickup truck before fleeing to Duluth.
Pihera said the suspect then hit several cars in a Walmart parking lot on Pleasant Hill Road before heading south on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
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“Because a tablet ... was left in the stolen pickup truck, the victim was able to give updates on the suspect’s location,” Pihera said.
About 2:40 p.m., when the man was just south of Technology Parkway South, an officer performed a PIT maneuver, causing the truck to swerve and flip on its side.
The handcuffed suspect managed to walk out of the truck after it crashed, Pihera said, and was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center. He is expected to be OK.
Authorities have not formally pressed charges, but said hit-and-run and car theft are expected.
Investigators cleared the crash scene about 5 p.m.
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