A man faces multiple charges after police said he tried to hit officers with his car and led them on a high-speed chase through two Gwinnett County cities.
Norcross police said it took a PIT maneuver to stop the car Freeman Person was driving when he tried to run away from officers Wednesday morning.
Officials said officers were patrolling the Hometown Studios at Jimmy Carter Boulevard, a hotel they said is “known for its excessive criminal activity,” just after midnight.
During the patrol, officers said they encountered Person, 22, sleeping in the backseat of a parked car, which is a violation of the city’s urban camping ordinance.
The officers tried to wake Person, and told him to roll down the car’s windows, show identification or show his hands, but he refused to comply, authorities said.
“While officers gave commands, the man suddenly jumped into the driver’s seat, started the vehicle and abruptly backed up, nearly striking two police officers,” Norcross police said in a statement.
The officers said they commanded Person to stop. Instead, authorities said he changed direction and started driving forward into one of the officers who had drawn his gun.
“When the vehicle jumped the concrete parking curb dislodging it from the ground, the officer fired one shot in an attempt to stop the driver from running over him and the other officer,” officials said.
The shot hit the front of Person’s car, but he wasn’t hit. Officials said he then put his car into reverse and drove off.
Officials said Person drove in an “unsafe, aggressive and very dangerous manner” as officers chased him into Duluth. Eventually, Gwinnett County police officers used a PIT maneuver to stop his car. But then, Person tried to run away, officials said.
“Still refusing to comply with verbal commands, a (Gwinnett) officer deployed his Taser but the suspect continued to refuse to comply with lawful orders,” officials said. “A physical struggle ensued and ultimately officers were able to get handcuffs on him.”
Person was taken to the Gwinnett County Detention Center, where he is charged with three counts of aggravated assault on police officers, one count of felony obstruction of a police officer, fleeing and eluding and possession of methamphetamine.
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