A Jackson County man was arrested on multiple charges after Gainesville police tried to check on him as he sat unmoving in his car at a busy intersection, leading to the man escalating the situation and ramming two patrol cars, authorities said.
James Edward Harrison, 39, of Jefferson, was subdued with a Taser before being placed under arrest near the intersection of Browns Bridge Road and Pearl Nix Parkway around 9 p.m. Monday, Gainesville police said. Officers took Harrison to the hospital, where he was medically cleared, then booked him into the Hall County Jail on several charges.
Harrison faces four counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, one count of possession of methamphetamine and three counts of obstruction, police said. He remains in jail without bond.
The incident began when police were called by passersby concerned about a driver sitting in the middle of the road in a white Dodge Charger. When officers tried to assist the driver, later identified as Harrison, he “immediately began to be non-compliant,” police said.
Harrison refused to follow any of the officers’ commands and ignored attempts to de-escalate the situation, according to police. He ultimately put his Charger in gear and rammed two police cars before an officer deployed a Taser on him and he was pulled from the driver’s seat, authorities said.
Police did not say how much damage was caused or if Harrison was suspected of being under the influence of any illegal drugs during the encounter. No officers were injured, and no further information has been released.
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