When a black Jaguar XF sedan pulled away from a traffic stop Saturday, an Atlanta police helicopter was able to track the car as it was pursued by multiple agencies before the driver crashed and was arrested.
Video released by Atlanta police shows how the department’s air unit was able to work with officers and Georgia State Patrol troopers on the ground to end the chase and take 32-year-old Quentin Dowell into custody.
The incident began just after 8:15 p.m. when an officer tried to pull over Dowell’s Jaguar in southwest Atlanta, police said. According to police spokesman Officer Jarius Daugherty, Dowell was wanted on prior charges of fleeing and eluding police. When the Jaguar drove away from the traffic stop, it was already being tracked by the police helicopter.
“Knowing that the Atlanta Police Department’s Air Unit (Phoenix) was overhead, officers decided to disengage from pursuit and allow Phoenix to maintain a visual of the vehicle,” police said.
The Jaguar drove onto I-20 East, where the helicopter’s crew said it was “driving pretty normal.” As the car turned south toward Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the helicopter pilot tracking it was forced to get clearance from air traffic control at the busy airport. Clearance was granted, and the helicopter’s crew was able to share the car’s location with Atlanta police officers and GSP troopers in the area.
Troopers caught up to the car as it drove down Camp Creek Parkway. Once they confirmed they were behind the correct car, the lead patrol car attempted a PIT maneuver. Video shows the Jaguar nearly spinning at the intersection of Camp Creek Parkway and Potomac Drive, but the driver was able to recover and continue fleeing west.
The trooper attempted a second PIT maneuver on Camp Creek Parkway just past Desert Drive, causing the Jaguar to rear-end a white SUV. The crash seriously damaged the front end of the Jaguar, slowing it down significantly before it came to a stop on a grassy median.
Once the car stopped, the driver started running. A trooper who had also gotten out of his patrol car chased after the suspect, later identified as Dowell, as he ran through the parking lot and drive-thru area of a Checkers restaurant.
Video footage from the trooper’s body-worn camera shows Dowell attempting to climb a fence behind the Checkers as the trooper runs up to him with his Taser drawn, calling out the warning, “Taser! Taser!” In the end, the trooper did not use the Taser, and Dowell was taken into custody without further incident. A gun and marijuana were found in the wrecked Jaguar, according to police.
Dowell is facing multiple new charges, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He was also charged with multiple traffic violations.
“We thank the A.C.E. Unit and our Air Unit whose determination, attention to detail, technical skills and hard work pay off each week as they do their part in holding lawbreakers accountable and making the City of Atlanta safer,” police said.
The occupants of the white SUV that was rear-ended both complained of injuries but were not taken to the hospital.
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