A woman accused of stealing a Cobb County patrol car and leading police on a 100-mph chase before crashing Sunday afternoon has had a previous altercation with police in North Carolina.
Emmerli Latrice Wilcoxson, 40, of Clayton County, is accused of causing a four-vehicle crash that injured several people and blocked all southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector for several hours, according to Cobb and Atlanta police. On Monday, she was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, reckless conduct, obstruction and various traffic violations, Sgt. Dana Pierce with Cobb police said.
During a traffic stop Sunday afternoon on Windy Hill Road at I-75, Wilcoxson managed to get into the driver’s seat of a Cobb County patrol car and leave the scene, police said. Officers were called to the area after several reports of an armed woman in the area, Pierce said Monday. After getting into the patrol car, Wilcoxson drove southbound on I-75 into downtown Atlanta, hitting speeds of 100 mph, according to witnesses.
As Wilcoxson approached the North Avenue exit, she drove the patrol car into the back of a Chevrolet Cavalier, sending both cars into the concrete wall, Officer Kim Jones with Atlanta police said. Two other vehicles were also involved in the crash, scattering debris across the interstate.
The driver of the Cavalier, identified by police as Greg Titus, sustained severe injuries to his lower body, Jones said. Wilcoxson got out of the patrol car after the crash and charged at officers before she was subdued.
Wilcoxson, who sustained head injuries, was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment, according to police. She is expected to be booked into the Cobb County jail following her release from the hospital, police said.
In October 2010, Wilcoxson allegedly threatened to kill a North Carolina police officer, according to Raleigh police. She was critically injured after being shot outside the Motel 6 on Maitland Drive in Raleigh.
No charges were filed against Wilcoxson in that case, according to the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. Wilcoxson has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against Raleigh and the officers involved.
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