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On Sunday June 18, 2023 at approximately 5:50, Game Warden Tanner Rundle and Corporal Jesse Harrison received a complaint from a Georgia Veterans State Park employee Bobby Barns in reference to a side-by-side doing donuts on the State Park grounds. Barns said that the side-by-side was in the area of the archery range and group shelter. GW Rundle and Cpl. Harrison went to the location and located a blue Polaris RZR Turbo S side-by-side parked in the Group Shelter parking lot. They proceeded to approach the vehicle for observation, as they approached the subject drove off towards the exit of the park. Cpl. Harrison attempted to initiate a traffic stop but the subject fled at a high rate of speed. The subject continued to travel north inside the State Park on Cannon Road towards highway 280. The subject exited the park and failed to stop at the intersection between Cannon Road and highway 28o whilst continuing to travel at a high rate of speed. The traffic at this time was heavy coming down highway 280. Once the subject crossed the intersection they made a sharp left turn onto South Valhalla Road heading west. Once on Valhalla Road the subject passed a pick-up truck in a curve located at the 160 block of Valhalla road. The subject came to the end of Valhalla Road and proceeded back onto highway 280, heading east towards Cordele. At this point the subject was traveling at a very high rate of speed, and was not able to maintain his lane as he was driving on the wrong side of the road. As the subject approached the intersection of Cannon Road and highway 280 again, the subject went off into the construction zone and back onto the highway in an attempted to do a u-turn in front of Striplings. The subject went off on the shoulder of the westbound lane and rolled onto its passenger’s side.

The subject James Martin Mcleod exited the Polaris side-by-side and was taken into custody. Cpl. Harrison asked Mcleod if he was hurt and he replied with, “No I’m Good.” Cpl. Harrison then asked Mcleod for his ID in which he responded that he had left it in his camper. Cpl. Harrison asked Mcleod why he ran from him in which Mcleod responds, “Man I don’t know, I just did something real f***ing stupid.” Mcleoad was then placed in the back of a Crisp County Sheriffs Deputy Patrol car and was advised that he was being charged with the minimal fleeing and eluding. Mcleod was transported to Crisp County Sheriffs Law Enforcement Center for further holding. The Polaris was inspected and was found to not be registered or have valid insurance. The Polaris was inventories and was towed by Fraser’s Towing. During the inventory, a wallet was found in the glove box, Mcleod had told Cpl. Harrison that his ID and wallet was in his camper. Two small clear bags containing a white powder substance, and orange plastic razor cutter and a neatly folded collar bill were in a compartment in the wallet. All items were logged and are stored at the Crisp County Sheriffs Office Law Enforcement Center.

GW Rundle and Cpl. Harrison went back to the complaint area at the archery range and group shelter within the State Park. Cpl. Harrison had spoken to some park visitors who had the group shelter rented for the day. They explained that they saw the side-by-side doing donuts and driving crazy in the parking lot. In the other parking lot, Cpl Harrison observed skid marks on the pavement where the side-by-side was doing donuts. During the investigation GW Rundle and Cpl. Harrison received information in reference to the side-by-side running off the roadway on 107 South Valhalla Road. The homeowner state he found a Milwaukee battery with a phone charger attached in the location where the side-by-side wrecked. It appeared, when the subject made the sharp turn onto South Valhalla road from Cannon Road, he went off on the right-side shoulder, tried to correct it, but ended up running off on the left-hand shoulder and into the homeowner’s yard.

On Monday June 19^th, 2023, Mcleod was charged with driving while license suspended, no insurance, registration/license requirement, too fast for conditions, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, failure to stop at stop sign, passing in a no passing zone, driving on wrong side of roadway, littering, and criminal trespass on State Park. All eleven violator copies were given to the Crisp County Detention Center for further processing.

On Tuesday June 20^th, 2023, the suspected white powdery substance was tested, and the results indicated a positive detection for Fentanyl by the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office. Magistrate Judge Brandon Rivers signed two warrants, one for possession of fentanyl and one for fleeing and eluding a police officer.