LPD uses ‘PIT’ maneuver
Published 12:00 am Monday, September 28, 2015
A suspected drunk driver was stopped before he could enter the on ramp to Interstate 85 — thanks to some quick thinking by LPD officers.
The driver was spotted by LPD’s Special Investigation Unit heading east on Lafayette Parkway around 10:45 p.m. Friday after striking multiple vehicles.
Another LPD officer joined the pursuit and said it became clear to officers the driver was not going to pull over, according to a police report. The driver continued to weave in and out of his lane of traffic, and an officer performed a “PIT” — precision immobilization technique — maneuver on the car just under the Interstate 85 overpass, but before the on-ramp.
According to the report, the vehicle came to a stop, the driver’s window was down, but he ignored officers standing at his door giving him commands.
The officer stated the driver was arrested and taken to the Troup County Jail, where he was given a breathalyzer to measure his blood alcohol content.
According to the report, he blew a .201% and a .196%.
The driver was charged with DUI, fleeing to elude a police officer and no drivers license.
Armed Robbery
Two men trying to enjoy their night sitting in front of their home in the 400 block of South Greenwood Street on Saturday night were taken by surprise when two men allegedly tried to rob them at gunpoint.
The robbery is alleged to have happened around 11:30 p.m.
The two victims told LPD officers two unknown men approached them, pointed a handgun at them and demanded money.
One of the men said as he backed away from the gunmen, he heard a loud bang, and believed the gun was shot. He told officers that’s when the two alleged robbers fled on foot without taking anything from the victims.
The case has been turned over to LPD’s Criminal Investigation Section for further review.
Disorderly conduct at Starbucks
A man wanting faster service inside the Starbucks on Lafayette Parkway on Saturday morning instead ended up getting some pretty quick service in the back of a patrol car to the Troup County Jail.
The manager of the coffee shop and several eyewitnesses told an LPD officer the man was waiting in line to place his order when he suddenly became irate and started yelling out profanities in the middle of the store. The manager said she attempted to talk to him and calm him down, but this only seemed to fuel his anger. She told officers he continued to use profane language and told her he was going to wait until she got off work and follow her home.
According to the report, the man showed up at LPD headquarters and told officers he was being harassed by Starbucks employees and that they did not like him because he looks “homeless.”
The officer then asked if he used profane language inside the store and made some of the comments reported by the manager and eyewitnesses — which he allegedly said he did.
The man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.