ADAMS
While watching traffic on Tennessee Street, two Cartersville officers noticed a suspicious vehicle that had been parked at the gas pumps of Mack's Marathon for 30 minutes. After finding probable cause for a traffic stop when a brake light was observed to be malfunctioning, the officers attempted to stop the vehicle. The Ford Windstar van pulled into another convenience store lot, circled the pumps and attempted to flee at a high rate of speed. The officers pursued, reaching speeds along Ga. Highway 61 of up to 85 mph at one point.
The van turned into Tractor Supply Company with one officer following, turned around and struck the officer's vehicle on the driver's side, causing damage to the vehicle. The pursuit continued until a male driver stopped and exited the vehicle with the car door open and facing oncoming traffic. The suspect then fled on foot into oncoming traffic. One of the responding officers remained with the vehicle and a female juvenile at the stop site, where the van rolled back and hit the officer's patrol car. The officer and female were treated by Bartow EMS for injuries sustained during the incident.
Two other law enforcement officers responded to assist in finding the suspect, and the man was soon captured. The suspect, identified as Jonathan Ray Adams, had in his possession unmarked debit cards and a South Carolina identification card issued to a female Adams claimed he did not know.
At police headquarters, Adams allegedly threatened to kill the officer by gesturing with his hands like it was a gun and was uncooperative throughout the entire booking process. Adams was transported to the jail and charged with two counts of hit and run with injury, hit and run, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, reckless endangerment of a minor, obstruction of officers, driving within a median or gore, failure to obey traffic control devices, tail lights required, open container, failure to maintain lane, driving while license suspended and terroristic threats.