Earlier this month, a Valdosta man who was out of jail on bond for murder led a Coffee County deputy on a chase through a residential area that reached speeds of close to 100 mph. He was finally apprehended and remains in the Coffee County Jail.
The driver of the vehicle was Torianto Markese Jackson, 32, of Valdosta. According to news reports from Valdosta, Jackson had been charged with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of crime on November 1, 2021. Jackson was wanted in the September 26, 2021, shooting death of Ronnie Greer in Valdosta. Jackson turned himself into the Valdosta Police Department on November 1 of that year. He was eventually released on bond. His case is still pending.
On June 4 of this year, according to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson was in Douglas driving a silver Chevy Malibu. Around 11:30 p.m., a deputy saw the Malibu and noticed it had a faulty tag light. The officer stopped the vehicle on East Walker Street near the intersection of East Walker and the West Green Highway.
The officer got out of his car and walked to the driver’s side of the Malibu. As he was talking to Jackson, he allegedly sped off. The deputy gave chase and though they were in a residential area, speeds neared 100 mph.
At the intersection of Walker Street and Gaskin Avenue, the Malibu ran a red light, turned left, and the deputy lost sight of the vehicle. The deputy also turned left on Gaskin but couldn’t see the vehicle. A few minutes later, an officer from the Douglas Police Department found the Malibu at 837 North Gaskin Avenue, which is the home at the intersection of Walker and Gaskin. No one, however, was in the vehicle. The left front tire had fallen off the Malibu. A citizen reported that he had seen a man matching Jackson’s description running East Jefferson Street.
While other units searched for Jackson, the officer who initiated the stop searched the Malibu and found documents in the car that identified Jackson. The officer also learned that Jackson’s driver’s license had been expired since November 11, 2021.
A K-9 unit arrived and searched for Jackson but eventually lost the trail. Later, a DPD officer located Jackson on Gordon Street and held him until the deputy arrived. Jackson showed signs of drinking (and alcohol had been found in the Malibu) but refused any kind of breath or blood test.
Jackson was arrested and charged with fleeing or attempting to elude, DUI, hit and run, driving with a suspended license, and a host of other traffic violations related to the alleged chase. He was transported to the Coffee County Jail where he is still being held.