Author: Staff Reports

Douglas police are looking for several suspects they believe to be responsible for a string of recent thefts in which the thieves got away with a pickup truck, cargo trailer, and several high-dollar lawnmowers. Officials say that on Oct. 24 several individuals were involved in the theft of a truck and cargo trailer from the parking lot of the Douglas Holiday Inn Express. The truck was a 2002 Ford F-250, dark blue in color, with a silver stripe at the bottom. The cargo trailer was a 20’ Diamond Cargo, silver in color. The truck and trailer were later used in…

The Fountain Inn, which has become notorious for being a hotbed of criminal activity locally, was the site once again last week for a drug arrest and violent incident. According to a report from the Douglas Police Dept., officers were dispatched to the location last Thursday, Oct. 29, around 11 p.m. Police met with a 44-year-old male complainant who stated the offender, identifed as 40-year-old Daniel Joseph Crenshaw, had punched him in the face. A search of Crenshaw allegedly revealed an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine. Crenshaw was arrested at the scene and charged with simple battery and possession of a…

A 26-year-old Douglas woman was jailed last week after officers discovered she was driving with two toddlers, ages one and three, without safety restraints. Douglas police initiated a traffic stop last Monday, Oct. 26, just before 8 a.m. when they observed Shanda Yvette Hughes allegedly run a stop sign at the intersection of Thrash Circle and McDonald Rd. Officers observed the two children were riding unrestrained in the vehicle, and a roadside check of Hughes revealed her license was suspended. Hughes was cited for child restraint violations and arrested for driving with a suspended license.

Veteran patrol deputy Sgt. Lance Ragans was recently honored with being named as the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office’s officer of the year. Ragans began his career with the organization in April of 2001. He attended and completed the police academy and returned to work as a road deputy until February 2003, when he spent approximately six months in the criminal investigations division. Ragans later decided he wanted to return to road patrol duty and was promoted to his present position as a sergeant in March 2007. Sheriff’s officals stated Lance is probably one of the friendliest and most people-oriented deputies…

Despite a financial aid mishap that resulted in several staff rearrangements within the financial aid department and 40 students not being able to attend fall classes, South Georgia State College (SGSC) representatives stated today the school has realized a one percent increase in enrollment compared to one year ago. The total headcount for fall 2015, they said, is 2,636 students. A press release issued Tuesday by Walda Kight, Vice President for External Affairs, stated, “Positive factors that contributed to the increase include a 12.66 percent growth in new students, a 19.66 percent increase in Move On When Ready (MOWR) students…

A shootout in Broxton around 6:30 last night has left one person injured and officers searching for the suspect. Broxton police responded to gunshot wound call early Monday evening. When they arrived, they found Cornelius Frederick with a gunshot wound in his leg. Frederick had been taken from the scene of the shooting to his home. Officers went to the scene of the shooting, which took place near Broxton’s famous – or infamous – Tree of Knowledge, located on Highway 441 on the north end of town. The suspect in the shooting is William Champ of Fitzgerald, who had been…

A 39-year-old man was killed Thursday night after allegedly fleeing from Nicholls police when authorities attempted to stop him for running a stop sign. Nicholls police attemted to stop Julian Walter Thomas after for failing to yield to a stop sign on N. Liberty Rd. around 10 p.m. Officials say Thomas led officers on a short chase before overturning his truck several times after he failed to navigate a sharp curve. The Georgia State Patrol continues to investigate the incident.

A man who shot and wounded a Douglas police officer in July of last year after robbing a local store a gunpoint was sentenced to life in prison Thursday in Coffee County Superior Court. Christopher Barnett pled guily on Oct. 19 to robbery and the subsequent shooting of Officer Larry Carter on July 10, 2014. At the hearing before Judge Kelly Brooks, DPD Sergeant Robert Sprinkle testified that Barnett admitted to brandishing a pistol at Flash Foods and running away with a few hundred dollars in cash. Officer Carter testified that he initiated the stop on the vehicle Barnett…

A 19-year-old man already serving a probation sentence was jailed again Friday on drug distribution charges following a traffic stop conducted by the Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU). Officials reported that DCDU K-9 officers stopped a vehicle on S. Gaskin Ave. at E. Baker Hwy. in Douglas for a traffic violation. As they approached the vehicle, they noticed the passenger appeared to have something in his mouth, and officers were able to recover seven bags of marijuana he allegedly attempted to swallow. A search of the vehicle revealed more marijuana, Xanax tablets, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia.…