Author: Staff Reports

Merchants – check those $100 bills that customers bring into your stores. On October 18, 2024, officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 49-year-old Douglas man after he allegedly passed four fake $100 bills at a local convenience store. The bills were marked for movie use only, according to a report from the sheriff’s office. The incident was reported on October 15. A store employee called law enforcement and spoke to deputies once management realized the bills were fake. The employee said that they had been busy and didn’t notice the money was counterfeit. As a result, the…

Michael Bussey, 50, of Douglas, was arrested on October 17, 2024, after he allegedly fired several shots from a handgun at a vehicle with three occupants inside. The three individuals had stopped by Bussey’s residence to see if he and his family needed help cutting down trees, according to an incident report from the sheriff’s office. The alleged incident happened just after 10 a.m. on October 17 at a residence on Green Willow Road. According to one of the complainants, he and two of his family members were in the vehicle and stopped at the residence. The report says that…

A 20-year-old Douglas man was arrested at the Dollar General on Highway 32 West after he was allegedly seen pleasuring himself in a Nissan Altima in the parking lot. According to an incident report from the sheriff’s office, a store employee told deputies that she had received several phone calls from people stating that there was a man in the parking lot committing the indecent act. A deputy spoke with a witness who stated that she had seen the individual, identified as Tyree Anjoris Cooper, 20, of Douglas, clearing pleasuring himself in the front seat of the car, the report…

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, two juveniles and an 18-year-old allegedly embarked on a crime spree in Alma that included two burglaries, an armed robbery at the Huddle House, and the robbery of a citizen near an ATM. The Alma Police Department issued the following statement on its Facebook page: “During the early hours of September 27, 2024, our great little community suffered devastating damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Not 24 hours later, while our hometown was trying to piece back together our lives and landscape, a crime spree began to take place in the City of Alma. The…

A Jeff Davis County native was arrested Tuesday afternoon near Denton for allegedly committing several property crimes in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Multiple agencies were involved in the operation. Wilbur Brandon “Bam Bam” Yawn was arrested on Post Road in Jeff Davis County on active warrants for armed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling (two counts), armed burglary of an unoccupied conveyance (three counts), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance (three counts), and several other thefts including the theft of a gun. The stolen gun was recovered. Officers from the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office…

On September 29, 2024, officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disorderly person call on Estlee Mercer Road in Douglas. The call resulted in the arrest of Stanley Keith Mills, 48, of Douglas, on disorderly conduct charges. A report of the incident states an officer responded to the Estlee Mercer Road address and spoke to Mills. According to the report, Mills began yelling at the deputy and telling him to get off his property. The deputy asked where a 75-year-old female subject was. The female was the victim in this incident, according to the report. Mills replied…

Students in the Coffee County School System will return to school on Monday, October 21. However, things will be a little different than they were before Hurricane Helene. According to a statement posted on the school system’s Facebook page, freshmen will temporarily attend Coffee Middle School. The George Washington Carver Freshman Campus sustained significant damage during the hurricane. Repairs are being performed but the school is not ready to open. While the school is under repair, ninth graders will report to Coffee Middle School. All bus routes will continue to run as usual, and the transportation department is working closely…

Around 1 a.m. on September 19, 2024, a deputy responded to a report of a prowler. He ended up chasing a suspect who allegedly had suspected methamphetamine in his possession. According to a report from the sheriff’s office, the deputy responded to the area of Bakers Lane after a prowler had been reported. As he neared the area, he saw an individual identified as James Steven Carter, 40, of Douglas, walking on Estlee Mercer Road. As the deputy neared Carter, the report says he started running. The officer chased and gave Carter commands to stop. Just as he was about…

On September 23, 2024, a Coffee County deputy arrested a 56-year-old Douglas man who had active warrants after the deputy saw him at Evans Mobile Home Park. The suspect, identified as Edward Tate Harper, 56, allegedly tried to dispose of illegal drugs during the investigation and ended up with more charges. According to a report from the sheriff’s office, a deputy saw Harper at Evans Mobile Home Park. He knew Harper had active warrants so he initiated a traffic stop. The deputy asked Harper to get out of his vehicle. He did but the vehicle began rolling forward. The deputy…

In-person help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is available for Georgia homeowners, renters, and small business owners in South Georgia recovering from Hurricane Helene. FEMA has opened Disaster Recovery Centers in Coffee County to provide one-on-one help to local citizens affected by Hurricane Helene, including help applying for FEMA’s Individual and Public Assistance programs, help applying for Small Business Administration loans, and more. The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Coffee County is located at The Atrium at 114 North Peterson Avenue in Douglas. Its hours are Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The center is also open on Sunday from…