Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies arrested four Coffee County individuals Thursday morning as part of an investigation that began in the fall of 2015. The four subjects, all males, were arrested on charges related to the sale of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription medication. According to Agent Jamie Jones of the GBI Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, officers arrested Tadesses Butler on two counts of selling methamphetamine; Anthony Whitfield on three counts of selling cocaine; Shaquille Rashon Sharpe on one count of selling Oxycodone; and Tyrone Gifford on one count each of selling cocaine, selling a Schedule II controlled…
Author: Staff Reports
Douglas police stated Thursday there has been an increase in the amount of counterfeit money being reported by local retail establishments over the last several weeks. Law enforcement encourages retail managers to train employees in the detection of counterfeit money and to closely inspect each bill they receive. Customers should also be aware of this increase and inspect currency they receive from merchants. If a merchant unknowingly accepts counterfeit money as payment, it could be passed along to unknowing customers, officials say. Anyone who comes in contact with counterfeit money or persons passing counterfeit money is asked to contact Coffee…
The Fountain Inn in Douglas was once again the scene of a violent crime early Wednesday evening, following a shooting that landed one victim in the hospital. Officials with the Douglas Police Dept. stated the victim, identified as Jeremy Garlon Meeks, was shot in the leg during the incident and transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center for treatment. The suspect, Cedric Davis, was apprehended near the scene and has been jailed at the Coffee County Jail. Officials state the incident is still under investigation and charges against Davis are pending.
In the wake of the city’s refusal to take action on the recent indictment and arrest of a commissioner and the ongoing shenanigans of other personnel caught up in legal battles, Douglas officials broke their silence to address a much bigger issue plaguing the community: dumpster diving. “The City of Douglas urges citizens to help clean up Douglas by not littering or digging through dumpsters at businesses,” officials stated in a press release issued Wednesday. “Citizens who dispose of items in another person’s privately owned or business dumpster without the owner’s permission are committing a crime. It is illegal to…
The Broxton Police Dept. and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have secured arrest warrants on Dustin Ryan Steverson for his alleged role in a shooting Wednesday morning in Broxton that left him and two females injured. Officials have charged Steverson with four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree, aggravated stalking, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Steverson remained hospitalized for his injuries as of midday Thursday. Officials state he will be transported to the Coffee County Jail upon his release. Officers with the Broxton Police Dept.…
City of Douglas Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem Olivia Pearson was formally arrested Tuesday and charged with four felony accusations. Pearson was booked into the Coffee County Jail, where she was fingerprinted and processed before being released just after 8 p.m. on a preset bond. The commissioner faces two charges of improper assistance in casting a ballot and two charges of false swearing after being indicted by a Coffee County grand jury last week for her alleged role in election fraud activities that occurred during the 2012 general election cycle. Pearson’s indictment lists several witnesses for the prosecution including Coffee…
The shootings of three people that occurred early Wednesday morning in Broxton were apparently the result of an ongoing domestic dispute. Broxton police and the GBI continue to investigate the incident, but have released few official details. Mother and daughter Mary and Jerrilynn Myers each sustained gunshot wounds during the incident, which occurred in the area of Hunter Ln. in Broxton. Another individual, identified as Dustin Steverson, was also injured and is believed to be the primary aggressor. Douglas Now has learned that Steverson was recently arrested for terroristic threats against Jerrilynn Myers, but was released from jail after being…
A Baxley man was arrested and jailed over the weekend on suspicion of drug trafficking after officers discovered a significant amount of cocaine in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop. Officer Tommy Groll of the Douglas – Coffee Heat Unit initiated the stop on a white car for speeding Saturday, May 28, on Hwy. 221 N. at mile post 23. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Bruce McZorn. When Officer Groll approached McZorn to issue a citation, he observed a plastic bag on the floor and contacted the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit for assistance. During a search of…
City of Douglas officials gave their response today regarding the recent felony indictments against Mayor Pro Tem Olivia Pearson in a manner that has become commponplace when it comes to city representatives accused of lawlessness: do nothing. Pearson was indicted this week by a Coffee County grand jury on charges of alleged voter fraud. She faces two counts of improperly assisting in casting ballots and two counts of false swearing. “The City of Douglas has been made aware of the indictment of Commissioner Olivia Pearson. This matter does not involve a city election,” officials said in a prepared statement provided…