Video courtesy, ‘Coffee County Ga. Police Scanner’ on Facebook
Author: Staff Reports
The City of Douglas issued a statement Thursday afternoon regarding alleged recent criminal activity on the part of a Douglas police officer. Officer Tony Ward was caught by surveillance cameras at the Douglas Salvation Army illegally dumping a trailer load of various items on April 24, 2016. The matter had gone unresolved prior to the issue being addressed today by Douglas City Manager Terrell Jacobs. “(Mr. Jacobs) would like to inform the public that an off duty officer of the Douglas Police Department was captured on camera disposing of some items in a dumpster located at the Salvation Army,” officials…
A woman who managed to evade arrest for several days after stealing a car while handcuffed has been arrested. Drucilla Thomas was captured Wednesday in Pearson after being on the run from the law since Friday. Coffee County sheriff’s officials state the Pearson Police Dept. assisted with her apprehension. Thomas was originally detained by authorities on May 13 on suspicion of a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act. However, she was managed to escape authorities after flipping her handcuffs, jumping into a nearby vehicle, and fleeing the scene. Thomas faces multiple charges in relation to these incidents. Drucilla Thomas…
The Georgia Department of Education recently released its new ratings for local schools, and Coffee County’s Eastside Elementary stands out as a top performer. The ratings, referred to as the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), are based on student performance on state standardized tests, but also include some other factors. Eastside earned a rating of 90.7 and was recently featured as part of an article in the Atlanta Journal- Constituion that featured 29 Georgia public schools that are making a difference in low-income areas. The article can be read here.
Friday evening, May 13, the Alma Police Department and the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office arrested three individuals, recovered three stolen vehicles, two stolen firearms, and responded to an arson. The events began just after 9 p.m. when a BCSO deputy sheriff discovered a vehicle on U.S. 1 north of Alma that had been reported stolen from Appling County. Deputies gave a description of the last known driver, who was apprehended twenty minutes later by APD officers on W. 8th St.; officers observed the suspect walking out of the bushes behind the senior center on W. 8th St. David Hughes…
A 38-year-old Douglas man was killed in Valdosta when he was struck by a vehicle while walking along a state highway. Authorities say Lester Brooks was walking eastbound on Ga. Hwy. 38/U.S. 84 in the area of Moore Crossing Rd. in Lowndes County when he was struck by an unknown vehicle. The vehicle fled the scene, and Brooks was pronounced dead shortly after authorities arrived. The Georgia State Patrol’s Valdosta Post continues to work the incident and suspects the vehicle that struck Brooks may have been a tractor trailer. Officials are asking anyone who may have information pertaining to the…
Around 5 a.m. last Thursday, May 5, the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU), along with members of the Georgia Department of Corrections Probation-Parole, conducted a sweep of probationers and parolees who were purported to have previous and possibly current links to organized criminal activity. The action was a coordinated part of a statewide crack-down on organized criminal activity. The Department of Corrections personnel checked for probation and parole compliance, and DCDU agents investigated any signs of ongoing drug activity. As a result of the investigation, three probationers /parolees were arrested for violations of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act. Those arrested…
Clayton Mathis, age 73 of Douglas, passed away Saturday, May 7, 2016, at Memorial Health in Savannah following a brief illness. Mr. Mathis was born January 22, 1943, in Avon Park, Fl to the late John Mathis and Mary Mathis. Survivors include his wife, Nedra Mathis of Douglas; daughter, Elizabeth Mathis of Philadelphia, Pa.; sister, Mary Jane Wishart of Gainesville, Fl.; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, Nelson Mathis. Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 11…
A 34-year-old Coffee County man was jailed last week on methamphetamine trafficking charges after authorities discovered a substantial amount of the drug hidden within his vehicle. Sheriff’s officials initiated a traffic stop on Richard Alan Morla last Tuesday. After making contact with Morla and a passenger, officers gained consent to search the vehicle by utilizing a canine. The canine showed a positive response on the vehicle; officers conducted a search and discovered approximately five ounces of methamphetamine hidden in a compartment in the vehicle’s frame. Both Morla and the passenger were taken into custody, and, after conducting a…
Several individuals, including multiple children, were seriously injured Friday afternoon following a two-vehicle collision involving a school bus. Coffee County Schools Superintendent Morris Leis stated a bus carrying approximately 11 middle school students collided with a Toyota pickup truck, which was also carrying three children. The bus was traveling north on Herbert Batten Rd. en route to Coffee High School when the pickup, which was traveling west on Van Davis Rd., allegedly pulled into its path. All occupants in the pickup were seriously injured, and a number of students on the bus were transported from the scene for treatment. One…